Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation Approves $5 million in Grants

Published: September 25, 2020 | By: Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation | Category:

The Board of Directors of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation recently approved $5 million in grants to 233 nonprofit organizations. The awards include competitive grants from the Community Foundation’s Funds for the Community, as well as distributions from donor-advised, scholarship and agency funds.

The Community Foundation brings together private philanthropy with impactful nonprofits to support a healthy and vibrant Linn County. In 2019, the Community Foundation distributed over $11 million in grants and scholarships.

The Community Foundation’s Funds for the Community include gifts from donors who have entrusted the Community Foundation to make grants that address the ever-changing community needs and opportunities. In most years, the Funds for the Community provide the funding source for grants from the Program Fund and the Organizational Development Fund, which support efforts related to innovation, maintaining success and building capacity through a competitive grantmaking process.

In 2020, the Funds for the Community have been re-directed to address organizational and community challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and derecho disaster. These grants will support actions that allow organizations to survive and maintain essential functions, including altering programs and program delivery models, constituency retention strategies, and planning for extended closures and/or phased reopening.

During this grant cycle, the Community Foundation received $891,000 in requests for competitive grants from the Funds for the Community. The Community Foundation funded $512,000 (or 58%) of the requested amount.

A complete list of the nonprofit organizations who received competitive grant awards from the Funds for the Community and Competitive Donor-Advised Funds is included below.  More information about these awards, including the project, purpose and amount of funding, can be found at https://www.gcrcf.org/grants/recent-grant-awards/2020-grant-awards/.

The Funds for the Community grant recipients include:

African American Museum of Iowa
Area Substance Abuse Council
Boys and Girls Club of the Corridor
Catherine McAuley Center Inc.
Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity
Cedar Valley Humane Society
Discovery Living Inc.
Families Helping Families of Iowa
Foundation 2 Inc.
Horizons – A Family Service Alliance
Iowa Ceramics Center and Glass Studio
Jane Boyd Community House
NAMI Linn County
National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
Olivet Neighborhood Mission
Planned Parenthood of the North Central
Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center
Red Cedar Chamber Music
Theatre Cedar Rapids
Trees Forever
YPN

The Endowment Challenge Fund grant recipients include:
African American Museum of Iowa
Area Substance Abuse Council
Red Cedar Chamber Music

The Competitive Donor-Advised Fund grant recipients include:

Altorfer Inc.
Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation
Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity
Chelsey’s Dream Foundation
Community Health Free Clinic
Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois Inc.
Horizons – A Family Service Alliance
Kids First Law Center
Linn County Community Services
Matthew 25
NewBoCo
The Freedom Foundation
Willis Dady Emergency Shelter Inc.

Diamond V
African American Museum of Iowa
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids & East Central Iowa, Inc
Boys and Girls Club of the Corridor
Cedar Rapids Jaycees Charities
Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity
Community Health Free Clinic
Deafinitely Dogs Inc.
Eastern Iowa NFL Flag League
Feed Iowa First
Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois Inc.
Hawkeye Area Council, Boy Scouts of America
Horizons – A Family Service Alliance
Indian Creek Nature Center
Iowa College Foundation
Iowa JAG Inc.
Junior League of Cedar Rapids
Fresh Start Ministries
Matthew 25
National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
NewBoCo
Olivet Neighborhood Mission
Tanager Place
Trees Forever
Variety – the Children’s Charity of Iowa
Willis Dady Emergency Shelter Inc.

World Class Industries
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids & East Central Iowa, Inc.
Catherine McAuley Center Inc.
Central Furniture Rescue
Community Health Free Clinic
Fresh Start Ministries
Horizons – A Family Service Alliance
Iowa College Foundation
Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa
Kids First Law Center
March of Dimes Foundation
Matthew 25
NewBoCo
YPN

The next grant deadline at the Community Foundation is on Thursday, October 1, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. CST.  For more details about funding opportunities, visit https://www.gcrcf.org/grants/.

Visit the Nonprofit Giving Center and the Nonprofit Calendar to search for a nonprofit fund, organization, cause, or event to support.
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