Blog Post

Area Nonprofits Awarded Nearly $170,000 Through Community Foundation’s Competitive Grant Program

Forty area nonprofits received a total of $169,524 in grant funding through the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri’s competitive grant program. A total of 44 grants, awarded from 48 endowment funds held at the Community Foundation, will support a wide range of local, charitable interests. The checks were awarded during a presentation hosted by the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County at the John Wood Mansion.  

The grants will support programs, assist with purchasing needed equipment and supplies, and contribute to much-needed operational funding for nonprofit organizations providing arts and culture, community betterment, education, health, and human services to our region. 

“Nonprofits are the heart of our communities. They support our neighbors, enrich our culture, and empower our kids. When we support our nonprofits, we invest in our region,” says Catherine Bocke Meckes, Community Foundation CEO. “These grants provide only a snapshot of the excellent, important work that our nonprofit organizations provide to our communities.” 

Through the competitive grant program, the Community Foundation strives to strengthen nonprofit programs to ultimately enhance the quality of life throughout our region. The Community Foundation annually accepts applications for funding from nonprofit organizations in its 12-county region. A grant committee, comprised of volunteers and board members from the region, evaluates each application to determine awards.  

Earnings from endowment funds make competitive grants possible. Donors work with the Community Foundation to establish permanent charitable funds to support their philanthropic goals and community. The Community Foundation invests and grows those funds, and each year, a portion of the fund’s earnings are distributed as grants while the principal remains intact. 

“The funds that support these grants are permanent. The idea of ‘forever’ is visionary, but so are our donors,” says Meckes. “When a donor establishes an endowed fund with the Community Foundation, they create a way to continue giving to the causes they care about for generations. We are grateful for these forward-thinking donors and honored to connect their passions with the nonprofits doing the good work.” 

The following funds supported the 2021 competitive grant program:

Unrestricted Endowment Funds, support grants for arts and culture, community betterment, education, health and human services in the Community Foundation’s 12-county service area:
• Anonymous Funds (2)
• Karl H. & Bobbi Bowles Family and Quincy Farm & Home Supply Company Fund
• Dr. & Mrs. Merle F. Crossland Family Fund
• Harry Channon Eaton Family Endowment Fund
• Angie (Fusselman) Mayes & Evelyn J. Fusselman Fund
• Harry J. & Bernice M. Wissman Heidbreder Fund
• Kirk Family Fund – Houston, Carolyn & Carson
• Carl and Gladys Koehser Family Fund
• Mrs. Arthur O. Lindsay Fund
• Robert A. & Anne M. Mays Fund
• Robert G. and Melva Campbell Riley Fund
• Charles A. & Nancy Scholz Charitable Fund
• Margaret J. Sinnock Fund
• Bette J. Starnes Endowment
• Jeffrey G. & Theresa L. Spear Fund 
• Grant L. and K. Georgann Sturhahn Fund
• Dorothy L. Swallow Fund
• Community Endowment Fund
• James R. and Katherine H. Williams Fund
• Carl, Althea & Cathy Wiskirchen Endowment

Field of Interest:
• Blessing Hospital Community Health Fund
• Jayne & Leroy Broeckelman Fund for Young Musicians
• Katherine Broemmel Endowment for the Arts
• Noma Meyers Eaton Fund
• Paul H. & Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund
• Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund
• HOMEBANK Fund
• HOMEBANK of Quincy Fund
• Jane's Kids' Fund
• Jon’s Home Center Associates Fund
• G. Arthur (Art) Keller, Jr. Fund
• Kaye & Norman Kemner Education Fund
• William & Sheila Menke Endowment
• The Quincy Foundation Fund
• Quincy Recycle Fund
• James L. & Dorothy W. Rouner Fund
• Raymond, Norbert, and Eleanor Rueter Fund
• Alan L. Stiegemeier and Mary Ellen Stiegemeier Charitable Fund
• United States Founding Fathers Fund

County Endowment Funds, support nonprofit organizations in a specific county:
• Brown County Endowment Fund (IL)
• Hancock County Endowment Fund (IL)
• Lewis County Endowment Fund (MO)
• Marion County Endowment Fund (MO)
• Pike County Endowment Fund (IL)

Donor Advised Funds, allow a fund advisor to recommend grant recipients:
• Arthur O. & Lela B. Lindsay Fund
• Dennis R. and Barbara L. Williams Fund for Arts and Education
• Mercantile Endowment Fund

These are among the 200+ funds that support arts and culture, community betterment, education, health or human services.   

