Governor Culver, ICoF & IDED Announce Endow Iowa Matching Grant Awards
Iowa Communities Grow through Endowments in Community Foundations
July 1, 2008 (Des Moines, Iowa) -The Iowa Council of Foundations (ICoF) was joined today by Governor Chet Culver and the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) to announce the recipients of the 2008 Endow Iowa Grant Awards. Recipients for 2008 include:
- the Dickinson County Endowment Fund
- Endow Union County
- the Ida County Community Betterment Foundation
- the Wright County Charitable Foundation
"As a result of these endowments, a number of communities will be able to improve their residents' quality of life well into the future. Building great communities goes hand in hand with our day to day work at the Department of Economic Development and we appreciate the role local community foundations play as a partner in community building," said IDED Director Michael Tramontina.
Endow Iowa provides an incentive to encourage individuals, businesses and organizations to invest in their region through their local community foundations. Each community foundation receives a grant to build their unrestricted endowment fund.
"Iowa has a nationally recognized community foundation infrastructure that is working to build endowment funds in every corner of the State," said ICoF Director Angela Dethlefs-Trettin. "Through programs such as Endow Iowa, we continue to build upon a spirit of philanthropy that ultimately benefits charitable projects and programs that are so important to the well-being of our Iowa communities. By building strong community foundations we are ensuring that resources are available- for good and forever."
The goal of the Endow Iowa Grant Program is to enhance the quality of life for Iowans by providing support to community foundations that will aid nonprofit projects and programs well into the future. The grant program is administered by the Iowa Council of Foundations in collaboration with IDED. In its fourth year, the Endow Iowa Grant Program in total has leveraged nearly $1.4 million in local contributions, creating sustainable, philanthropic vehicles for charitable impact in communities across the state.
GOVERNOR CULVER ANNOUNCES $6.6 MILLION FOR COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS
Funds Distributed to 85 Community Foundations Across the State to Encourage Charitable Giving
September 11, 2007 (Des Moines) Today, Governor Chet Culver joined officials from the Iowa Council of Foundations (ICoF) and the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) to announce the recipients of the 2007 County Endowment Fund Program. Over $6.6 million will be distributed this month to 85 community foundations and/or their affiliate organizations in almost every area of the state.
Each recipient will receive approximately $77,000. In 2006, community foundations were each awarded approximately $67,000 each. The community foundation organizations (governed by local community members) will grant 75 percent of those funds to charitable projects within their counties (impacting areas such as arts/culture, education, environment, health, human service, community development and more) and place the remaining 25 percent in a permanent endowment fund, which is intended to attract other donations and provide a source of permanent funding for charitable projects within the county.
"To keep our economy moving forward, we must continue to work together to build great communities," said Governor Culver. "Well into the future, these community foundations will improve quality-of-life in these communities, making them even more attractive to businesses and employees."
The source of funding for the program is state gambling revenues, of which one half of one percent was designated for distribution to a community foundation located in counties without a state gaming license. Fourteen (14) counties were not eligible for the funding because state-licensed gaming facilities are located in those counties. "These are key investments that empower Iowa communities to prepare for their futures," said IDED Director Michael Tramontina.
IDED works closely with ICoF to coordinate the program and determine the community foundation recipients of the funding. ICOF is a membership organization of grantmaking foundations across Iowa (community/public, corporate, and private) with a mission of promoting philanthropy and effective grant making within the state.
"Philanthropic investment is an important component to a vibrant community. Through the County Endowment Fund program, community foundations across our state have increased resources to not only support charitable causes but also to build endowment funds that will grow and encourage additional investments for the counties' futures," said Angela Dethlefs-Trettin, director of ICoF. "This program serves as a catalyst for promoting effective philanthropy in Iowa and we are proud of the impact it has made and the opportunities it presents for the future of Iowa communities."
The IDED and ICoF Web sites will have the official listing of the community foundations and/or their affiliate organizations named as the recipients of the County Endowment Fund Program dollars along with contact information. The information can be found at the following sites:
IDED- http://www.iowalifechanging.com/endowiowa
ICoF- http://www.IowaCouncilofFoundations.org
County Endowment Fund Program Recipients - 2007 - to view the complete list of recipients, please click here.
Governor Culver, ICoF & IDED Announce Endow Iowa Matching Grant Awards
Iowa Communities Grow through Endowments in Community Foundations
July 10, 2007 (Des Moines, Iowa) –Governor Chet Culver joined the Iowa Council of Foundations (ICoF) and the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) today to announce the recipients of the 2007 Endow Iowa Grant Awards. Recipients for 2007 include:
- the Hardin County Community Endowment Foundation
- the Kossuth County Community Foundation
- the Community Foundation of Greater Story County
“Iowa’s strategy for economic development has two focuses: creating great new jobs and building great communities,” said IDED Director Michael Tramontina. “Well into the future, these long-term endowment foundations will improve quality-of-life in these communities, making them even more attractive to businesses and employees.”
Endow Iowa provides an incentive to encourage individuals, businesses and organizations to invest in their region. Each recipient receives a grant to build their community foundation’s unrestricted endowment fund. “The Community Foundation movement in Iowa is certainly creating long-term opportunities for community betterment in every corner of the state,” said ICoF Director Angela Dethlefs-Trettin. “Through programs such as Endow Iowa, we are building upon that spirit of philanthropy which will continue to benefit charitable projects and programs that are so important. By helping to build strong community foundations, so much is being done for Iowa communities – for good and forever.”
The goal of the Endow Iowa Grant Program is to enhance the quality of life for Iowans by providing support to community foundations that will aid nonprofit projects and programs. The grant program is administered by the Iowa Council of Foundations in collaboration with IDED. Now in its third year, the Endow Iowa Grant Program in total has leveraged nearly $1.1 million in local contributions, creating sustainable, philanthropic vehicles for charitable impact in communities across the state.