Community Foundation awards more than $284,000 to local nonprofits in West Central Illinois, Northeast Missouri
QUINCY — Local nonprofits received $284,311 in grant funding from the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri Tuesday during a presentation at the Knowledge Center at Chaddock.
These grants, made possible by 65 permanently endowed charitable funds, will assist local nonprofit organizations dedicated to arts and culture, community betterment, education, health, and human services. The grants will support various programs, help with the purchase of essential equipment and supplies, and contribute to much-needed operational expenses.
“Over the last three years, we have experienced a 60 percent increase in the number of applications. This demonstrates the growing need in our community as well as the demand for services that our nonprofit organizations experience in their daily work,” Community Foundation Program Officer Kent Embree said in a press release. “Thanks to endowment, we’re able to fulfill more of this need each year. We are proud to offer a program that is accessible to so many charitable organizations and causes, and we are looking forward to seeing the great work they will do this year.”
Through the Community Grant program, the Community Foundation strengthens nonprofit programs that enhance the quality of life throughout the region. The Community Foundation annually accepts applications for funding from nonprofit organizations in its 12-county region. A grant committee of board members and volunteers from throughout the region evaluates each application to determine the awards.
Funding for the Community Grants is made possible through earnings from endowment funds. Generous donors collaborate with the Community Foundation to establish permanent charitable funds that align with their philanthropic goals and the needs of the community. The Community Foundation invests and grows these funds, and each year a portion of the fund’s earnings are distributed as grants, while the principal remains intact.
“Nonprofits are vital for enhancing the quality of life in our communities,” Community Foundation Chief Executive Officer Catherine Bocke Meckes said. “We are grateful to the donors who have established endowments that will continue to grow and provide more funding each year. The impact is unlimited.”
The following funds support the community grant program:
Community Endowment Funds support grants for arts and culture, community betterment, education, health and human services in the Community Foundation’s 12-county service area:
- Anonymous Funds (2)
- B’nai Shalom Endowment
- Karl H. & Bobbi Bowles Family and Quincy Farm & Home Supply Company Fund
- Dr. & Mrs. Merle F. Crossland Family Fund
- Harry Channon Eaton Family Endowment Fund
- Angie (Fusselman) Mayes & Evelyn J. Fusselman Fund
- Harry J. & Bernice M. Wissman Heidbreder Fund
- Kirk Family Fund – Houston, Carolyn & Carson
- Carl and Gladys Koehser Family Fund
- Mrs. Arthur O. Lindsay Fund
- Robert A. & Anne M. Mays Fund
- Earl and Irene Oliver Family Fund
- Robert G. and Melva Campbell Riley Fund
- Charles A. & Nancy Scholz Charitable Fund
- Margaret J. Sinnock Fund
- Bette J. Starnes Endowment
- Hansen-Spear Funeral Home Endowment
- Jeffrey G. & Theresa L. Spear Fund
- Grant L. and K. Georgann Sturhahn Fund
- Dorothy L. Swallow Fund
- Community Endowment Fund
- James R. and Katherine H. Williams Fund
- Carl, Althea & Cathy Wiskirchen Endowment
Funds for Adams County support any charitable need or opportunity in Adams County:
- Adams County Endowment Fund
- Alan L. Stiegemeier and Mary Ellen Stiegemeier Charitable Fund
- HOMEBANK of Quincy Fund
- Paul H. and Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund
- William and Sheila Menke Endowment
Field of Interest Funds support a specific cause or community as determined by the donor:
- Jerry & Linley Bartell Endowment
- Blessing Hospital Community Health Fund
- Ben and Helen Bumbry Educational Assistance Endowment
- Jayne & Leroy Boeckelman Fund for Young Musicians
- Katherine Broemmel Endowment for the Arts
- City of Refuge Fund
- Noma Meyers Eaton Fund
- Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund
- HOMEBANK Fund
- Jane’s Kids’ Fund
- Jon’s Home Center Associates Fund
- G. Arthur (Art) Keller, Jr. Fund
- Irwin Family Fund
- Cory Didriksen Lovelace Fund
- Dr. Robert and Shirley Murphy Endowment for Music
- The Quincy Foundation Fund
- Quincy Recycle Fund
- James L. & Dorothy W. Rouner Fund
- The Wood Endowment
County Endowment Funds support nonprofit organizations in a specific county:
- Brown County Endowment Fund (IL)
- Hancock County Endowment Fund (IL)
- Lewis County Endowment Fund (MO)
- Marion County Endowment Fund (MO)
- Monroe County Endowment Fund (MO)
- Pike County Endowment Fund (IL)
- Shelby County Endowment Fund (MO)
Donor Advised Funds allow a fund advisor to recommend grant recipients. Donor advisors may recommend grants at any time throughout the year but are encouraged to consider grants in support of Community Grant requests:
- Sarah Christine Birsic Memorial Fund
- Green-Humphrey Family Fund for Music
- Diane Nielsen Gossard Memorial Fund
- Joe and Denette Kuhlman Family Fund
- T.C. & Mary S. Oakley Descendants Fund
- Ralph Oakley Family Fund
- Optimist Club of Quincy Friend of Youth Fund
- Palmyra Chamber of Commerce Prosperity Fund
- Betty Schmidt Endowment
- The Zechariah Fund
More than 230 funds at the Community Foundation support arts and culture, community betterment, education, health or human services, including eight new funds contributing grant dollars for this year’s program.