This year’s grant recipients include:
Abe Lincoln Project of Pike County, Illinois - To write and perform a play about Abraham Lincoln’s ties to Pike County, Illinois - United States Founding Fathers Fund, Pike County Endowment Fund 
Advocacy Network for Children - Provide support to recruit, train and support additional Court Appointed Special Advocates - Arthur O. & Lela B. Lindsay Fund, Brown County Endowment Fund
Bella Ease dba Quincy Teen REACH - Hire a teacher to tutor at-risk students - Noma Meyers Eaton Fund, Paul H. & Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund, Jon's Home Center Associates Fund
Bluff City Theater - Support live theater programming; primarily actor and director fees - Arthur O. & Lela B. Lindsay Fund
Carl Sandburg College Foundation - Purchase refrigerator, freezer, shelving, and other supplies necessary to transform its existing student-centered Resource Room into a food pantry that is open to residents of Hancock County - Unrestricted Endowment Funds
Carthage Park Board - New playground equipment at the sports complex - Unrestricted Endowment Funds
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois - Operating the Mobile Food Pantry in rural areas of Adams, Brown and Pike Counties - Paul H. & Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund, Unrestricted Endowment Funds 
Chaddock Attachment and Trauma Services - Laptop computers for use by the Foster Care Visitation Specialists - Paul H. & Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund, Jane's Kids' Fund, Quincy Recycle Fund 
CHART Teen Task Force - Sexuality educator for late elementary through high school aged students throughout Northeast Missouri- Unrestricted Endowment Funds, Marion County Endowment Fund
Cheerful Home Child Care & Early Learning Center - Increasing safety of both indoor and outdoor environments - Paul H. & Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund
Cornerstone: Foundation for Families - First Steps educational workshops - G.Arthur (Art) Keller Jr. Fund, Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund, James L. & Dorothy W. Rouner Fund
Good Samaritan Home - Purchase AED's (Automated External Defibrillator) for neighborhoods at Good Samaritan Home - Blessing Hospital Community Health Fund, Unrestricted Endowment Funds
Hannibal Alliance for Youth Success (HAYS) - Support social/emotional support through mentoring and student success activities -
Marion County Endowment Fund
Hannibal Arts Council - General operating support - HOMEBANK Fund, Unrestricted Endowment Funds
Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County - Technology upgrades to update and preserve vital records for historic preservation - The Quincy Foundation Fund, Dennis R. and Barbara L. Williams Fund for Arts and Education
Horizons Social Services - Rescue and redistribute excess food in the community and help eliminate food insecurity - Arthur O. & Lela B. Lindsay Fund, Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund, HOMEBANK of Quincy Fund, William & Sheila Menke Endowment
John Wood Community College Foundation - Noise-canceling corded headphones for testing stations in the regional testing center located in the JWCC Southeast Education Center (SEC) in Pittsfield, Illinois - Mercantile Endowment Fund
Lewis County Fair Association - Renovations of the Lewis County 4-H Youth Building located on the Lewis County Fair Grounds - Lewis County Endowment Fund, Unrestricted Endowment Funds
Lewis County Food Pantry - Purchase food and supplies for residents in need who reside in Lewis County - Lewis County Endowment Fund, Unrestricted Endowment Funds
Muddy River Opera Co. - Support for the 2021 opera season - Dennis R. and Barbara L. Williams Fund for Arts and Education, Katherine Broemmel Endowment for the Arts
OATS, Inc.  - Funding for accessible minibus for transportation in Lewis County, Missouri - Lewis County Endowment Fund, Unrestricted Endowment Funds
Quanada -  Supporting the Violet Lens studio, providing stipends to high school interns to assist in producing digital violence prevention content - Paul H. & Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund, Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund, Unrestricted Endowment Funds
Quincy Children's Museum - Support for outreach programming, including hands-on learning experiences, pop-up displays, organizational partnerships, etc. - Unrestricted Endowment Funds
Quincy Community Theatre - Support for upcoming productions and educational programming - Katherine Broemmel Endowment for the Arts, Arthur O. & Lela B. Lindsay Fund
Quincy Family YMCA - Operating and program support to support operating costs -  Paul H. & Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund
