Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative plans for a sustainable future
For nine years, the Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative has been helping local communities make healthy choices. Now community members have the opportunity to help sustain the program for many years to come.
With the help of a $2,500 Allamakee County Community Foundation Seeds for Success grant, the initiative has established a new endowed fund at the Foundation to provide a reliable and sustainable source of income.
The Seeds for Success program provides a $2,500 challenge grant to area nonprofits with the goal of them raising at least a $7,500 match for a total of $10,000 to establish a sustaining endowment. Once an endowment reaches the $10,000 milestone, the fund will payout 5% every year to help support the work of the nonprofit forever.
“The Community Foundation is committed to and believes in building 'hometown' philanthropy,” said Foundation Coordinator Betty Steege. “The Seeds for Success grant is the Foundation’s way to put that belief into action assisting newly established funds to grow for the future."
The Food & Fitness Initiative will join more than 20 nonprofits serving Allamakee County supported by an endowed fund at the Foundation. This year, nonprofits received more than $66,000 from Allamakee County Community Foundation endowment payouts, which according to Steege will continue every year.
"These funds help to preserve our area nonprofits forever," said Steege. "Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness is deeply involved with school wellness and youth engagement in Iowa's sustainable food systems. The Foundation is happy to help make those food sustainability efforts financially sustainable too.”
Gifts to donor-advised funds are eligible for the Endow Iowa 25% State Tax Credit. This tax credit is in addition to the federal deduction for charitable gifts. Endow Iowa is a financial incentive for individual donors, families, and businesses to create or build endowments to give back to their community. For some donors, the actual cost of the gift is 40 cents on the dollar; and the increased charitable impact per dollar gifted is one of the reasons endowments are growing in Allamakee County.
The Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative brings people in Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek counties together to make our region a place where every day, all people have access to healthy, locally grown foods and abundant opportunities for physical activity in the places where we live, learn, work and play.
Photo Caption:
FoodCorps service member Cassie Panther and student gardener Samantha take a break from their work at the Central Community Garden in Elkader. The junior gardeners meet weekly during the summer to tend and harvest the garden.
The Allamakee County Community Foundation was formed in 2005 as an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. For more information, visit http://www.dbqfoundation.org/ACCF.