2017 Grant Recipients
The Gilchrist Foundation is proud to annually award grants to organizations whose projects align with our mission to promote wildlife and conservation, the arts and public broadcasting, and disaster relief.
The foundation, established by Jocelyn Gilchrist in December 1998, offers three different types of grants: endowment and capital campaign grants, project grants and micro-grants.
Here are some of the deserving recipients in 2017.
Dordt College, located in Sioux Center, Iowa, was awarded a micro-grant for Beginner Beekeeping classes. The classes will provide participants with a strong foundation in beekeeping in which to build and maintain their hives.
The Sheldon Public Library received a micro-grant for improvement and expansion of the facility, including providing updated books and learning areas. The library currently offers services and programs, like summer programs and book clubs, for multiple age groups, from one- and two-year-olds to adults. It also gives card holders the option to read web-based eBooks.
The Art Center received an endowment grant to build the Gilchrist Learning Center. When complete, the center will be a 11,400 square-foot building located at 220 Pierce Street. It will contain a classroom, four studios, a ceramics area and pin-up spaces for artwork. This addition will add classroom space and enable the Art Center to expand its educational programs.
Siouxland Civic Dance Association:
The Gilchrist Foundation helped Siouxland Civic Dance bring the Nutcracker Ballet to Siouxland. Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, about a girl and a nutcracker doll, is a timeless holiday tradition and a much-anticipated event.
The South Dakota city was awarded monies by the Gilchrist Foundation to help fund its walk/bike path, which stretches from the Big Sioux River bridge on Military Road to Adam’s Homestead and Nature Preserve at McCook Lake.
The Gilchrist Foundation awarded Downtown Partners a grant to commission the painting of two murals, one at 501 Douglas and other on Historic Fourth Street, as part of the Sioux City Mural Project. This goal of this project is to promote art in the city by installing murals on building facades.
Le Mars Area Betterment Foundation:
The Le Mars Area Betterment Foundation received a grant to support an addition to the Le Mars Postal Playhouse. The playhouse is used by the Le Mars Community Theatre for the performing arts and productions are held there throughout the year. The 600-square-foot addition is located on the north face of the building. It adds much-needed space for behind the stage activities and gives superior interior access to the basement, where all the props and costumes are stored.
The Gilchrist Foundation awarded a grant to Orange City Arts, which allowed the organization to bring the program, “All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914,” to the community. The holiday-themed program is a telling of Christmas Day on the Western Front when, for one night, both sides of the battle enjoyed a night of camaraderie, music and peace.
The Gilchrist Foundation helped the Siouxland Christian School complete a fundraising challenge to benefit its fine arts programs. The programs will offer students visual arts curricular offerings and expand software and equipment needed for photography, graphic design publishing and other visual art forms and more.