How the Gilchrist Foundation is making a Difference around Siouxland
Every year the Gilchrist Foundation awards thousands of dollars to dozens of deserving nonprofit organizations with missions that align with ours. In 2019, we gave nearly $2 million to support projects in the areas of wildlife and conservation, arts and public broadcasting and disaster relief. Some of those projects are ongoing and grants from the Gilchrist Foundation help jumpstart the needed funding.
Sioux County Nature Center
In 2018, the Gilchrist Foundation awarded Sioux County Conservation Foundation a $75,000 project grant to help build the Prairie Woods Nature Center. Located on the county’s western edge in Oak Grove Park in Hawarden, Iowa, the $4.8 million project features a two-story, 12,000-square-foot facility that will be used for school field trips, summer camps, nursing home visits, civic groups and families.
In 2019, the Foundation pledged another $50,000 to build the center’s educational exhibits. These interactive exhibits provide information on different local habitats including wetland, prairie, forest, as well as covering Sioux County’s geology and settlement history. The nature center is also home to the Sioux County Conservation Environmental Education animals, environmental education programming and Administration Offices.
The Prairie Woods Nature Center held its grand opening on January 11, 2020. The foundation believes childhood exposure to natural settings is associated with a greater interest in environmental stewardship and ultimately with pursuing professional careers and adult hobbies connected to nature and the environment. That’s why we’re proud to support projects like this.
The 625 Douglas Project
The 625 Douglas Project is a multi-million-dollar renovation project spearheaded by LAMB Arts LTD. The project will return the former Sioux City Auditorium to its original glory. The Gilchrist Foundation awarded the LAMB Arts LTD a Challenge Match of $250,000 to help make its vision a reality. In 2018, the foundation matched $157,160 and in 2019 matched $92, 840.
The LAMB Arts Regional Theatre plans to move into the theater at 625 Douglas which will feature a main floor with 200-plus Thrust theater with fly loft and easy handicap accessibility, a two-story atrium lobby with skylight, space for community rentals and meetings, concessions, and a 50-seat cabaret-style bar complete with a small stage and dressing rooms. The second floor will feature a 120-seat studio theater with flexible seating, education wing, costume shop, offices and storage.
As of spring 2020, the 625 Douglas Project is still ongoing but may be slowed by a couple of months due to COVID-19. LAMB Arts is still planning on opening productions in that historic building sometime in 2022.
Redevelopment of Chris Larsen Park
In 2019, the Gilchrist Foundation awarded the City of Sioux City Parks & Rec Department a $100,000 project grant for the redevelopment of Chris Larsen Park. The city is planning a three-phase development of the area, beginning in spring 2020 and completed in fall 2023. The $17.4 million project consists of adding new playgrounds, workout equipment, two dog parks, a yoga lawn, basketball courts, shelters, memorial garden, promenade and parking. The design is being done by SmithGroup, Inc., which has been working on the project since 2015. As of spring 2020, the first phase of the Chris Larsen Park Riverfront Development Project was finalized. Currently, the city is obtaining bids for roadway and parking lot demolition, site grading, concrete trail pavement construction, park shelter construction, electrical improvements and sewer, water, and storm utilities improvements.
The Gilchrist Foundation was established by Jocelyn Gilchrist of Sioux City to honor her family. Her father, William Gilchrist, was an influential part of the livestock industry in the early and mid-1900s. The wealth accumulated throughout his life is used to support the family’s special interests, including wildlife and conservation, the Arts and public broadcasting, and disaster relief. After Jocelyn’s death, the Foundation continued in her memory and is proud to support the philanthropic interests of the Gilchrist family. We’re proud to support organizations in the Siouxland community whose interests align with ours. Submit your Request For Invitation today.