The Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa has announced nearly $400,000 to projects across nine counties.
This collection of community foundations and boards serves to benefit nine communities in Southwest Iowa and the people who live within them, with support for arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, and historic preservation.
Below are the 2023 grant awardees:
Audubon County
The Audubon County Community Foundation awarded $42,343 to Audubon County nonprofit organizations and community projects. Including these most recent grants, the Foundation has distributed more than $2.8 million in grants and scholarships over the past 25 years. Below are the fall 2023 grant recipients:
| Organization | Project | Award |
| Audubon County Agricultural Society | Race Track Concession Stand | $10,839 |
| Audubon Recreation Foundation | Protecting the ARC Gymnasium Expansion | $13,838 |
| Elderbridge Agency on Aging | Congregate and Home Delivered Meals | $2,000 |
| Exira Farmer’s Market | Signage | $178 |
| Exira Lions Club | Updating Exira Little League Program | $3,900 |
| Friendship Home | Spa room renovations | $11,588 |
Advisory board members of the Audubon County Community Foundation are Chair Pat Kaiser of Audubon; Vice Chair Gina Benton of Exira; Secretary/Treasurer Megan Wagner of Audubon; Bob Blomme of Audubon; Travis Nelson of Exira; Donna Olson of Kimballton, and Doug Carter of Audubon.
Cass County
The Cass County Community Foundation awarded $29,940 to local nonprofits and projects. Including these most recent grants, the Foundation has distributed more than $2.6 million in grants and scholarships over the past 25 years. Below are the fall 2023 grant recipients:
| Organization | Project | Award |
| Anita American Legion Post 210 | Replace items in Legion Hall | $2,340 |
| Anita Public Library | Newspaper Digitalization Project | $800 |
| Anita Volunteer Fire Association | EVAC-U-Splint Vacuum Mattress | $1,200 |
| Ann W. Wickman Child Development Center | Replace broken equipment | $2,000 |
| Atlantic Rock Island Society Enterprise | Construct additional archive space | $500 |
| Cass County Drone Team | Equipment Expansion | $5,000 |
| Cass County Genealogical Society | Digitizing Atlantic News Telegraph newspapers | $800 |
| Cass County Historical Museum | Sewer Project / Replacement | $4,000 |
| City of Marne | Community Center Improvements | $3,000 |
| City of Massena | Community Center Renovations | $1,800 |
| Cumberland Youth Fitness Center | Replacement of Unsafe Entrance Sidewalk | $2,500 |
| George B Hitchcock House Advisory Board | Restoration of South Basement Wall | $2,500 |
| Griswold Youth Sports | Expanding Parking a Ballfield | $1,000 |
| Massena Development Corporation | Massena Childcare | $2,500 |
Advisory board members of the Cass County Community Foundation are Chair Kristi Burg of Massena; Vice Chair Gaylord Schelling of Atlantic; Secretary/Treasurer Sue Hunt of Atlantic; Sandy Bierbaum of Griswold; Justin D. Hockenberry of Anita; and Mike Tibken of Anita.
Crawford County
The Crawford County Community Foundation awarded $11,050 to Crawford County programs during its Fall 2023 Grant Cycle. Including these most recent grants, the Foundation has distributed more than $1.9 million in grants and scholarships over the past 18 years. Below are the fall 2023 grant recipients:
| Organization | Project | Award |
| City of Kiron | For 125th anniversary celebration | $1,525 |
| City of Schleswig | For 125th anniversary celebration | $1,525 |
| Plains Area Mental Health | To support mental health programs and initiatives in Crawford County | $4,000 |
| Stables 4 Jed | For area of greatest need | $4,000 |
Advisory board members of the Crawford County Community Foundation are Steve Brownmiller, Deb Garrett, Jace Hawley, Paul Outhouse, Maura Sailer, Kelly Sonnichsen, Deb Quandt, Steve Vollstedt, Sarah Weinbrand.
