Willmar, Minn. – The Willmar Area Community Foundation (WACF) announced today the twelve organizations that will be receiving funding through their annual Community Impact Grant Round. The total amount invested into these community projects and program will be $198,300. The Community Impact Grant Round funds programs that focus on three different areas: addressing the opportunity gap for youth, increasing community connections and welcoming diverse populations, and supporting productive aging. Programs that received funding include:
- $20,000 to Advocacy and Inclusion Matter to increase capacity of serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, refreshing their marketing materials and utilizing software for program administration;
- $20,000 to the City of Willmar to continue the Multi-Lingual Journalism program addressing the language barrier issues for residents in the City of Willmar;
- $20,000 to United Way of West Central Minnesota to create a community-wide volunteer platform to connect volunteers with opportunities to serve;
- $20,000 to Mid-Minnesota Development Commission to fund a Fare Free Rides pilot project to increase ridership on public transportation in Willmar;
- $20,000 to Willmar School District to support the Child Guide Program which provides mentorship, service opportunities and resources for students in K-5th grade;
- $15,000 for Miles4Mentors to support marketing and general operations for their youth enrichment and wellness initiatives;
- $15,000 to the Village Children’s Museum for operations and continued program growth through multicultural educational events and collaborative programming;
- $15,000 to Lake Lillian Civic and Commerce Association to support the site preparation and construction of the Centennial Square Park;
- $15,000 to Lake Park Schools/Prairie Lakes Education Center to improve enrichment & wellness activities for the youth served by purchasing and installing basketball hoops;
- $12,000 to Goodwill Easter Seals for their School to Work Transition Program which provides in-class employment and career readiness training to students with complex barriers to work, independence and success in both school and in their future careers;
- $11,200 to Pioneerland Library System to support phase one of the creation of a Makerspace and Collaboration Lab which will provide opportunities for youth to further engage in STEM activities;
- $5,100 to City of Sunburg to purchase musical instruments and support programming through their Building Community Through Music initiative.
Sara Carlson, Executive Director of the Willmar Area Community Foundation stated, “These investments will impact our entire county as we strive to make them more vibrant and vital places to live, work and play. We believe that each of these programs plays a key role and we are honored to support their work.”
The Willmar Area Community Foundation (WACF) attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local Willmar area. Since 1998, WACF has grown to over $23.5 million in assets and awarded $12.4 million in grants to nonprofits. The WACF 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 over 1,000 funds totaling nearly $195 million. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org/Willmar.