MUSCATINE, Iowa–The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine supports local non-profits in several ways, including by offering grants to help them fund their work. In July, the Community Foundation announced its most recently awarded grants, which provided more than $240,000 to 24 different non-profits.

Because non-profits must accomplish a lot with the volunteers they have, the Community Foundation has worked to streamline the granting process: “We try to make applying for grants as simple as possible. You don’t need to be a seasoned grant writer to apply,” explained Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine Programs Manager Niki Moore Nienhaus. To apply, organizations can find grants that suit their purpose on the Community Foundation website, answer questions about their intended projects, and submit budgets using the application portal.

Once the Community Foundation has closed its application period, a volunteer community granting committee reviews each application and scores it on several criteria. They then use the scores to determine which projects receive grants until they have allotted all the funds.

The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine team celebrated awarding over $240,000 in grants. Photo courtesy of the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine.

This year, the Community Foundation announced the following organizations received grants:

• Cedar River Haven:$2,200 in Mary Jo & Richard H. Stanley Human Conditions Support Fund and County Endowment Re-Granting Program grants.
• Crossroads, Inc.: $22,799.48 in Mary Jo & Richard H. Stanley Human Conditions Support Fund, Geoge G. Millet Memorial Fund, and County Endowment Re-Granting Program grants.
• EveryChild: $10,000 Mary Jo & Richard H. Stanley Human Conditions Support Fund grant.
• Family Resources: $8,500 County Endowment Re-Granting Program grant.
• Flickinger Learning Center: $4,250 in Joe W. and Betty L. Rauch Memorial Endowment Fund and County Endowment Re-Granting Program grants.
• Friends of the Muscatine Art Center: $10,000 County Endowment Re-Granting Program grant.
• Iowa Jobs for Americas Graduates (iJAG) Inc: $10,000 in West Liberty Community Endowment Fund and County Endowment Re-Granting Program grants.
• Iowa Legal Aid: $8,500 County Endowment Re-granting Program grant.
• Latinos Unidos West Liberty: $1,933 West Liberty Community Endowment Fund grant.
• LULAC Council 317 Columbus Junction: $22,000 Racial Justice Fund grant.
• Muscatine Art Center: $8,500 County Endowment Re-Granting Program grant.
• Muscatine Center for Social Action (MCSA): $38,500 in Mary Jo & Richard H. Stanley Human Conditions Support Fund, Hilda E. Collitz for the Homeless Fund, George G. Millet Memorial Fund, and County Endowment Re-Granting Program grants.
• Muscatine Community YMCA: $1,450 Joe W. and Betty L. Rauch Memorial Endowment Fund grant.
• Muscatine County Arts Council: $1,310 County Endowment Re-Granting Program grant.
• Muscatine Legal Services: $8,500 County Endowment Re-Granting Program grant.
• Pearl City Outreach: $8,500 County Endowment Re-Granting Program grant.
• River Bend Food Bank: $5,000 Mary Jo & Richard H. Stanley Human Conditions Support Fund grant.
• The Diversity Service Center of Iowa: $19,500 in County Endowment Re-granting Program, Mary Jo & Richard H. Stanley Human Conditions Support Fund, and Racial Justice Fund grants.
• Trinity Muscatine Public Health: $10,000 County Endowment Re-Granting Program grant.
• United Way of Muscatine: $3,500 Mary Jo & Richard H. Stanley Human Conditions Support Fund grant.
• Vision to Learn: $8,500 in Ray Hockersmith Memorial Fund and County Endowment Re-Granting Program grants.
• West Liberty Child Care Center: $1,933 West Liberty Community Endowment Fund grant.
• West Liberty Public Library: $17,000 Racial Justice Fund grant.

Each of the grants awarded addressed different community needs, from providing new appliances in the Crossroads supported community living houses to assisting the Muscatine Art Center in planning for its addition. Nienhaus felt good that many of the grants will provide learning opportunities for youth. “I am excited to see the ideas for forward-thinking projects that support youth in our communities,” she said, noting Aligned Impact of Muscatine County and iJAG’s plans to help all students access career education, Trinity Muscatine Public Health and Vision to Learn opportunities to provide health care and education for kids and teens, and the efforts of Big Brothers Big Sisters to pair more youth with mentors. “These programs and many more are helping our next generation of leaders reach their full potential.”