These young ladies don’t let hard economic times deter them from raising money for charity. Kinsey Edmonds and Ashley Hansen are members of the Teen Sunday School Class at Spangler Chapel United Methodist Church and collected 50,000 pennies for the Agricultural Learning Center Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine. Their goal was to collect so many pennies that they would reach to the top of the steeple of their church. They surpassed that goal and kept on going.

“It’s a great cause, and we know they could use more money,” the girls told me in regard to why they selected the Ag Center as their beneficiary.

Good things can come in small packages – pennies AND teens!

Pictured left to right: Community Foundation Executive Director Judi Holdorf, Kinsey Edmonds and Ashley Hansen. Whew! I was glad they didn’t bring all the pennies!!

Is it Spring Yet?
Grants Awarded by Community Foundation Span the Seasons



Photo: (left to right) Charles Rickey from the Arboretum, Judi Holdorf from the Community Foundation, and Friends of the Arboretum Steve and Janet Forbes are pictured at the site of the new water lines. In the past, volunteers have carried water buckets to maintain the Arboretum’s many plants and trees.</center>

Area nonprofits benefiting from grants awarded by the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine span the seasons from Christmas dinner for 500 at Pearl City Outreach Center to spring blooms at the Muscatine Arboretum. In the fourth quarter of 2008, 16 Muscatine and West Liberty nonprofit organizations received grants from the County Endowment Fund.

The County Endowment Fund Program is one of two legislative programs in Iowa that aim to increase philanthropic activity that will enhance the quality of life for Iowans. The funds are only available to community foundations that are qualified by the Iowa Department of Economic Development and accredited by the National Council on Foundations. Because Muscatine is one of the few counties that have their own community foundation in compliance with national standards, grant applications can be evaluated and approved locally, rather than through some parent or sponsoring entity in another county.

Grants awarded by the Community Foundation from the Muscatine County Endowment Fund in the last quarter of 2008 totaled $21,580 for the following:

• Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Muscatine County - $300 to customize national documentary films for local marketing
• Diversity Service Center of Iowa - $1,000 to provide civic and leadership education for minorities
• Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre - $2,000 to develop a new production featuring the prehistoric wooly mammoth
• Friends of Muscatine Art Center - $200 for Festival of Wreaths to fund arts education
• Friends of Muscatine Historic Preservation - $1,500 to assist with fundraising for two Muscatine books to be sold
• Michael Edmonds - $130 for nutrition and health seminars at schools
• Muscatine Arboretum Assoc. – $2,500 to install watering lines
• Muscatine Art Center - $1,000 for the Mosaic Project that is also a fundraiser for Muscatine Area Arts Council
• Muscatine Center for Social Action - $1,750 to promote dental education program to students
• Muscatine Connected Education Foundation - $4,000 for Spanish language software for a new alternative education program at Muscatine School District
• Muscatine County Extension - $500 to develop First Lego League in West Liberty to interest children in science, technology and engineering
• Muscatine Symphony Orchestra - $200 to support the free holiday concert in conjunction with the Holiday Stroll and $500 to score parts for “Grand Duo” performance
• Muscatine Welfare Assoc. - $1,500 to purchase reusable tableware for eat-in diners at Snackers2
• Pearl City Outreach - $1,000 for Christmas meals and activities
• Quad City Arts – $1,000 to support the Visiting Artists Series program in the Muscatine schools
• West Liberty Dream Catchers - $2,500 for activities related to Dream Catchers’ third graders volunteer mentoring program

The Granting Committee of the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine is comprised of board representatives and community members. They review and evaluate grant applications on a monthly basis and make recommendations to the full board of directors. The Community Foundation is a community-wide, countywide charitable organizations building sustainable community resources and our work is supported by gifts to the Annual Fund.

We thank our Community Partners and other contributors to the Annual Fund who help make this re-granting program possible.

New Funds Benefit Muscatine County Residents

We welcomed 9 new funds to the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine since January 2008. We applaud their efforts to make this a better place to live, work and play and are pleased to be a partner in the great work they do.

Endowments:

Cares & Shares Endowment Fund
Family Resources, Inc. Endowment Fund

Charitable Funds:

Downtown Action Alliance Charitable Fund
Muscatine Connected Educational Foundation
Muscatine County Fair Charitable Fund
Muscatine Literacy Coalition
Pearl City Players
Rotary Club of Greater Muscatine Charitable Fund
West Liberty Area Arts Council

The June 2008 flood destroyed homes and devastated lives.

Flood victims have received assistance through grants made to the Atalissa Betterment Committee, Muscatine Red Cross and Downtown Action Alliance.

The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine created the Emergency Response Fund to accept donations which were used to benefit local nonprofit agencies providing relief to Muscatine County flood victims. The Community Foundation waived their customary, nominal fee of 1% so that 100% of all donations could be distributed back out into the community. In addition, a dollar-for-dollar matching gift fund was created through the generosity of local family. The “CFGM Flood ’08 Fund” support nonprofit organizations that provided first-response efforts and ongoing recovery and rebuilding throughout Muscatine County. Cash, check and credit card donations will continue to be accepted at their office in Muscatine’s Pearl Plaza building at 208 W. Second Street, Suite 213. Please make your check payable to "CFGM Flood '08 Fund."

In addition $289,000 in grants from the Embrace Iowa - 2008 Disaster Relief Fund were received and will continue to be used for unmet needs of flood victims.

Call Judi Holdorf at 563-264-3863 for more information about both funds.

Download Application Here.