| St. Cloud, Minn. – The Central Minnesota Community Foundation (CMCF) announced today that $20,000 will be awarded to two local organizations from the recent grant round of the Central Minnesota Special Needs Fund. The Central Minnesota Special Needs Fund’s purpose is to support organizations that will serve those with complex intellectual and physical disabilities. This is the first year that this grant round has been open. The two organizations that received funding are WACOSA and Muscular Dystrophy Association. WACOSA will receive $16,000 to support programming that provides daily physical therapy to individuals with complex intellectual and physical disabilities. The Muscular Dystrophy Association will receive $4,000 which will support their summer camp program that is safe, inclusive and adaptive to all abilities including youth with neuromuscular disease. The Central Minnesota Special Needs Fund was established as a result of passionate community leaders serving on the Independence Center, Inc.’s board of directors at the time of the organizations dissolution. The Independence Center, Inc. (ICI) closed its doors in October 2018 after a long history of providing services to persons with significant cognitive and physical disabilities. With dollars remaining from ICI, a fund was established at the Central Minnesota Community Foundation to honor the constituents served by ICI. The Central Minnesota Special Needs Fund provides grants through a yearly, competitive process that will serve those with complex intellectual and physical disabilities through direct service or equipment that impacts individuals. Caryl Turnow, Executive Director of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation, stated, “The work of the Independence Center, Inc. was important to so many people in our community and we are grateful to continue providing support to local organizations that serve those in need.” The Central Minnesota Community Foundation (CMCF) attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local community. Since 1985, CMCF has grown to over $110.1 million in assets and awarded over $111.9 million in grants to non-profits. The CMCF is governed by a local board of directors and is a partner of CommunityGiving, which is a collaborative of community foundations united under a single framework to create efficiencies that maximize the impact of our donors. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers nearly 850 funds totaling more than $150 million. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org/CentralMN |
$20,000 Awarded to Local Programming through Central Minnesota Special Needs Fund
January 28, 2020
Posted in News Release