Endowments support educators
An endowment fund for Maquoketa schools is helping provide unique learning experiences and classroom essentials to set students up for success.
At Briggs Elementary, the endowment helped fund a Drums Alive Fitness Experience. Students use large, yoga-like balls and drum sticks to facilitate a combination of rhythm and movement that was new and exciting! In a science classroom, a grant helped move basic learning about DNA from the textbook to a real-life experiment through a gel electrophoresis lab for sorting and measuring DNA strands. The fund has also impacted preschoolers with classroom items that help them gain independence and understand concepts like group learning and personal space.
Each year, payouts from endowment funds held by the Community Foundation of Jackson County support organizations’ missions and improve quality of life in local communities. Payouts from the Maquoketa Education Foundation provide integral classroom support for teachers and youth.
“When I was introduced to the Maquoketa Education Fund Grant opportunity, I thought it was almost too good to be true,” says preschool teacher Liz Wawro. “I spend a lot of my own money on my classroom, but there's no way I could afford big ticket items out of my own pocket.” The classroom items Wawro received thanks to grant funding are likely to last for her entire teaching career. “I feel so incredibly fortunate to live in a community that understands the importance of supporting teachers, making a positive impact for students for many years to come.”
The Foundation holds funds for many nonprofits as well as individuals and families with charitable goals. In 2023, the Foundation’s family of funds paid out $436,000 to support community projects in Jackson County. Gifts to the Foundation’s family of endowments funds can be made anytime online at dbqfoundation.org/cfjc.
“The Foundation connects donors with the greatest needs in our community,” says Executive Director Lori Loch. “We offer many opportunities to improve quality of life by addressing an array of local issues.” To learn more about how you can establish a fund or make a gift that impacts your community, contact Loch at 563-588-2700 or email lori@dbqfoundation.org.