Spring 2008 General Fund Grants Awarded

The Winona Community Foundation awarded $25,000 for community collaborations and flood recovery assistance for its spring 2008 grant program.

Groups funded include:

• Sustain Winona-City of Winona
  $7,500 - for development of a comprehensive boulevard reforestation plan which encompasses environmental improvements to make the area more appealing to support and enhance other community ties and civic goals
• Winona County Historical Society
  $6,900 – in support of repairs needed due to flood damage sustained to the Arches Museum parking lot
• U of M Extension in Winona
  $2,500 – for a photo exhibit entitled "Faces of Farmers" which is an outreach project connecting food buyers and the farming community
• Garvin Brook Disaster Relief Fund
  $2,500 – to support a community event marking the anniversary of the August 2007  floods for residents of Stockton, Minnesota City, Rollingstone and Hillsdale areas
• Pickwick Mill Inc.
  $2,600 – for assistance in the replacement of the roof of this historical building
• Theatre du Mississippi

               $3,000 - for a community concert on the river in conjunction with the

               opening of the Great River Shakespeare Festival

“The granting process begins with a letter of inquiry from groups seeking funding,” explains Foundation president Lisa Fakler. “Using a ranking process our grants committee narrows down projects that best fit into our established guidelines for community giving and that meet identified, emerging community needs.” Fakler noted that this process is necessary as there are always many more requests for support than they can grant. Original project requests through this community grant program totaled $35,900.   In 2007 Community General Fund Grants totaled $69,143.

This competitive process for grants to community projects comes from the Foundation’s General Fund. “Events like our recent Celebrity Night fundraiser help us continue to grow our assets so we can increase our investment capability, which results in greater returns to give back to the community on a continuous basis over the long-term,” noted Fakler.  Other awards from these assets are allocated through modest Winona Fund grants responding to current needs that may not fit within the competitive program timeline, Youth in Philanthropy grants awarded through yet another unique competitive process which involves youth review of applications, and finally, the Founders Fund award which involves a nomination process that selects an individual who has touched our community for all time with the accompanying grant award going to the local charity of the recipient’s

Beyond its community granting program from its unrestricted General Fund, the Foundation also works closely with donors to the over 70 restricted advised funds to facilitate gifts to groups as well. “This is where there can be confusion about how a Foundation functions,” continued Fakler. Donors to these advised funds can make recommendations to the Foundation’s board to support various nonprofits and the Foundation’s role is to administer and facilitate these gifts.

In 2007 the Winona Community Foundation facilitated over $1.8 million in grants from these advised funds to nonprofits including Home & Community Options,  American Red Cross,  Minnesota Beethoven Festival, Winona County Historical Society, Heroes Among Us and Winona Volunteer Services.

Marking its 20th anniversary this year, the Foundation is now looking towards the future and evaluating ways to continue to effectively allocate assets and remain relevant to the ever changing needs of the community. Call the Foundation office at 507-454-6511 with questions, feedback or for further information on their next community grant program beginning June 1.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Fall 2007 General Fund Grants Awarded

The Winona Community Foundation awarded $35,000 to projects lead by local nonprofits organizations for its fall 2007 grant cycle.

Groups funded include:

• Project FINE
  $7,500 -for the Diversity Youth Quest, a program designed to help immigrant adolscent children deal with social and cultural challenges
• Home & Community Options
  $7,500 – for remote monitoring and video conferencing system, integrated into an automatic call software program to reduce staff monitoring and increase independent living options
• Winona MN Early Childhood Initiative
  $7,000 – for expansion of a pilot project providing toolkit backpacks for school readiness success

• Winona Symphony Orchestra
  $1,500 – for support of operations for the sesquicentennial year
• Madison PTA
  $1,000 – for development of an accessible, educaitonal outdoor learning center representing the diversity of Minnesota's natural resources for use by the school and the community
• Project GO, Park & Trails council of MN
  $6,000 –for implementation of after school programs in regional schools that would allow children to connect with adult mentors and explore, play and reflect in nature near their community
• Elder network
  $2,000 –to provide the Chore Service program to area seniors
• WSHS Baseball Program
  $2,500 – for removation of baseball field's pitchers mound and dirt infield as well as fixing outfield settling

Spring 2007 General Fund Grants Awarded

The Winona Community Foundation awarded $29,375 to projects lead by local nonprofits organizations for its spring 2007 grant cycle.

Groups funded include:

• Winona Volunteer Services
  $5,000 - to coordinate cooking demonstrations, taste samplings and life skills training to clients utilizing the food shelf. Includes hosting frequent nutritional and educational workshops.
• Ridgeway Community School
  $5,000 – for a mobile laptop lab for school and community use
• Polish Cultural Institute
  $6,000 – to produce a photo mural project
• Great River Shakespeare Festival
  $3,875 – for community programs using the actors for outreach initiatives
• Pickwick Mill Inc.
  $9,500 – for the tuck-pointing project that helps with the historical preservation of Mill

October 2006 General Fund Grants Awarded

In October 2006 the Winona Community Foundation announced the recipients of the $47, 500 worth of fall grants. Our congratulations go out to these recipients for all they give back to our community.

• Habitat for Humanity and the Winona/Rochester ReStore project
• Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center’s on-site project at the middle school
• Houston County Women’s Resources’ project “Unlocking Keys Through Art”
• Project FINE’s U.S. Citizenship Program for area residents
• Winona Dakota Unity Alliance’s Permanent History project
• WSU’s “Amistad” project, Latino student & culture support through education, understanding & encouragement
• WSU /Dist. 861 Madison Maxwell Children’s Center project

$90,000 was given out through this granting program by Winona Community Foundation in 2006