BOONE, Iowa—The Boone County Endowment Fund has received a $135,202 state award for countywide grant making and endowment building.  The payment is a result of legislation passed in 2004 by the Iowa General Assembly.  Of the state award, $101,401 will be available for grant making in 2019 and $33,801 has been placed in a permanent endowment.

The legislation in 2004 was part of several incentives to promote the formation and development of county foundations in Iowa.  It provided that eight tenths of one percent of the gross receipts of gambling be distributed to non-gaming counties who established countywide community foundations.  There are 83 non-gambling counties in Iowa.

Again this year, the Boone County Endowment Fund will be receiving funds from Grow Greene County.  Grow Greene County has a partnership with the Wild Rose Casino in Jefferson and will be providing funds to surrounding counties for grant making.

The Boone County Endowment Fund has been working diligently to organize and prepare for the state funds and for other local gifts that will help advance charitable and philanthropic activity in Boone County.  Last year, 30 organizations were awarded nearly $139,000 in grants.

The Boone County Endowment is now pleased to announce that application and additional information for the 2019 grant making is available online at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/boone/news/community-foundation-grant or https://www.desmoinesfoundation.org/affiliates/boone-county

The deadline for the application is February 8, 2019. Individuals and nonprofit charitable organizations interested in making gifts and receiving grants from the foundation should contact: Boone County Endowment Fund, at 432-3882 or at rwrage@iastate.edu.