Photo credit - Bancroft Register

The Kossuth County Community Foundation (KCCF) held its 2024 grant awards celebration at the Ag & Motorsports Museum on January 15, announcing the distribution of $176,337.51 to 20 projects of organizations serving Kossuth 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

• Community & Culture Connections - Multi-Cultural Connections Center - $28,203
• Kossuth County Agriculture & Motorsports Museum - Tables and Chairs for New Addition - $7,500
• Kossuth County Concert Association - Kossuth County Concert Series - $5,000
• Kossuth County Historical Society - Museum Exterior Painting - $5,470

Program Area: Community Betterment

• City of Fenton - Library - Safety and Accessibility for All - $1,515
• City of Ledyard - Fire Department - Pumper Truck - $24,000
• City of Swea City - Library - Door Replacement - $10,000
• City of Titonka - Administration - Pool Safety - $1,998
• City of Titonka - Fire Department - Extrication Equipment - $11,520
• Iowa Underwater Search and Rescue Inc - IUSR – Equipment Upgrade - $2,500
• Lone Rock Fire Protective Association - New Bunker Gear - $13,235
• Swea City Improvement League - Park & Recreation Committee - Playground Equipment - $8,000

Program Area: Education & Youth Development

• Algona Family YMCA - Lobby & Multipurpose Room Renovation - $12,000
• Bancroft Daycare - Learning Curriculum - $3,000
• Iowa College Access Network - Empowering Futures for Economic Growth - $2,000

Program Area: Environment & Animal Welfare

• Kossuth County Tails of Hope Rescue - Feline Trap-Neuter-Return Program - $2,610

Program Area: Health

• Active Senior Citizens of Algona, Inc. - Epoxy Floor System - South Room - $4,000
• Kossuth County - Auditor - EMS - Ambulance Equipment - $5,486

Program Area: Human Service

• Elderbridge Agency on Aging - Client Assistance - $5,000
• Triada Chicago - Nourish on Wheels - $23,300

Decisions on grant awards are determined by a local committee, which consists of volunteers from Kossuth County. Committee members include Laurie Harms (co-chair), Julie Murphy (co-chair), Caleb Anderson, Cynthia Andorfer, Bradley Arndorfer, Gina Helmers, Tiffany Johnson, Deborah Kenne, and Brian Kollasch. KCCF funds established by generous donors contributing to the discretionary grant process are the Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company Charitable Fund, the Iowa State Bank of Algona Charitable Fund, the Charles and Helen Lickteig Family Fund and the Kossuth County Public Safety Endowment Fund.

Grants are awarded through KCCF’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 Kossuth 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 www.kossuthccf.org.