Cedar Falls Community Foundation grants $211,000 to community projects
February 8, 2018
The Cedar Falls Community Foundation Board of Directors has granted funds totaling $211,000 to community projects.
Recreational Opportunities Enhanced
The Rownd Trust was established in 1967 under the Will of Ella C. Rownd and serves as a catalyst and change agent within the City of Cedar Falls by discovering and responding to significant capital needs and opportunities within the community. Since 1967 the Rownd Trust has granted over $880,000 to community projects. At the January 25 meeting of the Board of Directors of the Cedar Falls Community Foundation, grants from the Ella Rownd Trust were approved to the Cedar Falls Pickleball Club to assist in building eight public pickleball courts ($5,000), and to Beau’s Blessings: A Place to Play Inclusive Park ($10,000), for construction of a park where special needs children will have a safe and inclusive place to play. Both projects are grassroots community projects being built in partnership with the City of Cedar Falls Parks and Recreation Division, and will provide recreational space for the community for decades to come.
Community groups and individuals with visionary or passion projects are welcome to work through the Foundation to establish giving opportunities and long-term support for their project. Contact the Cedar Falls Community Foundation at CFCF@CFU.net or 319-243-9170.
Health, Education, Youth Services Supported
The Bunger Family Foundation Fund is a donor-advised fund established to honor the memory of Kathy Bunger, a life-long Cedar Falls-Waterloo resident who, while battling breast cancer, made it her mission to help others in the midst of the same battle. The Bunger Family Foundation recommended grants to support health, education, and youth services. The Board approved grants to the Beyond Pink Team ($5,000) to support their mission of providing financial assistance to individuals who are going through breast cancer treatment; Boys and Girls Club of the Cedar Valley ($5,000) to assist with their capital campaign to build a new teen center; and Waterloo School Foundation ($5,000) to build the endowed Bunger Family Fund which will provide grants to Waterloo area students in their educational journey.
Donor advised funds allow donors to consolidate their charitable giving into one invested fund. Donors receive a tax deduction for contributions to the fund. Once the fund is established, donors may recommend grants be made to any 501(c)(3) public charity. Grants are made from the fund with the approval of the Community Foundation Board in the name of the fund and the donor receives recognition for the gift. Funds may be named in honor of an individual, family, organization, or business. If you are interested in establishing a Donor Advised Fund, contact the Cedar Falls Community Foundation at CFCF@CFU.net or 319-243-9170.
Public Library Programming
For over 100 years, Cedar Falls residents have been passionate about their library. Several funds have been established to support the library, among them the Robert & Shirley Berg Fund for the Cedar Falls Public Library, the Kathryn Ray Fund for the Cedar Falls Public Library, and the Cedar Falls Public Library Building Endowment. At the January Foundation Board meeting, $181,000 was granted from these three funds to support the Library in 2018.
Grant funds will be used for 2018 programming including the summer library program, children’s book festival, LitCon 2018, and Murder Mystery 2018. Grant funds will support the construction of the Co-Lab Makers Space, purchase of new library furniture and service desk, and purchase of e-materials for the collection.
Erin Thompson, Co-lab Committee Chair for the Cedar Falls Public Library, said “On Monday, January 8, 2018, Cedar Falls Public Library’s Co-Lab Committee officially began the building plan process with the assistance from the City of Cedar Falls. This meeting was made possible by the securing of funds, a large portion of which was contributed by the Cedar Falls Community Foundation. We are extremely grateful for these funds. The Cedar Falls Public Library Co-Lab (Collaborative Laboratory) will provide our community with opportunities for creativity and innovation through access to tools, machinery, software, and space for teaching and learning. We are so pleased to move forward with this project.”
The Cedar Falls Community Foundation inspires individuals, families and organizations to enhance the community through philanthropic means. Donors are the foundation, making everything possible.
The Cedar Falls Community Foundation will honor donors at their September Community Builder Celebration, during which the philanthropic spirit will also be celebrated with the Melendy Spirit award. Nominations are now being accepted. The Melendy Spirit Award is open to individuals, families, groups, or organizations who, as Cedar Falls residents have made outstanding community contributions that have enhanced, improved, or positively affected the overall quality of life in Cedar Falls, through philanthropic or other means. Nominations may be made for honorees both living and deceased. Nominations and supporting materials for the Melendy Spirit Award are due April 20, 2018. Nominations may be submitted electronically to cfcf@cfu.net or mailed to PO Box 546, Cedar Falls, IA 50613. More information is available here:
https://www.cf-communityfoundation.org/peter-melendy-award/#make-nomination.
Applications to the Rownd Trust and the Diamond Community Enhancement Fund will next be accepted in June 2019. For more information, contact Cynthia Sweet, Executive Director, Cedar Falls Community Foundation at CFCF@cfu.net.
