CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – June 3, 2010 – The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation (GCRCF) announced today that the charitable public foundation awarded 88 grants to 54 nonprofits totaling $263,558 from January through May this year. The grant awards were from a variety of competitive unrestricted and field of interest funds held at the GCRCF that address community needs in the areas of Arts & Culture, Community Development and the Environment, Education and Health and Human Service.

The Community Fund provides grants to support the development of new programs or allows an organization to pilot a new effort and evaluate the effectiveness of the effort. The Community Fund grants focuses on Arts & Culture, Community Development and the Environment, Education and Health and Human Service.

$15,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters for the Youth Outcomes Survey Project
$3,800 to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art for their Children's Programming Initiative
$5,400 to the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy for 'Arts for Life' project
$15,000 to HACAP for the Five Giant Steps Program - First Years First Curriculum & Technology Project
$5,000 to the HD Youth Center for Afternoon Safe Haven for Youth of Cedar Rapids
$5,000 to the Iowa Dental Foundation for Iowa Mission of Mercy
$11,000 to Iowa Legal Aid for their Foreclosure Defense Project
$10,000 to Kids First Law Center for their Workshops to Help Kids Cope with Divorce
$8,520 to the Linn County Historical Society for Bringing History Home Outreach
$15,000 to the Matthew 25 Ministry Hub for Cultivate Hope
$4,000 to Orchestra Iowa for HEIR: Honor Ensemble In Residence
$7,500 to Waypoint for Men Organized for Relationship Equality - Youth Leadership Academy

The President’s Fund makes available grants to meet the needs of emerging grass-roots organizations, the strategic and emergency issues of established organizations, unexpected opportunities and current community or sector learning,

$500 to the Cedar Valley Humane Society for Tuition Assistance for the Linn County Nonprofit Resource Center 2010 Leadership Institute
$10,000 to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee for Flood Recovery Assistance
$1,600 to the Czech Village/New Bohemia Urban Main Street District for Start-Up Expenses
$2,000 to the Hawkeye Area Council Boy Scouts of America to cover the loss of a furnace
$434 to the Heritage Area Agency on Aging for "Hunger and Aging: a Conversation for Iowans"
$700 to Kids First Law Center for Tuition Assistance for the Linn County Nonprofit Resource Center 2010 Leadership Institute
$4,100 to the Linn-Mar School Foundation for the Beyond Endowment Campaign
$500 to Mediation Services of Eastern Iowa, Inc. for Tuition Assistance for the Linn County Nonprofit Resource Center 2010 Leadership Institute
$357 to the Neighborhood Transportation Service for Human Services Transportation Advisory Group (HSTAG): Community Transportation Forum
$2,000 to New Bohemia for CRecycle Eco-Arts Fest 2010
$500 to the Willis Dady Emergency Shelter for Tuition Assistance for the Linn County Nonprofit Resource Center 2010 Leadership Institute
$500 to the Young Parents Network for Tuition Assistance for the Linn County Nonprofit Resource Center 2010 Leadership Institute

The Organizational Development Fund assists nonprofit agencies in their efforts to build capacity and effectiveness and fund activities that increase the success and impact of the organizations' programs.

$5,000 to the African American Museum of Iowa for Website Overhaul: Improving External Communication and Expanding Reach
$4,800 to the ARC of East Central Iowa for Defining the Future strategic planning effort
$5,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters for Salesforce Database Customization and Implementation
$5,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Cedar Rapids for Advanced Leadership Program participation
$5,000 to Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre for Marketing Consultant Services
$5,000 to the Catherine McAuley Center for a Catherine McAuley Center training DVD
$3,200 to the Community Health Free Clinic for Strategic Planning - Our Vision for the Underserved and Uninsured!
$2,000 to First Call for Help Iowa, Inc. for 2-1-1 Strategic Plan
$3,250 to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois for Strategic Learning
$5,000 to Legion Arts/CSPS for Staffing Plan at Legion Arts and CSPS
$5,000 to Trees Forever for Trees Forever 2010 Strategic Planning

The FFEE competitive grant program is designed to encourage creativity and experiential learning in the classroom, foster imaginative teaching and enhance instructional methods.

$2,909.30 to Alburnett Community School District for Robotics Go Green Gaming
$825 to North Linn High School for Inquiring Investigations funding for torso models
$1,800 to Prairie Creek Intermediate School for Pictorial Exploration of our Neighborhoods funding for artist's fees
$3,000 to Walker Elementary School for Magical Music drumming curriculum

The Marshall Journalism Grants for High School Newspapers/Journalism Departments strengthen high school journalism departments through equipment and educational opportunities.

$600 to Xavier High School for teacher Kellie Monaghan to purchase a scanner and video cameras

Youth POWER is a youth philanthropy program of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. Started in 2001, this group of Linn County teen leaders awards grants totaling $10,000 per year to organizations and groups in our area whose projects address issues of youth in the community.