Fremont County
The Fremont County Community Foundation awarded $24,240 to Fremont County nonprofit organizations and community projects during its Fall 2023 Grant Cycle. Including these most recent grants, the Foundation has distributed more than $2.5 million in grants and scholarships over the past 25 years. Below are the fall 2023 grant recipients:
| Organization | Project | Award |
| City of Randolph | City Hall Building Improvements | $1,500 |
| City of Tabor | Park Playground Equipment Improvements 23-24 | $1,420 |
| Farragut Community Hometown Pride | Barn Quilt and Flag Lights | $810 |
| Fremont County Disaster Coalition | CERT Program Establishment – Restricted to materials and supplies | $1,575 |
| George C. Grape Community Hospital | Imaging Equipment Update | $4,500 |
| Hamburg Public Library | Genealogical Scanner/Reader Project | $6,845 |
| Lakin Library & Envisioning Center | Efficient & Smart Foundations | $435 |
| Shenandoah Medical Center | Sidney Clinic Xray Room | $5,025 |
| Sidney Hometown Pride | Program support and maintenance. | $410 |
| Thurman Fire Department | Chain Saws for Timber Fires | $1,420 |
| Thurman Hometown Pride | Wrapping up 2023 – Restricted to Little Free Library | $300 |
Advisory board members of the Fremont County Community Foundation are Chair Darynn Ruiz of Sidney; Vice Chair Teri Emberton of Hamburg; Secretary/Treasurer Staci Shearer of Farragut; Teresa Hardy of Randolph; Tim Inman of Randolph; and Mai Le of Thurman.
Harrison County
The Harrison County Community Foundation awarded $73,940 to Harrison County nonprofit organizations and community projects during its Fall 2023 Grant Cycle. Including these most recent grants, the Foundation has distributed more than $3.9 million in grants and scholarships over the past 26 years. Below are the fall 2023 grant recipients:
| Organization | Project | Award |
| Boyer Valley Youth Sports Organization | Sports Complex Dugout Project | $7,300 |
| City of Missouri Valley, Iowa | Missouri Valley Aquatic Center | $10,000 |
| Dunlap Betterment Group | Dunlap Main Street Pocket Park | $7,393 |
| Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development | Trail Counters for Brent’s Trail | $3,000 |
| Harrison County Fair Board | Electrical updating to Grooms Hall | $3,100 |
| Harrison County Genealogical Society | Signage indicating rural school locations | $980 |
| Harrison County Humane Society of Iowa | The purchase of live traps | $1,000 |
| Harrison County Sheriff’s Office | Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (drone) | $9,706 |
| Jackson Township Trustees | Soldier Valley Cemetery Stone Repair | $6,675 |
| Logan Community Visioning | Recreational Trails – Phase 01 | $11,175 |
| Logan Public Library | A Safe Library | $3,813 |
| Merrymakers Association | Music and Memories for Seniors | $3,195 |
| Share My Smile | Harrison County Ambassador | $3,000 |
| Trivium Life Services | Trivium’s Day Habilitation Sensory Rooms | $3,603 |
Board members of the Harrison County Community Foundation are Chair Barb Oliver of Logan; Vice Chair Lori Thomsen of Dunlap; Secretary/Treasurer Kerry Stueve of Missouri Valley; Gordon Fliehe of Logan; Todd Noah of Moorhead; Noel Sherer of Woodbine, and Ashley West of Missouri Valley.
Mills County
The Mills County Community Foundation awarded $137,310 to Mills County nonprofit organizations and community projects during its Fall 2023 Grant Cycle. With these grants, the Foundation has distributed more than $6.1 million in grants and scholarships over the past 26 years. Below are the fall 2023 grant recipients:
| Organization | Project | Award |
| City of Emerson | Chairs for community building | $1,500 |
| City of Glenwood | AED signs and wall-mounts | $2,500 |
| East Mills Child Care Solutions | East Mills Child Care Solutions | $56,475 |
| Emerson Volunteer Fire/Rescue Association | Communication and Fire response equipment | $3,500 |
| Glenwood Volunteer Fire Department | Thermal imager/accountability tracker | $2,800 |
| Hastings fire and first responders | Wildland firefighting personal protective equipment | $3,200 |
| Malvern Volunteer Rescue | Communication and paging needs | $15,000 |
| Mills County Fair Association | Rabbit cages | $5,000 |
| Mills County K9 Unit | K9 purchase | $4,750 |
| Nishna Productions, Inc. | Residential site furnishings | $5,000 |
| Oak Township Fire and Rescue | Emergency equipment for fire apparatus | $3,000 |
| Silver City | Safety on Main Street | $3,450 |
| Silver City Ambulance | Replacement of Cardiac Monitor Defibrillator | $3,500 |
| Silver City Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department | Fire Engine Scene Lighting | $2,635 |
| The Malvern Volunteer Fire Department | Heavy Rescue Truck II | $25,000 |
Advisory board members of the Mills County Community Foundation are Chair Jennifer Gee of Imogene; Vice Chair Kate McGann of Malvern; Secretary/Treasurer Keith Johnson of Mineola; Jim Schoening of Silver City; Mary Bolton of Emerson; and Brent VonEssen of Glenwood.
