News & Events

The Tristate Graduate Center Scholarship fund was established in 2015 from the Tristate Graduate Center endowment fund upon the Center’s dissolution. The purpose of the scholarship program is to assist Siouxland area students that are enrolled in a Master of Social Work (MSW) program. Students enrolled in an accredited MSW program within 100 miles of Sioux City are eligible to apply annually for the scholarship.

University of South Dakota student Kaitlyn Rolschau, was selected to receive the $1,000 Tristate Graduate Center Scholarship.

The Siouxland Community Foundation, organized exclusively to benefit and serve the greater Siouxland tri-state area, administers a pool of endowed grant and scholarship funds that have been established by individuals, families, corporations, and other foundations for charitable and educational purposes.

The Karen A. Luken Memorial Scholarship was established in 2005 by the Greater Sioux City Press Club to provide assistance for college students pursuing a career in Mass Communication or Journalism.

This year, Baily Sitzmann, a student at Briar Cliff University, has been selected to receive the $1,000 Karen A. Luken Memorial Scholarship from the Greater Sioux City Press Club Scholarship Fund.

The Wakefield Community Foundation (WCF), an affiliate of the Siouxland Community Foundation, will be accepting grant applications till November 1. The purpose of the WCF grant program is to respond to present and emerging needs in Wakefield by making grants in the areas of arts and culture, community betterment, education, environment, health, and human services.

Applications are online at www.siouxlandcommunityfoundation.org and are due November 1, 2018. Grants up to $500 will be made only to nonprofit charitable organizations or units of local government that serve the Wakefield area and are qualified as exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. If the applicant is not a 501(c)(3), a Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement form must be completed and signed by the sponsoring 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The WCF Board will carefully review all submitted grant applications.  Priority consideration will be given to projects and programs that:

• have potential for long-term impact
• address an emerging need, or provide a creative solution to an existing community need or opportunity
• result in the greatest good for the greatest number of people
• directly involve volunteers in hands-on services supporting the project
• have secured additional funding from other sources

WCF will not consider grants for religious purposes, political activities, annual fund drives, endowment, budget deficit, general operating, or to individuals.

Questions may be directed to Laura (Barelman) Dendinger, WCF Board President, at (402) 369-0110 or Rebecca Krohn, Executive Director of the Siouxland Community Foundation at (712) 293-3303. If assistance is need with the online application contact the Siouxland Community Foundation.

Over 100 Siouxland area nonprofits signed up to connect with supporters for the first ever Siouxland Big Give, Tuesday, Oct. 9. The Big Give day was a one-day push for online donations for charitable causes. Online and in person donations for the Siouxland Big Give totaled $104,966.05 from 1538 contributions.

The day was a success, according to Renee Beaulieu, board president of the Siouxland Community Foundation.

“We are so excited to have raised over $100,000 for these nonprofits. Siouxland will benefit from these generous donors,” she said. “Great projects will move forward because of this event.”

Coming out on top of the leaderboard was Bishop Heelan High School with $14,714.96 which will go towards furnishing the new gym.

Supporting a dedicated day of giving says a lot about the heart of a community, said Janet Flanagan, director of special gifts for Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools. “We’re delighted that Heelan supporters brought in the largest total for the day and that caring area residents supported 100 other non-profits as well.”

“It was exciting to watch the numbers continually grow during our Big Give Day,” said Flanagan. “When we all support each other in the community great things can happen.”

Other organizations that topped the Big Give day included performing arts, animals and services for the needy.

The Siouxland Community Foundation spearheaded the Big Give day of giving blitz in honor of their 30^th anniversary in Siouxland. “We wanted to do something to give back to the community in honor of 30 years in Siouxland,” said Krohn. “It was a great awareness event to connect people who care with causes that matter.”

The Foundation office, located in the Frances Building in downtown Sioux City, accepts charitable gifts from individuals, families, private foundations and businesses who use the foundation to handle their charitable giving. It also annually awards scholarships and community grants.

The Siouxland Community Foundation is accepting grant applications from eligible teachers with funding provided by the Excellence in Education Endowment Fund. The deadline for submitting applications is November 1. K-5 teachers and instructional staff from public, private, and parochial schools within the school districts serving Sioux City, Iowa; South Sioux City, Nebraska; and North Sioux City, South Dakota are eligible to apply.

A major day of giving – the first annual Siouxland Big Give – will encourage area residents to support their favorite area charities Tuesday, Oct. 9 and make a difference in their Iowa communities. Donors will be asked to make contributions online Oct. 9, 12 a.m. to 12 midnight to nonprofits of their choosing listed at SiouxlandBigGive.org.

