Clayton County Foundation for the Future Grants Nearly $16,000 to Local Nonprofits at Annual Grant Celebration
The Clayton County Foundation for the Future (CCFF) awarded $15,740 to area nonprofits May 17 at its annual grant award celebration at the Franklin Hotel in Strawberry Point.
“These grants are made possible by local donors who believe in the future of our communities,” said Emily Sadewasser, donor connections coordinator. “The CCFF was created with the intention of establishing a perpetual endowment fund that would meet the needs of all of Clayton County and the 19 communities within the county.”
At the event, Board Chair Harry Blobaum announced grant awards totaling $15,740 to the following organizations:
- Berry Tender Child Care Inc -- $1,000
Building of an outdoor shed - City of Garber -- $1,000
Fire equipment trailer and Gator - City of Guttenberg – $1,000
Restoration of Guttenberg pool - City of Monona - Monona Butterfly Gardens and Trail Committee -- $550
Mulching Our Gardening Waste - City of Postville-Police Department -- $1,000
Police Solar Speed Monitor Project - Clayton County Community Collaboration Council -- $1,000
Escape Room - Clayton County Conservation Board -- $1,000
New tanks for Turtles - Ed-Co Elementary School -- $590
Family event which will target at-risk youth and parents for an inexpensive evening of glow in the dark dancing, food, music, exercise, and creative fun - Edgewood-Colesburg Community Schools
Programming to support early literacy education - Family’s Helping Hand -- $600
Community-based mentoring program - Friends of the Marquette Driftless Area -- $1,000
After school enrichment program - Garnavillo Community Day Care -- $1,000
Equipment and toy shelving replacement - Garnavillo Historical Society -- $1,000
Replacing inefficient and unsafe florescent light fixtures with safer lighting - Strawberry Point Public Library -- $1,000
To make summer reading a fun learning environment for all ages by using STEM activities, "hands-on programs" and the purchasing of books - VCTC, Inc. -- $1,000
Volga City Opera House Patio - Monona Chamber & Economic Development -- $1,000
Monona Downtown Revitalization Project - Six large flower pots
Funding for the grants was made possible by donations to the Clayton County Foundation for the Future Endowment, the Leroy and Colleen Darby Family Endowed Donor-Advised Fund, and the A.J. Spiegel Endowment Fund.
“The Clayton County Foundation for the Future is a ‘give-through’ rather than a ‘give-to’ organization, fundraising not for our own operations but rather to develop funds that are distributed locally,” said Sadewasser. “Through our grants, we help community organizations increase their capacity to serve. We believe in the expertise and creativity of nonprofit organizations, and provide support to help them do what they do best."
Donors who give to endowments like the Clayton County Foundation for the Future Endowment, also benefit from the Endow Iowa 25% State Tax Credit in addition to federal charitable income tax deductions.
Sadewasser also honored retiring board members Connie Halvorson and Pastor Harold McMillin for their service at the celebration.
As an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, CCFF also works with its host to strengthen nonprofits by offering a variety of training programs and networking opportunities that build capacities and organizational structures. CCFF regularly evaluates nonprofits to assure donors and the Foundation that funds produce the maximum benefit for improving lives.
For more information on the CCFF, visit www.dbqfoundation.org/CCFF or call 563.245.2201.