This year’s grant recipients are:
Organization | Purpose | Fund |
Adams County Bicentennial | Adams County Historical Timeline Monument | Funds for Adams County, United States Founding Fathers Fund |
Adams County Sheriff | Sheriff Work Alternative Program Improvement Project | Funds for Adams County |
Advocacy Network for Children | General Support | Community Endowment Funds |
Bella Ease | Funding CARES 2024 youth after-school program | Jerry and Linley Bartell Endowment, Funds for Adams County, Community Endowment Funds, Optimist Club of Quincy Friend of Youth Fund |
Bluff City Theater | Building the Next Generation of Theater Audience | Noma Meyers Eaton Fund, Community Endowment Funds |
Boy Scouts of America – Mississippi Valley Council #141 | Financial Assistance for Youth in Adams, Pike, Brown, Hancock, and Clark | Community Endowment Funds |
Bright Futures Knox County | General Support of Bright Futures Knox County | Community Endowment Funds, G. Arthur (Art) Keller, Jr. Fund |
Brown County Early Learning Center NFP | General Support of Brown County Early Learning Center | Jon’s Home Center Associates Fund |
Canton Main Street Association | Historical Preservation – Exterior Facade Grantmaking | Lewis County Endowment Fund |
Carthage Park District | Creating An Outdoor Space that will Create Lasting Memories | Community Endowment Funds |
Chaddock Children’s Foundation | Kids On The Block Puppetry materials for educational awareness | Funds for Adams County, Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund |
CHART Teen Task Force | Sexuality Education in Northeast Missouri Schools | Marion County Endowment Fund |
Cheerful Home Child Care & Early Learning Center | Arts in the Outdoors | Jon’s Home Center Associates Fund |
Clark County Council on Aging, Inc. | Operating Funds | Community Endowment Funds |
Community for Christ Assistance Center | Utilities and Food for Families in Need | Funds for Adams County, Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund |
Connect Child and Family Solutions | General Support for Connect Child and Family Solutions | Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund, Funds for Adams County |
Cornerstone Foundations for Families | Comprehensive Youth Services | Ralph Oakley Family Fund |
County of Ralls Missouri | Fort Mason Monument Project | Community Endowment Funds |
Covered Bottoms Diaper Bank, Inc. | Bridging the Diaper Gap in West Central IL | Blessing Hospital Community Health Fund, Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund |
Coyote Hill | Coyote Hill Foster Family Community Groups | Marion County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds |
Culver-Stockton College: Tri-State Development | Tri-State Development Community Project Support for Entrepreneurship | Community Endowment Funds |
Douglass Community Services, Inc. | Kids in Motion – Youth development and leadership program, housing services | Jon’s Home Center Associates Fund, Community Endowment Funds, Marion County Endowment Fund, Ralph Oakley Family Fund |
Downtown Monroe City Revitalization | Monroe City Leadership Enhancement | Monroe County Endowment Fund |
MC Rec Center | General Support of the Rec Center | Community Endowment Funds |
First Chance for Children | Bab Bags Diaper Bank | Community Endowment Funds |
Food For Thoughts Hancock County | Week-End Meal Program | Community Endowment Funds, Hancock County Endowment Fund |
Friends of the Castle | General Support Friends of the Castle | Community Endowment Funds, Funds for Adams County |
Friends of the Performing Arts/Quincy Public Schools | Quincy Junior High School Tubas | Funds for Adams County, Green-Humphrey Family Fund for Music, Ben & Helen Bumbry Educational Assistance Endowment |
Girl Scouts of Central Illinois | Girl Scout Leadership Experience – Adams, Brown, Hancock, and Pike Counties | Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund, Community Endowment Funds |
Great Commission Broadcasting Corporation – WGCA-FM | Area betterment through promoting local nonprofits | Funds for Adams County |
Hancock County Senior and Childcare Services | Striving to Meet the Childcare Needs of Hancock County | Hancock County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds, G. Arthur (Art) Keller, Jr. Fund |
Hannibal Arts Council | Hannibal Arts Council Operating Support Grant | Community Endowment Funds |
