Enhance Henry County awards $146,000 in grants

MT. PLEASANT — Tuesday, Dec. 13, in the 18th round of grant making by The Enhance Henry County Community (EHCC) Foundation, 29 Henry County organizations received grants totaling $146,000.

The EHCC Foundation invited grant recipients, community members, public officials, community leaders, and the public to attend the brief ceremony held at 11 a.m. in the Union Block.

According to a news release from EHCC, the foundation applied for and received total of $160,670.00 funds from the County Endowment Fund legislation.

“Twenty 5 percent of this was restricted to the permanent endowment and 75 percent was required to be released through local competitive grant making,” Foundation President Robert Meyer said.

“In addition, we took $32,042.24 from our endowment earnings and granted them as well.”

According to Meyer, the Foundation’s endowment has grown to $572,000.

“We get the income from that endowment every year to add to our allotment,” he said.

“It is so much more fun to give than receive,” Foundation Vice President Paul Dennison opened the gathering. “It’s just going to get bigger and better.”

Dennison invited a representative from the EHCC Foundation’s affiliate the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines to speak.

“Since its creation, this foundation has granted out over $1.8 million to 106 different organizations or communities,” Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines Director of Affiliate Relations Rebecca Murphy said. “We are honored to be a small piece of the big impact they are making here in Henry County.”

According to Murphy, The Transfer of Wealth study by Iowa State University in 2005, generational wealth transferring hands in the state of Iowa by 2050 would be $525 billion.

“Here in Henry County that amount is $5.1 billion,” she said. “People want to give back to the communities they were raised in, where they raised their families.”

“There is a lot of opportunity for you to retain that for the county,” Murphy concluded.

Grant applications totaled $482,151.80 from 40 applicants.

“We only wish that we had more resources at the foundation because we know there are many needs and worthy projects through the county,” Meyer said.

The largest grants of $15,000 each went to New London Community School Foundation for child care center improvements and Iowa Wesleyan University for campus security camera installation.

The EHCC Foundation awarded $10,000 grants to All God’s Creatures for shelter renovations, the city of Mt. Pleasant for the West Pocket Park project, Midwest Old Settlers and Threshers Association’s campground revitalization phase 1, and Main Street Mt. Pleasant’s project to put music in the downtown.

Old Threshers Foundation also received a $2,000 grant to refurbish the wooden carousel horses.

The city of Wayland received $7,400 for Bomber Field improvements, and the Economic Development Corporation Daycare received $2,200 for play sets and safety equipment.

Mt. Pleasant Music Boosters received $5,090 for their Hear Ye- District Classrooms project.

The Foundation gifted grants of $5,000 to the following five projects: New London Junior Baseball Association’s concession stand and restrooms, Midwest Central Railroad event lighting and sound upgrades, Community Action of Southeast Iowa food pantry supplements, New London Community School District playground, Winfield Historical Society Museum building renovation phase 2 and Salem Recreation Association Snack Shack renovation.

The cities of Salem, Winfield, Hillsboro and Olds received various sized grants for park improvements.

The Foundation awarded grants to both Olds and Mt. Pleasant Fire Departments.

Other recipients include Mt. Pleasant Christian School, the Swedish Heritage Society Foundation, Henry County Heritage Trust, Mt. Pleasant Main Street Art Center, Henry County Public Health, WACO Community School Foundation, and Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra.

Representatives from throughout Henry County organized the Enhance Henry County Community Foundation with a mission that “involves helping the communities and nonprofit organizations of the county,” said Meyer.

“We want to partner with communities and nonprofit organizations to help them with programs and projects that might otherwise not be available to the individuals, families and visitors to our county,” he said.

According to the EHCC news release, as an affiliate foundation, the Enhance Henry County Community Foundation can assist donors who wish to make outright and testamentary gifts of support to the foundation or other charitable organizations in the county.

“It’s even possible for local charitable organizations to establish their own funds and benefit from special tax credits and the professional expertise and investment management we help provide,” Meyer said.

Further information about Enhance Henry County Community Foundation is available by contacting, Lora Roth at 319-385-8728.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com