County Endowments with the Community Foundation Announce Annual Grant Awards

County Endowments are permanent, steady, and secure funds that address charitable needs and opportunities in the county for which they are built. They “root” local wealth and help stem the loss that happens when wealth transfers from one generation to the next and leaves the county. Each County Endowment Fund is led by a County Fund Council comprised of local residents who raise funds and determine annual grant awards.

“County Endowment Funds play an important role in cultivating local philanthropy by growing local assets for current and future good. Each year, our County Endowment Funds are able to increase the impact they make through grants, and this year is no different,” said Catherine Bocke Meckes, Community Foundation CEO. “The beauty of a County Endowment Fund is that although we can’t always predict needs and opportunities years from now, we can prepare for them by investing in endowments that will always be here to support good work in our region.”

The following grants were awarded from each County Endowment Fund:

• Jensen Camp Foundation – Support for the installation of two bathrooms in the basement of Dixon Lodge, which will provide safety to campers during inclement weather

• Food for Thoughts Hancock County – Provide weekend meal bags to children in need in Hancock County

• Lewis County Fair Association – Renovations of the Lewis County 4-H Youth Building located on the Lewis County Fair Grounds 

• Lewis County Food Pantry – Funds for rent and utilities in order to have a place to distribute commodities

• North East Community Action Corporation (NECAC) – Support of the Learning for Lewis Back to School Fair in Lewis County, MO 

• The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri - Providing hunger relief in Lewis County

• Douglass Community Services – Support of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program in Marion County, Monroe County, and Ralls County, MO

• Hannibal LaGrange University – HLGU STEM Camp

• Salvation Army of Quincy - Support of the LEAP- Life Employment Assistance Program in Hannibal to help income-eligible individuals improve their job situation 

• 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 

• Two Rivers Farm Bureau Foundation - Processing of hogs into ground pork for food pantries

• Western Community Center YMCA - Funds to provide yoga classes during finals weeks to reduce stress & increase well-being and concentration for high school and junior high students 

Through the County Endowment program, when a county is successful in raising $15,000, it will receive a $15,000 match from the Community Foundation. The resulting endowment will exist in perpetuity, growing and granting to county nonprofits. Any County without an endowment fund through the Community Foundation is invited to participate in the program. 

To contribute to a county endowment, or to learn more about establishing an endowment in your county, please contact the Community Foundation at (217) 222-1237. 

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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 more than $8 million in grants. It serves 12-counties: 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 grants@mycommunityfoundation.org or go to mycommunityfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/mycommunityfoundation