Clayton County nonprofits awarded over $20,000

 

Foundation celebrates two decades of impact

From supporting local families to funding community development, rural communities and nonprofits work hard to build a strong Clayton County. That’s why the Clayton County Foundation for the Future is proud to celebrate two decades of partnering with these organizations. During a 20th anniversary celebration at the Edgewood Events Center, Foundation leaders reflected on their successes and awarded $20,250 in grants to local nonprofits.

“We have been extremely lucky over the years to have boards brimming with passion and commitment to a stronger and more vibrant Clayton County,” said Emily Sadewasser, executive director. “We’ve grown to steward a family of over 100 funds totaling nearly $9 million that pay out annually to support important causes and nonprofits serving our county. We’ve brought community members together around clean energy, welcoming newcomers, early literacy, brain health, and child care, and thanks to many partners, our grant cycle has made awards of over $210,000 in the last twenty years.”

More than 60 donors, fundholders and nonprofit representatives attended the event on Tuesday, May 14. Founding donors and board emeritus gathered with current board members as well as Nancy Van Milligen, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, and MJ Smith, the Foundation’s senior affiliate advisor, to remember the conversations that started this effort in 2004. Founding donors in attendance included Larry Thein, Juanita Loven, Connie Halvorson, and representatives from Freedom Bank and Brown’s Sales and Leasing.

The 21 grants to nonprofits were made possible by endowments in the Foundation’s family of funds. Endowed funds are permanently invested, and annual earnings pay out to support special projects and organization sustainability, forever. This year’s grants were supported by payouts from the Acts 20:35 Blessed to Give Endowment, Andrea Bockenstedt Live Your Life Endowment, Clayton County Vision for Tomorrow Endowment, Dr. Russell and Juanita Loven Endowment, Leroy and Colleen Darby Family Endowed Donor-Advised Fund and Watson-Rugland Family Endowment for Clayton County. 

Grants were awarded to: 

  • Umbrella Arts for a bench at the outdoor pickleball court 
  • Family’s Helping Hand for infant/toddler and senior basic needs 
  • City of North Buena Vista for rejuvenating local parks 
  • Backbone Lake Promotion Association, Inc. for Strawberry Jam Camp and Songwriters Workshop 
  • Brown’s Hometown Victory Foundation for summer bingo at Clayton Ridge Elementary and Central Elementary 
  • Riverview Center, Inc. for support services for sexual assault/abuse survivors 
  • Friends of the Marquette Driftless Area for Driftless Area Wetlands Centre high school summer intern for youth programs 
  • Motor Mill Foundation for AED equipment and training
  • Iowa College Access Network for addressing high school preparedness and financial aid 
  • Guttenberg Economic and Industrial Development Committee for the Community Resource Center 
  • Clayton County Conservation Board for controlled burn equipment 
  • Elkader Depot Project for the Elkader Depot Museum 
  • Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging, Inc. for Iowa Café Congregate and Home Delivered Meals Programs 
  • Seva Health Center for Wellbeing for integrative brain health support 
  • Dubuque Visiting Nurse Association for Clayton County foot health clinics 
  • Farmersburg & Wagner Cemetery Association for public accessibility project at the cemetery 
  • Boy Scouts of America, Northeast Iowa Council #178 for Adventure Kits: Intro to Scouting 
  • Clayton County Energy District for Clean Energy Career Discovery and Clean Energy Workforce Education sessions 
  • Guttenberg Rotary Club for Buechel Hill Trail revitalization
  • Clayton County Womenade for hardship assistance
  • McGregor-Marquette Center for the Arts for program support arts experiences for children, tweens, and teens

Donors who give to endowments may benefit from the Endow Iowa 25% State Tax Credit in addition to federal charitable income tax deductions. For more information about giving to support local needs, contact Sadewasser at 563-880- 6044 or ccff@dbqfoundation.org.

To learn more about how you can make an impact on your Clayton County community, visit dbqfoundation.org/ccff.