The Gilchrist Foundation Awards For 2020
This year 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 our newest recipients for 2020.
Dordt University was awarded a micro-grant of $5,000 for its Beginner Beekeeping class. Dordt University, located in Sioux Center, Iowa, offered the beekeeping class to give students an introduction to apiculture, which is the keeping of bees on a large scale.
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation was awarded a $5,000 micro-grant for the North American Prairie Conference. The 2020 conference was postponed due to COVID-19 and the 2021 event will be held in Des Moines, Iowa in July. The INHF mission is to save Iowa’s wild places.
The Little Red Hen Theatre, located in Wakefield, Neb., received a micro-grant for $4,000 to replace its outdated sound system. The Little Red Hen theatre provides quality arts experiences for Northeast Nebraska through participation in live theatrical productions, educational opportunities and other cultural and community offerings.
Iowa Public Television Foundation received $20,000 to create programing and educate viewers about COVID-19. Iowa Public Television facilitated the broadcast of Governor Kim Reynolds’ nearly daily updates about how the pandemic is affecting the state. The daily briefings were available on the Iowa PBS website.
The City of Glidden was awarded a micro-grant of $2,800 for park upgrades including replacing railroad ties. Glidden, Iowa is located in Carroll County and has three parks including City Park and Northland Park.
Sunrise Retirement Community, located in Sioux City, was awarded $2,462.71 to purchase instruments for the percussion band. The retirement community offers a variety of independent living options on its 35-acre campus.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland was given a $5,000 micro-grant to provide children within the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland an opportunity to attend or be involved in the arts. Big Brothers Big Sisters has been helping children in the Siouxland community since 1978 by creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Siouxland received a project grant of $24,500 to renovate its art room. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Siouxland provide after school programs and activities, summer programs, snacks and meals, a safe place to learn and grow, ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals and life-enhancing programs and character development experiences.
Iowa Public Television Foundation was awarded a $45,000 project grant to provide virtual field trips and fund the NATURE, Naturally! program. NATURE, television's longest-running weekly natural history series, has won more than 200 honors from the television industry, parent groups, the international wildlife film community and environmental organizations, including the only award ever given to a television program by the Sierra Club.
MercyOne Siouxland Foundation received a $75,000 project grant for the COVID-19 relief fund. The MercyOne Siouxland Foundation established the COVID-19 Response Fund for the community to directly impact patient care. 100% of these funds will be used to support critical areas such as providing resiliency training and resources for physicians, nurses and hospital staff, providing education and providing patient financial assistance.
Ponca Community Education Foundation was awarded a project grant for $14,000 to help fund the west gym multimedia projection project. The mission of the Ponca Community Educational Foundation, Inc. is to devote itself exclusively to the improvement and promotion of educational programs within the Ponca Public School District.
Siouxland Chamber Foundation received a $30,000 project grant for the West 7th Street Corridor Public Art Project. The money will go towards the development of murals and art pieces placed on West 7th Street between Hamilton Boulevard and Wesley Parkway.
Wildlife Ecology Institute received a micro-grant for $4,800 to help assess the gray fox population declines in Indiana. Gray foxes are a valuable and understudied furbearer not only in Indiana but generally across its entire range. The comprehensive study will directly assess the causes of declining populations of gray foxes, and provide recommendations for the management of this species that can be applied in Indiana, but also other Midwest states.
These are just some of the many grants the Gilchrist Foundation awarded in 2020. You can see the full list of awards recipients on our Awards page.
The Gilchrist Foundation was established by Jocelyn Gilchrist in December 1998 to honor her family and further their interests. After Jocelyn’s death, the Foundation continued in her memory and is proud to support the philanthropic interests of the Gilchrist family. Organizations designed to aid in disaster recovery are encouraged to apply for funding through the Gilchrist Foundation. Learn more about our grant applications.