Over $110 thousand in grants awarded Tuesday night by the Enhance Hamilton County Foundation to various projects.

The Enhance Hamilton County Foundation granted out more than $110,628.26 to ten Hamilton County organizations last night at their 2022 Annual Grant Awards ceremony. The event was held at the First State Bank in Webster City.
The Foundation’s Director, Darcy Swon, shared with those in attendance that, over the last five years, the Foundation has tripled their managed fund assets to $5.2 million, granted over $3.4 million in grants from their managed funds, and facilitated more than 1,200 charitable gifts totaling $6.3 million. Swon went on to share that they ended last year with a total of 41 managed funds (up 20.5% from 2020) and grew their assets under management by 33.3% from 2020.
“Since 2015, over 60 charitable organizations have been supported by Enhance Hamilton County Foundation funds,” said Swon, “and more than $106,272 has been raised to support local food pantries through challenges sponsored by the Foundation over the past eight years,” said Swon.
The Youth in Philanthropy program was spotlighted during the ceremony. This committee is comprised of students from South Hamilton High School and Webster City High School and they are responsible for awarding 10% of the total funds granted each year providing a youth perspective. Tiffany Larson, BEE Inspired CAPP program chair, introduced the 2022 committee members from South Hamilton High School and Webster City High School: Carly Appel (WC Junior); Shelby Brim (WC Junior); Austin Busch (SH Senior); Katie Casady (WC Senior); Casey Ewing (SH Senior); Aiden Feltz (WC Junior); Amanda Ostrem (SH Junior); Allison Oswald (WC Senior); and Livia Taylor (WC Senior).
Members receive a $250 scholarship for each year they participate for a maximum of $500.
The main 2022 grant review committee consisted of Trudy Anderson, Travis Barrick, Janet Lindseth, Leah Maass, Erin Majewski, Emily Pruismann, Dale Sigmund, Kyle Swon, and Sara Trueblood.
The EHCF awarded the following organizations with 2022 annual grants:
Sunset Heights Elementary Playground Committee – $23,521.42 for playground replacement
Riverview Early Childhood Center – $12,146.84 – playground safety
Stratford Fire & Rescue – $10,000 – new ambulance
City of Webster City – $5,000 – Wilson Brewer Courthouse Rehabilitation
Athens Woods Estate – $3,860 – security update
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office – $3,500 – unmanned aircraft drone
Upper Des Moines Opportunity – $1,500 -Coats for Kids
Liberty Township Board of Trustees – $600 – Coalhouse Restoration
Hamilton County Crimestoppers – $500 – most wanted poster insert
One final award was announced in the form of a challenge grant to the Career Ag Academy. The challenge grant was put into place prior to COVID and the terms included that for every $2 raised by the Career Ag Academy, the Foundation would grant them $1 up to $50,000 maximum.
For more information on the EHCF annual grant program, visit their website at enhancehamiltoncounty.org or contact Swon at 515-835-0437 or via email at dswon@enhancehamiltoncounty.org.