Winnebago County Grants

The Winnebago County Community Foundation provides grants aimed at improving the quality of life in Winnebago County, Iowa. Focused on community betterment, education, health, and environmental initiatives, the foundation supports 501(c)(3) nonprofits and government entities. With a minimum grant request of $1,000, it prioritizes projects that address community needs and demonstrate sustainability. Organizations can only submit one application, ensuring a fair review process for all applicants.

The Winnebago County Community Foundation
The Winnebago County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, was formed with the intent to encourage endowment building for the long-term benefit of Winnebago County. The Community Foundation’s main goals are to support Winnebago County and to attract additional funds to assist donors in creating lasting legacies through a variety of giving options within Winnebago County.
What We Fund
The Winnebago County Community Foundation provides grants to improve life in Winnebago County, Iowa. Areas of Foundation giving are:

• Art & cultureCommunity bettermentEducationEnvironmentHealthHistoric preservationHuman service

Eligibility

Organizations must provide benefits to the people of the Winnebago County and must meet the following criteria in order to apply for a grant: Be classified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or be a government entity. Tax-exempt organizations classified as other than 501(c)(3) are also eligible if and only if the project is deemed charitable; please contact our office to discuss the project’s eligibility prior to submitting a proposal. Be current with all state and federal reporting requirements, such as filing of 990 forms. Must not have any past due grant reports for previous WCCF grants. For groups, projects, or initiatives that do not meet the above eligibility requirements, the Community Foundation will consider your requests if submitted through a fiscal sponsor.One application per organization (exceptions may be made for government entities or Fiscal Sponsor organizations).Fiscal sponsors may submit only one application per sponsored organization and government entities may submit only one application per department. Schools are considered government entities for grant purposes.Minimum grant request is $1,000.Church projects that are for community-wide programs located in churches (such as food pantries, nonreligious based daycares, senior citizen meals, etc.) may be considered for funding.

Ineligibility

In addition to the eligibility requirements, the following restrictions apply:Inherently religious activities such as religious worship, instruction, or proselytization or activities that promote specific religious doctrine are not eligible. As a general practice, the WCCF does not fund salaries or other general operating expense.Late, incomplete, or hard copy applications will not be considered. Incomplete applications are those that are in DRAFT mode at the time of the application deadline.