Photo Courtesy of Oelwein Daily Register

The Fayette County Community Foundation (FCCF) held its 2024 grant awards celebration at the Hawkeye Community Hall on January 21, announcing the distribution of $176,710.47 to 23 projects of organizations serving Fayette County through its 2024 grant cycle. 

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

Program Area: Arts & Culture 

• Hawkeye Community Historical Club, INC - History Lives at Hawkeye's Hurd Museum - $4,493.48 
• Williams Center, Inc - Visual Projection Equipment - $10,000.00 

Program Area: Community Betterment 

• City of Hawkeye - Library - Storywalk - $5,910.76 
• City of Oelwein - Library - Meeting Room Projection Equipment - $1,707.00 
• City of Waucoma - Fire Department - New Station - $10,000.00 
• Fayette County - Auditor - Sheriff's Office - Shield & Helmets - $10,000.00 
• Hawkeye Community Club - Community Hall Restroom Renovations - $9,300.00 
• Iowa Underwater Search and Rescue Inc - IUSR – Equipment Upgrade - $7,500.00 
• Larrabee School Foundation - Larrabee School Building Electrical Replacement - $10,000.00 
• St. Lucas Firefighters Association Inc. - St. Lucas Pumper Truck - $10,000.00 
• West Union Recreation Foundation - Festival of Lights - $10,000.00 

Program Area: Education & Youth Development 

• Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa - Dream, Believe, Achieve: Youth Education Programs - $1,581.24 
• Sumner Daycare and Learning Center, Inc - Building Today for Tomorrow - $10,000.00 

Program Area: Environment & Animal Welfare 

• Otter Creek Animal Shelter - Safe and Secure For All - $3,500.00 
• Wildthunder Wildlife & Animal Rehabilitation & Sanctuary - Interior Dog Building Project - $10,000.00 

Program Area: Health 

• Friends of CMH Foundation - Remote Patient Monitor - $10,000.00 
• Support SEMS - Automated External Defibrillators (AED) - $7,817.99 
• Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission - Fayette County Lead Professional Certification - $3,900.00 

Program Area: Human Service 

• Families Helping Families of Iowa - Caring for Children in Foster Care Fayette County - $6,000.00 
• Guardians of Northeast Iowa - Retaining Quality Services for Fayette County - $5,000.00 
• Oelwein Area Council of Churches - Oelwein Kitchen Cupboard - $10,000.00 
• Plentiful Pantry - Plentiful Pantry - $10,000.00 
• RISE, Ltd. - Oelwein Day Habilitation Remodel Project - $10,000.00 

Decisions on grant awards are determined by a local committee, which consists of volunteers from Fayette County. Committee members include Richard Scheffel (Chair), Janell Bradley, Robin Bostrom, Jeff Bunn, Erica Bushaw, Andrea Dietzenbach, Kenneth Hemesath, Patricia Hunsberger, Mark Krellcom, Rita Losh, Bradley Minger, Jen Stolka, Curt Strong, and Jami Tafolla. FCCF funds established by generous donors contributing to the discretionary grant process include the Malvin Tribon Fayette County Memorial Fund. 

Grants are awarded through FCCF’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 Fayette 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.fayetteccf.org/.