$250,000 grant will help fund capital projects that address environmental issues
Thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Community Foundation Climate Collaborative and the McKnight Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque will increase its capacity for impact investing, providing much-needed financing for projects that address environmental issues in Eastern Iowa.
“We are grateful to the Community Foundation Climate Collaborative for this essential funding for our region,” says Nancy Van Milligen, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “Iowa receives only 0.2% of national funding for environmental issues, yet we face an array of challenges that require more resources to address.
“This grant will make a major difference in our region’s capacity to tackle some of the most pressing issues of the day, from water quality to regenerative agriculture.”
The Community Foundation will use the grant to provide funding through its Northeast Iowa Community Investment Fund, which it launched this year. With this innovative financing tool, the Community Foundation can provide low-interest, reimbursable funding for projects that address some of the Dubuque region’s biggest issues, including environmental sustainability.
The fund blends philanthropy and investing to drive lasting, positive impact across the region. In the first round of funding, it has granted a total of $1.2 million to five local projects, two of which are representative of the type of work the Climate Collaborative grant will enable.
The Community Investment Fund has supported ReEvolution Farm, a sustainable, urban farm located on a former North End playground in Dubuque that has added a new hydroponic growing facility that uses 80% less water than a traditional farm, and Phelps Farm, a greenhouse farm in Clayton County that is adding new facilities to increase production and access to locally grown food.
“We are excited to fund more innovative projects like these across our region,” says Waqar Abbas, director of strategic programs for the Community Foundation. “This grant from the Community Foundation Climate Collaborative will make that work possible.”
The group also made a grant to the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, where our neighbors to the south will use the grant dollars to further their work connecting housing affordability and climate impact.
“Building climate resilience take all regions of our country, which means that Iowa and the Midwest are integral to a comprehensive strategy that addresses one of the most critical issues of our day,” says Kristin Tracz, Director of the Community Foundation Climate Collaborative. “We are grateful to the McKnight Foundation for partnering with us on this important effort.”
About the Community Foundation Climate Collaborative
The Community Foundation Climate Collaborative (CFCC) is a national alliance of community foundations dedicated to addressing the root causes and wide-ranging effects of climate change, with a steadfast commitment to fostering fairness and opportunity for all.
About the McKnight Foundation
The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, advances a more just, creative, and abundant future where people and planet thrive. Established in 1953, the McKnight Foundation is deeply committed to advancing climate solutions in the Midwest; building an equitable and inclusive Minnesota; and supporting the arts and culture in Minnesota, neuroscience, and global food systems.
