The Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation (GPCF) has awarded its first annual Community Fund for Poweshiek County grants to five projects in the county. The inaugural grants were awarded to:
- City of Grinnell Parks and Recreation Department to install pet/human drinking fountains in four pulic parks in Grinnell.
- Poweshiek County Development to redesign the current Pow I-80 website to provide web presence for smaller communities in the county.
- Poweshiek County Extention and Outreach for the “Cooking Up Science: The Clover Cookies Factory> workshop to teach food science to youth.
- Brooklyn Economic Development to complete a community sign revitalization project initiated last year.
- Poweshiek County Pioneer Cemetery Commission to restore and preserve small pioneer cemeteries throughout the county.
The five organizations will be recognized at a January reception at the Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation offices.
The grant application process, conducted last fall, sought county projects that “increase civic participation and community vitality, build community connections especially among diverse groups, build mutual trust and reciprocity in community relationships, and encourage discussion about critical issues.”
According to Tim Douglas, chair of the grants committee, the Community Fund received project requests from across the county for more than $25,000 but could only fund $3,000 in this first round of grants. “There were many worthy projects,” Douglas said. “As the Community Fund grows, so will the grant awards and the number of projects we are able to support.”
Delphina Baumann, GPCF community relations coordinator, said that the Community Fund for Poweshiek County has a goal of $1 million in order to be able to disburse $50,000 in grants annually. “To reach the $1 million goal,” Baumann said, “1,000 individuals would need to pledge to give $100 a year for 10 years. To date, more than 300 individuals have committed to the Community Fund.”
Any nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing services in Poweshiek County is eligible to apply for a Community Fund grant. Organizations seeking grant assistance may contact GPCF at 641-236-5518.
The Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation is a non-profit organization that assists donors in supporting local non-profit organizations to make life better for people in the area. Donors may specify which funds they wish to support and send checks to GPCF, P.O. Box 344, Grinnell, IA, 50112 or donate online at www.greaterpcf.org.
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