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Jones County Community Foundation Awards $86,000 in Grants at Annual Event

The Jones County Community Foundation (JCCF) celebrated a successful year of community impact with donors, nonprofit leaders and community partners at its annual event on Monday, December 3, at the Anamosa Library & Learning Center. JCCF staff highlighted the Foundation’s work with the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and Vision to Learn, which provided eye exams to 169 students and two pairs of glasses to 148 students throughout Jones County.

Jones County donors, nonprofits and businesses have created funds at JCCF, growing total assets to more than $1.8 million dollars. Payouts from these funds will support the needs of Jones County nonprofits for years to come. 

JCCF board members awarded grants totaling $86,797 to the following nonprofits and programs:

  • Olin Food Bank - Olin Food Pantry
  • Mike’s Kids - 2019 camp and pool pass scholarships
  • Riverview Center - Awareness of sexual assault services to connect survivors with support
  • Amber Community Club - Amber Community Center energy efficiency project
  • Camp Courageous - Camp Courageous solar project
  • Jones County Emergency Management Agency - Public safety
  • National Motorcycle Museum - National Motorcycle Museum video tour
  • The Fair & Exposition Society of Jones County, Inc. - Audiovisual technology for the Jones County Equestrian Educational Center
  • City of Cascade - Wave of the Future pool project
  • City of Monticello - Monticello Fountain Park city fountain rehabilitation
  • Midland Ambulance Service - Midland Community Ambulance cardiac monitor
  • Iowa State University Extension & Outreach – Jones County Extension mobile technology lab
  • Wyoming Fair Association - Underground electrical improvements at the Wyoming fairgrounds

These grants are supported by Iowa’s County Endowment Fund Program. This initiative, unique to Iowa, makes grants to create a strong community foundation infrastructure in 84 counties like Jones that do not hold state-issued gaming licenses. The JCCF grants out 75 percent of these funds and invests the remaining 25 percent in a permanent endowment that generates interest to be distributed in future years.  

Community foundations are charitable organizations that administer funds to benefit their communities and improve the lives of people in their geographic region. Nonprofit organizations and community members can create endowment funds at JCCF to benefit charitable causes. These funds are invested and pay out annually to designated nonprofits, providing a reliable source of income to sustain organizations’ operations forever.

Gifts to endowment funds at the Community Foundation are eligible for the Endow Iowa 25% State Tax Credit. Community members can contribute to more than 200 endowment funds established by nonprofits throughout Northeast Iowa, which provide sustainable sources of income for these essential community service organizations.

For more information, visit JCCF online or contact Sherri Hunt at jccf@dbqfoundation.org.