Ida County Community Betterment Foundation

The Ida County Community Betterment Foundation was formally established in March, 2005 through affiliation with the Siouxland Community Foundation. The Ida County Community Betterment Foundation is governed by a local ten-member advisory board composed of representatives from each of the five communities in Ida County: Arthur, Battle Creek, Galva, Holstein, and Ida Grove. Technical assistance and staff support is provided by the Siouxland Community Foundation which currently works with eleven affiliate Foundations.

The Ida County Community Betterment Foundation is a tax-exempt charitable organization created for the long term benefit of the County. The mission of the Ida County Community Betterment Foundation is to promote philanthropy, serve as a vehicle to carry out the charitable objectives of donors, build endowments, identify needs, and make grants for the benefit of the citizens and communities of our county.

The Foundation serves as a vehicle to receive contributions from individuals, families, corporations, other foundations or organizations, and governmental agencies. Contributions are carefully invested and the income then used to make grants in support of present and emerging needs within the County in such areas as arts and culture, civic affairs, education, environment, health, and human services.

The State of Iowa recently undertook several initiatives to promote the formation and growth of county-wide community foundations. One effort is the County Endowment Fund legislation (HF2302) which provides that one-half of one percent of the state's gambling revenues will be distributed to each Iowa county that does not have a gambling entity. It is anticipated that each county's qualified community foundation will receive about $63,000 per year. One-fourth of the distribution must be used to build a permanent county endowment, with the remaining three-fourths immediately available for awarding grants to support needs throughout the county.

In 2006, the Ida County Community Betterment Foundation (ICCBF) awarded its first grants totaling $43,985 to seventeen nonprofit organizations in support of projects and programs throughout Ida County.

A total of 35 applications with a total request of $191,002 were received by the March 1 application deadline.

Grant awards have been instrumental in making projects in Ida County become a reality and have helped to enhance the quality of life. Examples include the expansion of a local library and the upgrading of computer equipment; construction of a 12' x 18' greenhouse to enhance an Outdoor Classroom at a local school; support for a "Strengthening Families Program" for 10-14 year old youth and their parents designed to prevent teen substance abuse and other at risk behaviors; restoration of a former country schoolhouse and Stagecoach Inn which is visited annually by 300-350 fourth grade students; support for the purchase of equipment to enhance the ability of ambulance and fire departments in the county to save lives.

We invite you to invest in the future of Ida County to enhance the quality of life for present and future generations. Questions regarding the Ida County Community Betterment Foundation may be directed to Rita Frahm at (712) 368-4316.

For more information on the Ida County Community Betterment Foundation please visit our website at: www.siouxlandcommunityfoundation.org/ida.aspx