The Butler County Community Foundation (BCCF) held its 2024 grant awards celebration at the Allison Public Library on January 9, announcing the distribution of $152,499 to 25 projects of organizations serving Butler County through its 2024 grant cycle.

Grant recipient organization, project the grant will fund, and grant amount is listed below by funding area.

Community Betterment

• Butler County Fair – Handicap Parking and Sidewalks - $10,162
• City of Allison – Administration, Community Welcome Sign - $7,500
• City of Aredale – Fire Department, Cameras & Piston Valve - $3,770
• City of Bristow – Fire Department, Fire Shed - $13,000
• City of Clarksville – Visioning Committee, Downtown Beautification - $4,000
• City of Dumont – Fire Department, Extraction Equipment, Project 1 - $13,375
• City of Dumont – Library, Switch to LED Lighting - $7,800
• City of Greene – Library, Computer Replacement Program - $3,500
• City of New Hartford – Library, Interior Improvements – $11,118
• City of Parkersburg – Fire Department, Air Packs – $11,079
• City of Parkersburg – Library, Face Out Trays – $6,616
• City of Shell Rock– Administration, Speed Feedback Sign – $7,200
• City of Shell Rock– American Legion 393, Flag Poles – $1,000
• City of Shell Rock– Library, Beanstack App – $1,800

Education & Youth Development

• City of Allison – Library, Youth Summer Reading Program - $3,950
• City of Aplington – Library, Explore the World Through Literacy - $4,000
• Dike New Hartford Community School District– Library, Book Trucks - $3,177

Health

• City of Aplington – Ambulance, LUCAS Device - $14,000

Human Service

• Clarksville Food Pantry, Inc – Holiday Baking Boxes - $2,950
• Families Helping Families of Iowa – Fostering Hope for Butler County Foster Kids - $2,000
• Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity – Critical Home Repair Program - $2,500
• Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging, Inc. – Butler County Home Delivered Meals - $5,000
• Northeast Iowa Food Bank – Feeding Communities, Butler County - $5,000
• The Larrabee Center, Inc. – Community Support Services - $3,000

Decisions on grant awards are determined by a local committee, which consists of volunteers from Butler County. Committee members include Mindy Pecha (chair), Greg Barnett, Mary Derdzinski, Deb Homer, Patricia Hummel, Megan Kalkwarf, Greg Nevehoven, Gregory Schmitz, Marcie Sharp, Nicole Vannordstrand, Noreen Wiegmann BCCF funds established by generous donors contributing to the discretionary grant process include the Lawrence and Helen Kiehn Memorial Fund.

Grants are awarded through BCCF’s competitive grant process to projects in the program areas of arts and culture, community betterment, education and youth development, environment and animal welfare, health and human service. Grant applicants must be a 501(c)(3) designated organization or government entity serving Butler County in order to be considered for funding. The 2025 grant cycle opens September 1 with an application deadline of October 15. The grant guidelines and application can be found at http://www.butlerccf.org/.