The Gilchrist Foundation’s Year-In-Review

2020 started off just like nearly every other year, people were excited to see what the first year of the new decade would bring. Then three months later the world was upended by the Coronavirus pandemic. While this disaster certainly affected how the Gilchrist Foundation doled out funding, it didn’t negate the existing needs of Siouxland communities. 

In 2020, the Gilchrist Foundation awarded nearly $1.3 million in grants to Siouxland nonprofits with ties to the arts and public broadcasting, wildlife and conservation and disaster relief. These nonprofits were invited to submit applications for the foundation’s endowment and capital campaign grants and project grants during the annual grant cycle of April to mid-July. The foundation also awards micro-grants of a maximum of $5,000 throughout the year.

Here are some of the results of the awards the Gilchrist Foundation gave out in 2020.

Supporting COVID-19 Efforts

Soon after the pandemic affected Siouxland, the Gilchrist Foundation donated $20,000 to the Salvation Army to help the area’s most vulnerable population with food and supplies. To help provide information about the pandemic, the Foundation gave $20,000 to Iowa Public Television which facilitated near-daily updates from Governor Kim Reynolds. The briefings were made available on the Iowa PBS website.

The Gilchrist Foundation also gave $100,000 to the Siouxland Recovery Fund. The Siouxland Recovery Fund’s purpose is to support local nonprofits responding to a disaster to help meet short, intermediate, and long-term needs for recovery in the Siouxland area. The fund was activated on March 19, 2020, to aid in recovery efforts for COVID-19. The United Way of Siouxland is the fiscal agent for the fund, which is led in collaboration with a board of directors comprised of 11 tri-state disaster & financial professionals.

The Foundation gave the MercyOne Siouxland Foundation $75,000 for its COVID-19 Response Funds. Those funds go directly to support critical areas like providing resiliency training and resources for physicians, nurses and hospital staff, providing education and providing patient financial assistance.

Supporting Disaster Relief

COVID-19 wasn’t the only disaster to affect the state this year. On August 10, 2020, destructive straight-line winds blew across central Iowa. The highest official wind gusts measured at 99 mph at the Marshalltown Airport. The storm, called a derecho, traveled 770 miles in 14 hours leaving thousands of structures destroyed and thousands without power. The Gilchrist Foundation donated $50,000 to the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation and $50,000 to the American Red Cross for Derecho Disaster Relief Fund to aid in the recovery.

Another $7,500 went to the American Red Cross to aid in recovery from the 2020 southern tornadoes and floods. 

Supporting the Arts

The Gilchrist Foundation’s founder, Jocelyn Gilchrist, loves the arts and film and was a supporter during her lifetime. Some of those awards were given to organizations to expand the arts digitally during staying home during the pandemic. The Art Center Association of Sioux City was given $50,000 to expand its online presence and virtual programming. The Sioux City Symphony Orchestra Association was awarded a $100,000 project grant for its Gilchrist Digital Concert Series.

Other arts-focused awards included awarding the Little Red Hen Theatre a micro-grant of $4,000 to replace the outdated sound system. The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra was given a $25,000 project grant for its Listen Now project. LAMB Arts Ltd. Was given $141,444 as part of the $250,000 challenge awarded in 2019 for the new LAMB Arts location. Flux Dance Company was given $25,000 and the Le Mars Arts Council was given $14,194 as part of its challenge match of $25,000 for renovations and improvements. 

Supporting Wildlife and Conservation

Parks, wildlife and conservation are also areas of philanthropic interest for the Gilchrist Foundation. In 2020, the Foundation awarded grants to many organizations dedicated to protecting wildlife and the surrounding prairies. Some include the Iowa National Heritage Foundation who received a $5,000 micro-grant for the North American Prairie Conference. Clara Latham Memorial Park Trust also received a $5,000 micro-grant for a new lawnmower. Golden Hills RC&D received a $15,000 project grant to help develop the Deep Loess Native Seed Bank. Dordt University was awarded a $5,000 micro-grant to help fund its beekeeping class. And the Wildlife Ecology Institute received a $4,800 micro-grant to assist the gray fox population declines in Indiana.

The 2021 grant review process opens in March. Organizations whose missions align with the interests of the Gilchrist Foundation may apply for a Request for Invitation.