Three nonprofits awarded grants from Marion County Endowment Fund

Three local not-for-profits received grants from the Marion County Endowment Fund, held with the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri. The grants mark the sixth annual competitive grant awards presented from the Marion County Endowment Fund.

“The work of nonprofits is critical to the success of our communities and our people. The Marion County Endowment Fund provides a permanent way to ensure that needs and opportunities in Marion County will always have a source of support because when our nonprofits are strong, so are our communities,” said Irene Meyers, Marion County Endowment Fund Council Chair.

Organizations that received grants include Salvation Army of Quincy, which will use the grant money homeless relief in Hannibal; Hannibal Alliance for Youth Success (HAYS), which will use the grant money to support social/emotional health through mentoring and student activities; CHART Teen Task Force, which will use the grant money to provide sexuality education in Northeast Missouri schools.

As part of the Community Foundation’s competitive grant program, the Marion County Endowment Fund Council, made up of representatives of the county, reviewed applications from local nonprofits and made recommendations on grants to be awarded to best serve needs and opportunities in the county.

The Marion County Endowment Fund is a permanently endowed charitable fund exclusively for the benefit of Marion County. Gifts made to the fund are invested for growth and grants are made from the interest earned.

“The Marion County Endowment Fund is a way to ‘keep local money working for local causes,’” said Meyers. “Anyone can make a gift to the Marion County Endowment Fund at any time and be confident that their gift is more than a donation – it’s an investment into the future of Marion County.”

“County Endowment Funds play an important role in cultivating local philanthropy by growing local assets for current and future good,” said Catherine Bocke Meckes, Community Foundation CEO. “The beauty of a County Endowment Fund is that although we can’t always predict needs and opportunities years from now, we can prepare for them by investing in endowments that will always be here to support good work in our region.”

Gifts to the Community Foundation for the Marion County Endowment Fund are tax-deductible as allowed by law. The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri, is a not-for-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status.