Heartland Resources, Inc. | General Support for Heartland Resources | Lewis County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds |
Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County | Lighting Upgrade for Visitors Center Collection Storage Area | Funds for Adams County, The Quincy Foundation Fund, Community Endowment Funds |
Horizons Social Services of Adams County, Inc. | KidzPacks 2024-2025 Fruit Initiative | Ralph Oakley Family Fund |
Impact Global Inc | General support for Impact Global | Ralph Oakley Family Fund |
Jensen Camp Foundation | Superior Sleep for Summer Stays | Community Endowment Funds |
Jim’s Journey: the Huck Finn Freedom Center/F.A.C.T. | General Support Museum artifact/documents Replacement | Community Endowment Funds |
Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis | General Support of Junior Achievement | Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund |
Kairo’s Hope | General support of residential program for survivors of sexual trauma | Sarah Christine Birsic Memorial Fund |
Lewis County Food Pantry INC | Ending Hunger 2024 | Lewis County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds |
Lewis County Health Department | Enhancing Preventative Health Screenings in Lewis County, MO | Lewis County Endowment Fund, Ralph Oakley Family Fund |
Memorial Hospital | Expanding and Enhancing Emergency Preparedness in Hancock County | Community Endowment Funds, The Wood Endowment |
Muddy River Opera Company | Premiere Program-Providing the Community with Opera Experience | The Quincy Foundation Fund |
NECAC – North East Community Action Corporation | Empower Successful Students | Community Endowment Funds |
NorthEast Independent Living Services | Durable Medical Equipment | Community Endowment Funds, Marion County Endowment Fund |
Northeast Missouri Humane Society | General Support of the Northeast Missouri Humane Society | Community Endowment Funds |
OATS Inc. | Enhance transit experience for North East Missouri communities | Community Endowment Funds |
Palmyra Christian Academy | Playground Construction for Palmyra Christian Academy | HOMEBANK Fund |
Pike County Government / Pike County Liaison Committee | Support for the Pike County Animal Shelter TNR Program (Trap-Neuter-Return) | Community Endowment Funds, Pike County Endowment Fund |
Pike County Senior Citizen’s Council | General Support of the Pike County Senior Citizens Center | Pike County Endowment Fund |
Pike County Unmet Needs | Provide individuals in the Pike County, IL assistance with basic needs and services | Community Endowment Funds, Pike County Endowment Fund |
Pleasant Hill Senior Citizens Council | General Support of the Pleasant Hill Senior Center | Pike County Endowment Fund |
QUEST Stables-Quincy Equestrian Services and Therapy NFP | Scholarships for Equine Therapy Sessions for Area Special Needs Students | The Zechariah Fund |
Quincy Art Center | Quincy Art Center Starting with Art Initiative FY25 | The Quincy Foundation Fund, Funds for Adams County, Community Endowment Funds |
Quincy Catholic Charities | Mobile Food Pantry 2024 | Community Endowment Funds |
Quincy Children’s Museum | Museums for All | Funds for Adams County, Joe & Denette Kuhlman Family Fund |
Quincy Children’s Museum | Ready. Set. GROW. | Funds for Adams County, Community Endowment Funds |
Quincy Community Theatre | General support of Quincy Community Theatre | Katherine Broemmel Endowment for the Arts |
Quincy Concert Band | General support of Quincy Concert Band | Katherine Broemmel Endowment for the Arts, Funds for Adams County |
Quincy Humane Society | Pet Food and Supplies Pantry Program 2024 | Funds for Adams County |
Quincy Museum, Inc. | Quincy Museum Education Revitalization Project | Funds for Adams County, The Quincy Foundation Fund, Community Endowment Funds |
Quincy Public Library | Quincy Public Library Big Read 2024 | Funds for Adams County |
Quincy Public Schools Foundation | General Support of Quincy Public Schools Foundation | Funds for Adams County |
Quincy Society of Fine Arts | Instant Arts Classrooms + Full School Arts Field Trips | Irwin Family Fund, Funds for Adams County, Community Endowment Funds |
Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association | Four Quincy Community Symphany Youth Program | Jayne & Leroy Boeckelman Fund for Young Musicians, Dr. Robert & Shirley Murphy Endowment for Music Education, Cory Didriksen Lovelace Fund, Funds for Adams County |
