MASON CITY – The Cerro Gordo County Community Foundation (CGCCF) held its 2022 grant awards celebration at the Ventura Community Center on July 20, announcing the distribution of $130,968.90 to 27 projects of organizations serving Cerro Gordo County through its 2022 grant cycle.
“The Cerro Gordo County Community Foundation is thrilled to support these grant recipients as they serve the needs and support life in our community,” said Shaun Arneson, chair of the CGCCF governing committee.
(PHOTO: Grant recipients gathered for the Cerro Gordo County Community Foundation’s 2022 grant awards celebration on July 20 at the Ventura Community Center where $130,968.90 in grant funding was awarded to 27 projects of organizations serving Cerro Gordo County.)
Grant recipient organization, project the grant will fund, and grant amount is listed below by funding area.
Arts & Culture
City of Mason City, MacNider Art Museum – Ceramic Studio Equipment, $3,000
North Iowa Events Center, Emergency Exit Door Replacement, $3,761
Surf Ballroom & Museum, Instrument Petting Zoo & Surf Ballroom Traveling Museum, $3,069.95
Wright on the Park, Inc., Historic Park Inn Hotel HVAC Component Retrofit, $3,000
Community Betterment
City of Mason City, Pickle Ball Club – Pickle Ball Court Improvement, $3,285.95
City of Swaledale, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Facemask Purchase, $4,224
Mason City Downtown Association, Main Street District Beautification and Banner Program, $5,250
Meservey Fire & Rescue Foundation, Inc., Equip Public Facility with Commercial Standby Generator, $10,000
Mission Thornton, Inc., Thornton Park Improvement, $3,513
Rockwell Community Fire Service, Fire Hose Replacement, $5,908
Society To Preserve Antiquated Town Structures, Window Replacement & Church Steps Refurbishment, $7,032
Thornton Volunteer Fire Association, Bunker Gear for New Fireman, $3,500
Ventura Firefighters Association, SCBA Bottles, $5,484
Education & Youth Development
Caring Pregnancy Center, The READ Project (Reading and Education to Allow for Deeper Learning), $4,100
Central Gardens of North Iowa, Youth Education Programs in the Bee Happy Discovery Garden, $3,485
Charlie Brown Preschool and Child Care Center, Preschool Playground, $7,500
North Iowa Area Community College Foundation, From Camps to College, $6,000
Health
Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health, Happy Kids, Healthy Kids, $3,551
Rockwell-Swaledale Emergency Medical Team, LUCAS Chest Compression System, $6,500
Human Service
Crisis Intervention Service, Free Lending Pantry, $3,000
Elderbridge Agency on Aging, Client Assistance, $5,000
Families Helping Families of Iowa, Program Support for Cerro Gordo County Children in Foster Care, $3,000
Food Bank of Iowa, Fighting Childhood Hunger in Cerro Gordo County, $5,000
Four Oaks Children and Family Services, Ensuring Access to Behavioral Health Intervention Services for Children in Four Oaks TotalChild, $5,000
Francis Lauer Youth Services, Bedroom Furnishings, $3,035
Habitat for Humanity of North Central Iowa, Bright Lights for Dark Nights, $3,000
The Community Kitchen of North Iowa, Inc., Stove Replacement, $11,770
Decisions on grant awards are determined by a local committee, which consists of volunteers from Cerro Gordo County. Committee members include: Jen Arends, Shaun Arneson (chair), Tim Coffey, John Drury, Julie Kaduce, Gary Schmit, Alan Steckman and Margo Underwood.
Grants are awarded through CGCCF’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 Cerro Gordo County in order to be considered for funding. The 2023 grant cycle opens January 1 with an application deadline of April 1. The grant guidelines and application can be found at www.cerrogordoccf.org.
