News : Benton County Community Foundation Distributes $151,165 to Local Organizations

The Benton County Community Foundation (BCCF) would like to announce the distribution of $151,165 to 17 projects of organizations serving Benton County through its 2025 grant cycle.  

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

Community Betterment 

• Benton County ISU Extension & Outreach – Lose of Historical Funding Partners – $6,110 

• Cedar Mt Auburn Community Club – Making Mount Auburn Accessible – $15,375 

• City of Urbana – Urbana Central Crossing Park Story Walk – $8,000 

• Shellsburg Area Community Group – Shellsburg Park Music Garden – $7,169 

Education & Youth Development 

• Better Tomorrows Early Childhood Iowa – Benton County Dolly Parton Imagination Library – $7,000 

• Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois – Leadership Program in Benton County – $10,000 

• Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa – Pathways to Possibilities: K-8 Education Programs – $15,000 

Health 

• Belle Plaine Area Ambulance – EMS FirstNet & Ambu-Pads – $14,318 

• Blairstown Ambulance Service, Inc. – Ventilator – $14,700 

• Virginia Gay Hospital and Clinics – Community Connectivity and Mobility Initiative – $7,493.33 

Human Services 

• Families Helping Families of Iowa – Support for Foster Children in Benton County – $6,000 

• Freedom Foundation – Pantry – $5,000 

• Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, Inc – Meal Delivery Vehicle Replacement – $10,000 

• Iowa College Access Network – Future Ready: Engaging Parents for Success – $5,000 

• Riverview Center, Inc. – Benton Sexual Assault Crisis Response Toolkit – $5,000 

• Waypoint Services – Domestic Violence Victim Services Program – $7,000 

• Wesley United Methodist Church - Vinton – Wesley Food Pantry – $8,000 
   

Decisions on grant awards are determined by a local committee, which consists of volunteers from Benton County. Committee members include Brian McNulty (Chair), Teresa Cretin, Mindy Fisher, Kassie Mather, Jackie McDermott, Manda McKinley, Phil Shaff, Christine Turner, and Dusti Winkie. BCCF funds established by generous donors contributing to the discretionary grant process include the Philip and Phyllis Borleske Community Impact Fund, the Marlyn and Ann Jorgensen Community Impact Fund and the Bill and Margaret Ramsey Charitable Fund – Benton County.  

Grants are awarded through BCCF’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 Benton County in order to be considered for funding. The 2026 grant cycle opens September 1 with an application deadline of October 15. The grant guidelines and application can be found at www.bentonccf.org.