Quincy University | LiveU Solo Pro Equipment | T. C. & Mary S. Oakley Descendants Fund |
Ralls County Health Department | Portable Vital Signs Monitors Ralls County Health Department | Community Endowment Funds |
Salvation Army of Quincy | Emergency Shelter Bedding | Ralph Oakley Family Fund |
Salvation Army of Quincy | Food Boxes for Veterans | Diane Nielsen Gossard Memorial Fund |
Salvation Army of Quincy | Furniture & Toys for Child Watch | Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund |
Special Olympics Illinois – Region H | General Support of Special Olympics IL Region H | Quincy Recycle Fund, James L. & Dorothy W. Rouner Fund, Community Endowment Funds |
St. Dominic School | Hands On Arts Experiences | Funds for Adams County |
Teresa Adams House | General Operating Funds | Funds for Adams County, Community Endowment Funds |
The Child Advocacy Center of Northeast Missouri, Inc. | Program Expansion – Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Education | Community Endowment Funds |
The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri | Lewis County Mobile Food Pantry | Lewis County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds |
The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri | Food Aid for Children in Monroe County, Missouri | Community Endowment Funds |
The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri | Food Aid for Shelby County, MO | Shelby County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds |
The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri | Supporting Veterans in Knox County, MO | Community Endowment Funds |
The Heritage Seekers, Inc. | High School Student Volunteer Awards | Palmyra Chamber of Commerce Prosperity Fund |
The Legacy Theater Foundation Inc | General Support for Legacy Theater | Community Endowment Funds |
Transitions of Western Illinois | Opportunities for Adults Who Have an Intellectual/Developmental Disability | Funds for Adams County |
Two Rivers Regional Council of Public Officials | SNAP to Success Matching Vocational Training Funds | Pike County Endowment Fund |
United Way of the Great River Region | Emergency Food Kit Program | Hancock County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds |
University of Illinois Extension | Youth Leadership Academy | Funds for Adams County, Community Endowment Funds |
Versailles Growth Committee | Versailles Park Ballfield | Community Endowment Funds |
Versailles Township | Versailles Community Building Ceiling | Brown County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds |
West Central Child Care Connection | Born Learning Project | Funds for Adams County, Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund |
West Central Illinois Agency on Aging | Sound System for the Quincy Senior Center Programs/Events | Funds for Adams County |
Western Illinois University Foundation | Autism Center of Excellence, Program Support | Jane’s Kids’ Fund, Community Endowment Funds |
YMCA of West Central Illinois – Quincy Family YMCA | Capital Planning Study | Funds for Adams County |
YWCA of Quincy | YWCA Quincy Permanent Supportive Housing | Ralph Oakley Family Fund, Funds for Adams County, City of Refuge Fund |
County Fund Councils will present grants from County Endowment Funds. Participating counties are Brown, Hancock, and Pike in Illinois and Lewis, Marion, Monroe, and Shelby in Missouri. Fund councils from each county reviewed applications from local, eligible organizations and made recommendations on grants to be awarded to best serve each county’s needs and opportunities. Grants from the remaining County Endowment Funds will be presented at County Endowment awards presentations in each county.
The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri builds permanent charitable funds to assist area nonprofits and communities. It has made grants since 1997 totaling more than $15 million in the 12-county service area of Adams, Brown, Hancock and Pike in Illinois and Clark, Lewis, Marion, Ralls, Pike, Knox, Shelby and Monroe in Missouri.
The Community Foundation has IRS 501(c)(3) status. Contributions made to the Community Foundation generally qualify for the maximum allowable deductions for income and estate tax purposes.
For more information, call 217-222-1237, email info@mycommunityfoundation.org or go to mycommunityfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/mycommunityfoundation.
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