Quincy Museum, Inc. - Maintain the historic Newcomb-Stillwell Mansion and the collections it contains and provide educational programming  - Dennis R. and Barbara L. Williams Fund for Arts and Education, Arthur O. & Lela B. Lindsay Fund
Quincy Public Library - Quincy Community Read to distribute 1,500 books -  Dennis R. and Barbara L. Williams Fund for Arts and Education
Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association - Operating support for the 2021-2022 concert season - Jayne & Leroy Boeckelman Fund for Young Musicians, Arthur O. & Lela B. Lindsay Fund
Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association - Youth programs of the Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association - Alan L. Stiegemeier and Mary Ellen Stiegemeier Charitable Fund, Arthur O. & Lela B. Lindsay Fund
Quincy University- Music education outreach concerts for students - Mercantile Endowment Fund
Quincy YMCA / Brown County Early Learning Center - Operating support - Unrestricted Endowment Funds
Regional Office of Education - Ready.Set.Grow! initiative, purchasing books for Health Department nurses, hospital nurses, and volunteers to distribute to parents - Paul H. & Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund, Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund
Salvation Army of Quincy - Water safety/lifeguard training - Paul H. & Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund
Salvation Army of Quincy - Provide families in Northeast Missouri with temporary housing -  Marion County Endowment Fund, Unrestricted Endowment Funds
Transitions of Western Illinois - Recreational equipment for persons with developmental disabilities - Arthur O. & Lela B. Lindsay Fund
The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri - Providing hunger relief in Lewis County - Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund
The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri - Providing hunger relief in Marion County - Unrestricted Endowment Funds
The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri - Providing hunger relief in Shelby County - Unrestricted Endowment Funds
The Village of the Blue Rose - Sign along Highway 79 for The Village of the Blue Rose - Unrestricted Endowment Funds
Two Rivers Resource Conservation & Development - Support of the Access Food Program in Pike County, which provides a way for hunters to donate a deer for food pantries with all processing costs are covered by the program - Pike County Endowment Fund, Unrestricted Endowment Funds
United Way of Adams County - Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program services to low income taxpayers who live in or near Adams County - Arthur O. & Lela B. Lindsay Fund
United Way of the Mark Twain Area - Increasing early childhood literacy opportunities through the Dolly Parton ‘Imagination Library Program’ - Unrestricted Endowment Funds
West Central Child Care Connection - Books for babies through annual “Born Learning” project - Paul H. & Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund, Unrestricted Endowment Funds
Western Illinois Works, Inc. - Hancock County CEO program for high school students - Hancock County Endowment Fund, Unrestricted Endowment Funds

In addition to Tuesday's presentation, County Endowment Fund Councils will present grants from County Endowment Funds. Fund councils in Brown, Hancock and Pike County, IL and Lewis and Marion County, MO reviewed applications from local, eligible organizations and made recommendations on grants to be awarded to best serve each county’s needs and opportunities. Grants from County Endowment Funds will be presented at County Endowment awards ceremonies in each county in August and September.
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The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri builds permanent charitable funds to assist area nonprofits and communities. 

Its mission, “connecting people who care with causes that matter,” is achieved by gathering funds, growing them through investments, then granting to nonprofit organizations, causes or communities that mean the most to its donors.   

Since 1997, the Community Foundation has made grants totaling more than $11 million in the 12 county service area of Adams, Brown, Hancock and Pike in Illinois and Clark, Lewis, Marion, Ralls, Pike, Knox, Shelby and Monroe in Missouri.  

The Community Foundation has IRS 501(c)(3) status, and contributions made to the Community Foundation generally qualify for the maximum allowable deductions for income and estate tax purposes.  

For more information, call 217-222-1237, email info@mycommunityfoundation.org or go to mycommunityfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/mycommunityfoundation.

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