The Shelby County Community Foundation is pleased to announce that grants totaling $103,870 were awarded to Shelby County nonprofit organizations and community projects as part of its spring grant cycle.

The following organizations were awarded grants by the Shelby County Community Foundation Advisory Board:

  • Concerned, Inc. – $1,500, Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
  • Country Care Center Corporation – $500, Personal Protection Equipment
  • Defiance Fire and Rescue Department – $11,000, Personal Fire Protection Gear
  • Earling Fire and Rescue Department – $7,583, Grain Bin Rescue Tube Equipment
  • Elk Horn Fire Department – $5,000, SCBA Replacement
  • Elk Horn Public Library – $1,000, Retaining Wall Landscaping
  • Friends of Harlan City Parks – $8,600, Pioneer Park Pond Upgrade
  • Harlan Community Library – $8,500, Fire Alarm System
  • Irwin Fire and Rescue Association – $11,000, Safety Personal Protective Equipment
  • Loess Hills Agriculture in the Classroom – $500, Virtual Lessons and Activity Kits
  • Museum of Danish America – $8,000, Wetland Restoration and Visitor Overlook
  • Portsmouth Volunteer Fire Department – $11,000, Firefighter Protective Turnout Gear Replacement
  • Shelby County Community Outreach – $10,000, COVID Relief Operational Support
  • Shelby County Fair Corporation – $3,000, Update Building and Grounds Lighting
  • Shelby Fire and Rescue – $11,000, Zoll X Series Monitor/Defibrillators
  • Southwest Iowa Fishing Team, Inc. – $3,000, Fish Habitat Conservation Project
  • Time for Tots Early Learning Center – $2,141, Youth Development and Safety
  • West Central Community Action – $546, Clothing Room Book Cart

All grantees met the criteria as Shelby County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions supporting community needs in the areas of civic engagement, culture, health, education, and social services. Only organizations providing services in Shelby County were eligible to apply.

The Shelby County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Omaha Community Foundation, which meets National Standards for Community Foundations, and is one of nine county members of the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa. It receives funds annually from the State of Iowa County Endowment Fund Program for endowment building and grantmaking throughout the county. Made possible through the County Endowment Fund Program, this cycle of grants was funded by a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue, which is distributed annually to participating community foundations associated with counties without a state-issued gaming license.

Beyond the County Endowment Fund Program, the Shelby County Community Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to create permanent and expendable funds that address changing, vital community needs and interests. To inquire about donating to the Shelby County Community Foundation, please contact the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa staff or any board member listed below. Gifts to permanently endowed funds through the Shelby County Community Foundation may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.

Board members of the Shelby County Community Foundation are Chair, Jim Zimmerman of Harlan; Vice Chair, Kristy Hansen of Harlan; Secretary/Treasurer, Michael Riley of Harlan; Brock Darling of Irwin; Jodee Dixon of Elk Horn; and Rhonda Powers of Defiance.

For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Stacey Goodman, Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458 or stacey@omahafoundation.org.