Sioux County Community Foundation Awards 2024 Grants
The Sioux County Community Foundation (SCCF) recently awarded grants totaling over $120,000 in support of projects and programs throughout Sioux County. This brings the total grants awarded to over $1.7 million since the first grants were made in 2006. “The Sioux County Community Foundation is excited to be able to impact the quality of life and services for residents of Sioux County,” said Maggie Landegent, SCCF Advisory Board Chair. The following grants were awarded on May 7 at the Hawarden Community Center:
American Legion Auxiliary, Post 272 – Boyden Centennial Park Gold Star Monument – $2,500.00
American Legion Post 254 Two Oaks – Avenue of Flags – Hawarden – $7,500.00
Boyden-Hull CSD – Building Futures – Constructing Homes – $6,500.00
Boyden-Hull Summer Theatre – Summer Theatre – $2,500.00
City of Hull – Eastside Park Handicap Accessibility – $12,500.00
Hawarden Area Arts Council – Instrument Garden – $3,000.00
Hawarden Historical Society – Calliope Village- Paint Shoemaker-Wasser Museum – $1,500.00
Hawarden Parks and Recreation – Hawarden Pickleball Courts – $5,000.00
Hawarden Regional Healthcare – Brake Reaction Timer – $2,050.00
Hospers Firefighters Association Inc. – SCBA Fill Containment – $9,000.00
Hunger Free Kids of Sioux County – Sac Pack for Kids – $5,000.00
Mid-Sioux Opportunity, Inc. – Sioux County Improvements – $3,000.00
Rising Arrows – Summer Learning – $4,000.00
Rock Valley Fire Department – SCBA Fill Station & Compressor – $9,000.00
Rock Valley Police Department – Ballistic Rifle Vests – $9,000.00
Sheldon Fire Company – Confined Space Tripod Rescue System – $3,000.00
Sioux Center Ambulance – EMS Protective Vests – $9,000.00
Sioux Center Music Boosters – Motorized Background Curtain – $4,000.00
Sioux County Library Association – Library Association Advantage Consortium – $9,000.00
Sioux County Oratorio Chorus – Chorus Folders – $1,000.00
Sioux County Sheriff’s Office – Sioux County SRO Go Bucket Initiative – $7,500.00
Siouxland Habitat for Humanity – Rock Valley Habitat Home – $5,000.00
Formally established in 2005 through affiliation with the Siouxland Community Foundation, the SCCF is governed by a local twelve-member advisory board composed of representatives from each of the communities in Sioux County: Alton, Boyden, Granville, Hawarden, Hospers, Hull, Ireton, Matlock, Maurice, Orange City, Rock Valley, and Sioux Center.
The SCCF receives funds from the Iowa Legislature County Endowment Fund Program. Created in 2004, the County Endowment Fund Program (CEFP) is funded by a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue, which currently does not include online sports betting revenue. These funds are distributed annually to participating community foundations located in the 84 counties without a state-issued gaming license. The 15 counties with a state-issued gaming license benefit from their local casino’s Qualified Sponsoring Organization, which distributes a portion of gaming revenues in their area. CEFP was designed by the Legislature to ensure the benefits of gaming tax revenues were felt statewide.
In the 84 CEFP counties, 75 percent of each county’s annual allocation is directed to foundation grantmaking activities for that year, and 25 percent is added to their permanent endowment fund, which provides support for nonprofits now and in perpetuity. This two-pronged approach has provided thousands of dollars for local projects each year, plus ensured a savings account for future needs.
The mission of the SCCF is to encourage and provide opportunities for charitable giving, to manage and distribute funds in a responsible manner, and to enhance the quality of life for the people of Sioux County.