$1,500 to the Area Substance Abuse Council for Drug-Free Activities for Youth in Residential Substance Abuse Treatment
$1,500 to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art for Please Touch! Adapting Art for Students with Sensory Disabilities
$1,000 to Families Helping Families of Iowa, Incorporated (FHF) for "Back to School Program" supplies for teens in foster care
$1,500 to Kids First Law Center for "Workshops to Help Kids Cope with Divorce"
$1,000 to Novak Elementary School for "Courtyard Classroom"
$1,500 to The Salvation Army of Cedar Rapids for "YouthPOWER week, Summer Day Camp 2010"
$1,500 to SPRINT for "SPRINT Wellington Heights Youth" summer day camp
$500 to Theatre Cedar Rapids for Spotlight on Kids! children’s matinee

Each Field of Interest Fund has a focused area of interest as established by the donor or donors.

GP Fund for the Environment Fund

$2,000 to the Linn County Trails Association for Trail Reconstruction and Resurfacing (Phase -2) - Cedar Valley Nature Trail
$639 to New Bohemia for Creative Bike Racks

$5,000 to the Jane Boyd Community House for Basic Needs and Connections
$1,000 to the Neighborhood Meal & Enrichment Program for Summer Noon Meals
$2,500 to the Olivet Neighborhood Mission for After School Programs
$1,446 to Partnership for Safe Families for Preventative Family Team Meetings for African American Families

$1,924 to the Neighborhood Meal & Enrichment Program for Summer Noon Meals

$250 to His Hands Ministries for His Hands Free Prescription Assistance
$100 to the Olivet Neighborhood Mission for their Clothing Closet & Food Pantry

$335 to The Salvation Army of Cedar Rapids for Basic Human Needs Assistance & Beyond - The Next Step, Family Support & Advocacy

$361 to the Jane Boyd Community House for Basic Needs and Connections
$790 to the Kids First Law Center for Child Advocates to Create Stability for Children of Divorce

$2,000 to the ARC of East Central Iowa for Assisting low income families to access daycare/after-work care for children/teens with disabilities
$1,800 to the Catherine McAuley Center for Healthy Women Series Educational Retreat
$2,500 to the Community Health Free Clinic for their Clinic Pharmacy
$3,000 to the Iowa Dental Foundation for the Iowa Mission of Mercy two-day event in Cedar Rapids
$1,986 to Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa for The Women's Fund for unmet medical needs

$1,604 to the African American Museum of Iowa for Digitizing African American History
$803 to the Marion Public Library for Digitizing & Preserving the Marion Public Library's Historical Publications
$1,604 to the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library Shelving for the new NCSML Collections Center
$1,120 to the Ushers Ferry Historical Village for the Ushers Ferry Historic Village Flood Recovery Roofing Project

$652 to the Jane Boyd Community House for Race for Excellence Achievement Program
$3,000 to the Kids First Law Center for Child Advocates to Create Stability for Children of Divorce
$3,000 to the Neighborhood Meal & Enrichment Program for Summer Noon Meals
$651 to the Olivet Neighborhood Mission for their After School Program

$2,580 for the ARC of East Central Iowa for Arc Marion Summer Day Program for children with intellectual disabilities
$3,008 to Big Brothers Big Sisters for The Character Building Project
$1,500 to the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation for the 18th Annual Marion Arts Festival
$1,815 to the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy for 'Arts for Life'/Marion Cares Project
$500 to Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa for Planned Parenthood Youth Leaders

$2,000 to the Neighborhood Meal & Enrichment Program for Summer Noon Meals
$1,000 to Waypoint for Security Improvements at the Waypoint Madge Phillips Center for homeless women and children

$2,000 to the ARC of East Central Iowa for Assisting low income families to access daycare/after-work care for children/teens with disabilities
$1,800 to the Area Substance Abuse Council for Road to Recovery transportation to support groups
$2,500 to the Community Health Free Clinic for their Clinic Pharmacy
$3,000 to the Iowa Dental Foundation for the Iowa Mission of Mercy
$4,754 to Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa for The Women's Fund for unmet medical needs

$750 to the Neighborhood Meal & Enrichment Program for Summer Noon Meals
$263 to the Olivet Neighborhood Mission for their Clothing Closet & Food Pantry
$500 to The Salvation Army of Cedar Rapids for Basic Human Needs Assistance & Beyond: The Next Step, Family Support & Advocacy

The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation is a critical resource for Linn County, Iowa, by funding nonprofit activities in four essential areas: Arts and Culture, Community Development and the Environment, Education and Health and Human Services. With $95 million in assets as of December 31, 2009, the mission of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation is to connect donors to the priorities they care about and to the needs of the community, to increase charitable giving and to provide leadership on important community issues. For more information, visit the organization’s Web site at www.gcrcf.org. For good. For ever.

###

Media Contact:

Amber Mulnik

amber.mulnik@gcrcf.org

319.366.2862