Mahaska County Community Foundation Announces $122,000 In Grant Funding
Mahaska County Community Foundation (MCCF)
The Mahaska County Community Foundation (MCCF) is pleased to announce that it has awarded just over $122,000 in grant funding for projects within Mahaska County. Once again, the competition for these grant dollars was strong, with grant applications totaling over $214,000. This amount reflects the number of good projects presently under consideration within the County.
The MCCF is in large degree a creation of the Iowa Legislature, which diverts eight-tenths of one percent (0.8%) of the total gambling tax to the 84 counties that do not contain a gambling facility. However, this revenue can only go to a Qualified Community Foundation, which has strict rules and regulations to follow. The MCCF is such a Foundation, and its 8-member Board covers all areas of the County, including representatives not only from Oskaloosa but also from Leighton, New Sharon, Fremont, and Eddyville.
MCCF Secretary Calvin Bandstra, City Clerk of Leighton and Bank Iowa Vice President, stated “The MCCF has been in existence since 2006. At that time, only $45,000 was available for grants, with that amount now nearly tripled. The non-profit organizations in Mahaska County have taken note of this, and now work hard to qualify for these funds. This year’s grant applications had an exceptionally high quality and variety to them, and we Board Members of MCCF hope that trend continues, even though it makes the grant selection process more difficult.”
One of the new features of this year’s grant cycle was a “Challenge Grant” for Mahaska County cities, which allowed them to apply for funding for projects of a higher amount than what is normally granted. Rose Hill was the recipient of one of these grants, with $24,516 awarded for a major upgrade of the city park and shelter building. As the City of Rose Hill’s total budgeted revenue was just under $44,000 for the last fiscal year, the awarding of this grant certainly makes a huge impact on the lives of the residents in this small community.
The following is the list of grants awarded:
$4,000 Stilwell Public Library in New Sharon—Automation of library card system
6,436 Mahaska County Recreation Foundation—Prairie project along trail
3,000 Oskaloosa Fire Department—Ultra high-pressure pump on brush truck
4,300 Oskaloosa Area Chamber / Main Street—Billboard and new downtown banners
10,000 Southern Iowa Fair—New beef barn
10,000 Fine Arts Council and Events (FACE) of Mahaska County—Renovation project
2,500 Friends of the Auditorium—Workshops and performance from professional touring group
10,000 Big Brothers/Sisters of Mahaska County—Start-up funds for events and outings
3,000 Oskaloosa Symphony Association—Summer Oskaloosa Music Festival
5,000 William Penn University—Technology for career services department
10,250 City of New Sharon—Revitalization of East End Park
24,516 City of Rose Hill—Park and shelter house renovation
9,600 City of Fremont—Pocket park renovation
2,000 Youth For Christ—Club room renovation
1,500 Oskaloosa Christian School—Gymnasium improvements
5,000 North Mahaska School District—Pilot project for providing school mental health services
10,000 Mahaska County Extension—New lighting system for community room
1,030 Mobility Worldwide of Leighton—Fans and garage door for production building
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$122,132 Total Grants Awarded