Big Give Day is held to increase public awareness of local nonprofit organizations and inspire donors to support the causes they value. The minimum donation amount is $10.

The day, inspired by others in the country, is a major initiative sponsored by the Siouxland Community Foundation. The Foundation invited participation from non-profits in its service area of Woodbury, Monona, Ida, Sioux, O’Brien and Lyon counties in Iowa, Dakota and Thurston counties in Nebraska and Union County in South Dakota. At least 50 non-profits have signed up to appear on the website and promote their needs and goals.

While the Big Give day is geared to support 50 non-profits that are 501(c)(3) public charities, it can expand if needed, according to Rebecca Krohn, Foundation executive director.

“We want to match area supporters’ passions and generosity with local nonprofit organizations already doing great work,” Krohn says. “We expect non-profits to highlight stories about the impact they make on people’s lives which will motivate new donors to give. We’re nervous but excited. A day of charitable giving can raise new money from people who love and care about the communities where they live.”

The Siouxland Community Foundation, located in the Frances Building in downtown Sioux City, celebrates its 30 year anniversary this year. It accepts charitable gifts from individuals, families, private foundations and businesses who use the Foundation to handle their charitable giving. It also annually awards scholarships and community grants. In 2017, the Foundation awarded $1.88 million in grants to 455 Siouxland organizations to meet community needs and nearly half a million in college scholarships to 227 high school seniors.

“Our community foundation connects people who care with causes that matter,” Krohn says. “Our 30^th anniversary is a perfect time to take a leap forward to make an even stronger impact in Siouxland.”

Siouxland Big Give! is an online giving platform organized by the Siouxland Community Foundation to grow philanthropy in Siouxland and celebrate non-profits. Our First Annual Siouxland Big Give giving day will take place on Tuesday, October 9th, 2018. The goal of this community-wide giving event is to match Siouxland area supporters’ passions and generosity with local nonprofit organizations already doing great work. Through the combined participation of all people who love and care about the Siouxland area, we can significantly impact the future of our beloved community.

The minimum donation is $10 and there is no maximum. Prizes and challenge funds amplify charitable donations to make each dollar go further.

All donations will be processed through this website, www.siouxlandbiggive.org

Mark your calendars, and spread the word about Siouxland Big Give!

Pull box: The Siouxland Community Foundation is a trusted organization that connects people who care with causes that matter by providing a means to receive gifts and distribute grants in response to community needs. 

NONPROFIT RESOURCES 2018

(Hawarden, Iowa) – The Hawarden Community Foundation (HCF), an affiliate of the Siouxland Community Foundation, recently awarded grants totaling over $77,000; bringing total community support to more than $871,000 dollars to date since its inception in 1994.

“The Hawarden Community Foundation has demonstrated that Charles Horton had a great idea in planting the first seeds of giving to start a local foundation for the benefit of our community now and for generations to come,” said Ric Porter, HCF Advisory Board Chair.  Charles Horton created a vehicle for current and former residents of Hawarden to give back to their community.  Since then, memorials and several other estate gifts have grown the endowment to over $1.5 million.  All gifts to the HCF are carefully invested and only the earnings from Hawarden’s endowment is used to make grants to public charities that best meet local community needs.

The 2018 grants have been awarded to:

The mission of the HCF, an affiliate of the Siouxland Community Foundation, is to enhance the quality of life, promote unity, and develop community pride now and in the future by partnering with the Hawarden community to identify and prioritize community needs, attract and distribute funds, support volunteerism, and challenge personal involvement and commitment.

Visit www.siouxlandcommunityfoundation.org/hawarden-community-foundation/ to learn more about the Hawarden Community Foundation.

The O’Brien County Community Foundation (OBCCF), an affiliate of the Siouxland Community Foundation, awarded 23 grants on June 14^th, 2018 at the O’Brien County Courthouse totaling over $101,000 to nonprofit organizations and units of local government in support of projects throughout O’Brien County.  Since the first grants were made in 2006, 320 grants totaling over $1.13 million have been awarded.

“Every year the Community Foundation is excited to award grants that will impact O’Brien County,” says Wendy Ewoldt, Advisory Chair. “These grants improve our communities in so many ways and simply make O’Brien County a better place for all ages.”

The following grants were awarded by the O’Brien County Community Foundation:

The OBCCF was formally established in 2005 through affiliation with the Siouxland Community Foundation and is governed by a local advisory board composed of representatives from each of the communities in O’Brien County:  Archer, Calumet, Hartley, Paullina, Primghar, Sanborn, Sheldon, and Sutherland; as well as one county-at-large member.

The mission of the O’Brien County Community Foundation is to enhance the quality of life in the communities served by encouraging permanent charitable giving to meet the needs of present and future generations.