The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa held its Black Hawk County fall 2015 grant cycle awards ceremony Wednesday, January 27, announcing the distribution of $556,274 in grants to 55 area nonprofits and government agencies. This is the largest amount ever awarded by CFNEIA through a single grant cycle.

“The work these deserving organizations do to create a stronger Black Hawk County is critical to making our communities places where everyone can thrive,” said Kaye Englin, CFNEIA president and CEO. “The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa is proud to be a partner in their work, and we are thankful for the generosity of so many community-minded people who make this significant impact possible.”

CFNEIA is able to award these grants because of donors who have contributed to, and established, discretionary funds. These funds allow the Community Foundation Board of Directors to make grants requested by nonprofits serving Black Hawk County through a grant application process. Donors who have advised funds are also notified of grant applications that need funding, and several contributed to the grants awarded in this cycle.

Fall 2015 grant recipients and the project the grant will fund are listed below by funding areas.

Art & Culture:

• City of Cedar Falls, Hearst Classroom Renovation
• Hawkeye Community College Foundation, Hawkeye Celebrates the Arts! Artist Series 2015-2016 Season
• Metropolitan Chorale, Metropolitan Chorale spring 2016
• North End Cultural Center, North End Arts and Music Fest - 2016
• UNI Foundation, Midwest International Piano Competition at the University of Northern Iowa School of Music
• Waterloo Center for the Arts, PlayScape at the Phelps Youth Pavilion
• Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children's Theatre, Centennial Season

Community Betterment:

• Cedar Bend Humane Society, Community Outreach Facility Expansion
• Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers, Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers
• City of Evansdale Public Library, Lego Block Party - Legos in the Library
• Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, CFNEIA Opportunity Fund
• Link Christian Development, Youth Art Team – Urban Intervention Project
• National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum, Dan Gable Kids Wrestling Program
• St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Community Center
• Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley, Service-Learning: Engaging Youth in Service to the Cedar Valley
• Waterloo Exchange Club, Waterloo Exchange Children's Trike Track

Education:

• Back to School Project, Back to School Project 2016
• Covenant Medical Center, RSVP Primetime Program
• Greater Cedar Valley Alliance Foundation, Leader in Me: Empowering Academics
• Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa, Inspiring Future Innovation through Junior Achievement’s Entrepreneurship Educational Programs
• Quota International of Waterloo, Cops 'n' Kids Literacy Program
• The Job Foundation, Financial Stewardship Mentoring Program

Environment:

• City of Waterloo, Home Park Blvd Tree Replacement
• The Nature Conservancy in Iowa, Wetlands Upstream of Cedar Falls/Waterloo for Reduced Flood Risk and Improved Water Quality

Health:

• IHOPE Free Medical Clinic, Operational Support

Human Service: 

• Allen Memorial Hospital, Allen Child Protection Center
• Americans For Independent Living, Americans For Independent Living
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa, One-to-One Mentoring
• Black Hawk Foster and Adoptive Parent Association, Black Hawk Foster and Adoptive Parent Association Support Group
• Cedar Valley Friends of the Family, Emergency Safe Shelter and Housing Assistance
• Cedar Valley GearHeads Ministry, CV Gearheads 16 in 2016
• City of Denver Ambulance Service, CPR LUCAS
• Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Northeastern Iowa, Ending the Debt Cycle
• Exceptional Persons, Inc., Employment Services - Enclave
• Family & Children's Council, Parent Education
• First Children's Finance, Nonprofit Child Care Director Training and Consulting
• Getting Ahead in the Cedar Valley Project, Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin'-By World Program
• Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, Leadership and Character Building for Girls
• Goodwill Industries of Northeast Iowa, Waterloo's Goodwill Retail Center
• Grout Museum District, Museum School
• House of Hope, House of Hope
• Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity, Irving Square Development
• Jesse Cosby Neighborhood Center, No One Without A Home
• Love INC of the Cedar Valley, Love INC of the Cedar Valley
• Lutheran Services in Iowa, Black Hawk County Interpretation
• New Directions Community Services, Anger Management Services
• Northeast Iowa Food Bank, Perishable Program
• Operation Threshold, Housing and Fair Lending Program
• Riverview Center, Awareness of Services and Recruitment of Volunteers Campaign
• SuccessLink, SuccessLink/Success Street
• The Arc of Cedar Valley, Adaptive Recreation
• The Salvation Army, Security System Upgrade
• Waypoint Services, Building a Safety Net for Women Experiencing Domestic Violence
• Wildwood Hills Ranch of Iowa, Black Hawk County at-risk children's scholarships
• YWCA of Black Hawk County, Latino & Multicultural Services

CFNEIA’s spring 2016 grant cycle is now open. To apply, go to www.cfneia.org/grants. The deadline to apply for grants for the spring 2016 grant cycle is April 1. Grant applicants must be a 501(c)(3) designated organization (or government entity) serving the Black Hawk County in order to be considered for funding.