Montgomery County
The Montgomery County Community Foundation, working in partnership with the Red Oak Heritage Foundation, awarded $26,040 to Montgomery County nonprofit organizations and community projects during its Fall 2023 Grant Cycle. Including these most recent grants, the Foundation has distributed more than $2.4 million in grants and scholarships over the past 26 years. Below are the fall 2023 grant recipients:
| Organization | Project | Award |
| City of Red Oak | Evergreen Project | $2,000 |
| City of Villisca | Downtown demolition | $5,000 |
| Elliott Food Pantry Inc. | Midea refrigerator/freezer | $900 |
| Elliott Public Library | Funds for computer replacement | $2,895 |
| Friends of the Red Oak Trails | Indian Gulley Trail Map/Sign Project | $500 |
| Montgomery County Child Development Association Inc | Quality childcare updates | $5,000 |
| Montgomery County Family YMCA | Wibit Inflatable Water Feature/Obstacle Course | $2,500 |
| Montgomery County History Center | Pittsburg School Move | $2,000 |
| Red Oak Grand Theatre, Inc. | Sound panels | $2,965 |
| Stanton Public Library | Computer for Adult Section | $1,350 |
| Villisca Public Library | Faulty computer replacement | $800 |
| West Central Community Action | Food Pantry grocery cart | $130 |
Advisory board members of the Montgomery County Community Foundation are Chair Kevin Britten of Red Oak; Vice Chair Kim Robinson of Red Oak; Secretary/Treasurer Brian LeRette of Red Oak; Marty Barnett of Red Oak; Dennis D. Bloom of Red Oak; Tammie Bodwell of Villisca; Christine Johnson of Red Oak; Jenna Ramsey of Stanton; and John Tischer of Elliott.
Page County
The Page County Community Foundation, working in partnership with the Clarinda Foundation and the Greater Shenandoah Foundation awarded $18,230 to Page County community projects and local municipalities. Including these most recent grants, the Foundation has distributed more than $2.3 million in grants and scholarships over the past 18 years. Below are the fall 2023 grant recipients:
| Organization | Project | Award |
| Shenandoah Pregnancy and Resource Center | For new building project | $2,604.28 |
| Sew & Share Food Pantry | For area of greatest need | $2,604.28 |
| Shenandoah Food Pantry | For area of greateast need | $2,604.28 |
| Turnbull Childcare Development Center | For area of greateast need | $2,604.29 |
| Essex Childcare | For area of greateast need | $2,604.29 |
| Grandmas House Daycare | For area of greateast need | $2,604.29 |
| St. John Noah’s Ark Christian Childcare | For area of greateast need | $2,604.29 |
The Page County Community Foundation Advisory Board Members are Marlene Bashaw, Scott Brown, Zeb Burkheiser, Pam Herzberg, Brian Steinkuehler, and Mark Walter.
Shelby County
The Shelby County Community Foundation awarded $34,255 to Shelby County nonprofit organizations and community projects during its Fall 2023 Grant Cycle. Including these most recent grants, the Foundation has distributed more than $3.9 million in grants and scholarships over the past 26 years. Below are the fall 2023 grant recipients:
| Organization | Project | Award |
| Danish Windmill | Thermostat replacement | $900 |
| Earling Fire & Rescue Department | Remote control nozzle | $7,850 |
| Friends of Douglas Township | Firetruck, filling hoses | $836 |
| Harlan Community Teammates Mentoring Program | Teammates Mentoring match support for Harlan, Iowa | $1,000 |
| Irwin Fire and Rescue Association | Reporting equipment and Dress Uniforms | $6,300 |
| Kids in the Village | Early Childhood Curriculum Program | $3,143 |
| Museum of Danish America | SPARK! training and programming | $1,567 |
| Panama Volunteer Fire Department | Turnout gear | $3,234 |
| Shelby County Conservation Board | Playground at Nishna Bend Campground | $7,500 |
| Shelby County Historical Museum | Collections Care Expansion | $1,485 |
| West Central Community Action | Mobile Produce Stand & Canopy | $440 |
Advisory board members of the Shelby County Community Foundation are Chair Brock Darling of Irwin; Vice Chair Michael Riley of Harlan; Secretary/Treasurer Max Powers of Defiance; Jodee Dixon of Elk Horn; Leona Konz of Shelby, and Jill Mages of Westphalia.
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For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Sunni Kamp (sunni@omahafoundation.org) or Sydney Calcagno (sydney@omahafoundation.org) at 800-794-3458.