The Greene County Community Foundation awarded $118,097 in grants to 17 projects at its 10th annual donor recognition and grant awards celebration March 30 in Jefferson. The 2015 grant cycle brings the total awarded by the Community Foundation since its inception in 2005 to $894,309. The number of projects to receive funding now stands at 193.
Community Foundation board president Tim Heisterkamp (left) served as emcee. Pictured with him is Vernon Fritz of Grand Junction.
Heisterkamp reported that the Community Foundation was established Feb. 14, 2005, with $32,500 in funds raised locally for an endowment fund. Since then, the Foundation’s total permanent endowment has grown to $635,746. Of that, $313,086 has come from local donations, and $322,660 has come from state gaming revenues received as a non-gaming county. (The Community Foundation has for 10 years disbursed 75 percent of its share of gaming revenues and placed 25 percent in the permanent endowment fund, as required by law.)
In 2014, the Greene County Community Foundation received $121,923 in state gaming revenues, $89,214 of which was available for grants. Community foundations can augment that amount with up to 5 percent of their permanent endowment; GCCF tapped its permanent endowment for $28,883 for the total awarded Monday night.
“I start doing the math, and I keep thinking what this is going to be when our endowment hits $1 million or $2 million or $10 million, and I get pretty excited about having this endowment that every year we can tap into for 5 percent for community projects,” Heisterkamp said.
GCCF will receive no state gaming funds in 2015 as Greene County becomes a gaming county with the opening of Wild Rose Jefferson this summer. Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation will distribute an estimated $1.5 million annually, with $1.3 million of that going to groups and projects in Greene County.
Grow Greene County president Norm Fandel spoke briefly. “Our board is committed to keeping this organization funded, and that the process and the timing stay on track as you keep moving forward,” Fandel said about GCCF. “We’ve made a commitment to match the dollars that you’ve had in the past, and depending on the flow of some of you going out there and spending some gambling money, we might be able to increase those dollars as we move forward.”
Fandel said nothing has been finalized, but that the Community Foundation will be the first group to receive funding.
The next order of business was presenting checks. Representatives of each project were called forward to comment on their projects.
Awards were presented as follows, with spokesperson listed:
- Greene County Fair Association – Replace swine, sheep and cattle barns at the fairgrounds, Bob Allen and Josh Hedges, $30,000
- Greene County conservation board – Paving intersections of Raccoon River Valley Trail, Dan Towers, $30,000
- Grand Junction Community Center – Audio, security and WiFi at new center, Diane Wise and Joan Dearborn, $10,000
- Paton-Churdan CSD – Rocket Weekend Fuel Pack, food sent home with children on weekends, Annie Smith, $5,234
- Heart of Iowa Habitat for Humanity – Helping Hands home rehab for low-income home owners, Harry Ahrenholtz, $7,000
- Scranton Community Center advisory board – Kitchen remodel project, Gale Zellweger, $7,000
- Greene County Early Learning Center – Classroom equipment for under 2-years old room, Cherie Cerveny, $6,861
- Churdan public library – Replace computers, books, programming, and relocate sign, Shari Minnehan, $2,380
- Bell Tower Community Foundation – Update lobby of Bell Tower, Peg Raney, $4,627
- Grand Junction senior housing board – Replace windows on six senior housing buildings, Vernon Fritz, $4,500
- Iowa Lincoln Highway Association – New 10-panel brochure, Bob Ausberger, $2,406
- William Paton Public Library in Paton – Update adult non-fiction area, Jolene Allen, $1,125
- Sierra Community Theatre – Insulation in building, Jim Groves, $2,060
- RSVP 55+ of Boone and Greene Counties – Update computer for RSVP Greene County, Michele Hull, $800
- City of Rippey – Defibrillator for Community Center, Mary Millard, $1,575
- Friends of Rippey – Summer program for youth, Ashley Johnston, $1,529
- PAWS of Greene County – Large capacity washer/dryer for animal shelter, Adrienne Smith, $1,000
Pictured are (front, from left) Shari Minnehan, Joan Dearborn, Ashley Johnston, Diane Wise, Annie Smith, Adrienne Smith, Cherie Cerveny and Michele Hull; and (back, from left) Gale Zellweger, Vernon Fritz, Bob Ausberger, Harry Ahrenholtz, Jim Groves, Bob Allen, Dan Towers, Jolene Allen, Peg Raney, Mary Millard and Josh Hedges.
