FORT ATKINSON – The Fort Atkinson Community Foundation announced today that 15 local nonprofit organizations will be receiving grants from its COVID-19 Relief Fund. In total, $120,000 is being awarded to the following organizations:
- Badgerland After School Enrichment (BASE) Club – $20,000
- City of Fort Atkinson- $45,000
- Dave Gallup Foundation – $5,000
- Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce – $10,000
- Fort Atkinson Community Theatre – $1,500
- Fort Atkinson Youth Soccer Association – $1,500
- Fort Youth Baseball – $2,500
- Glacier’s Edge Council/Boy Scouts – $3,500
- Humane Society of Jefferson County – $3,000
- Kiwanis Club of Fort Atkinson – $2,000
- New Beginnings APFV – $4,000
- Parents Cooperative Preschool – $3,000
- Rock River Community Clinic – $9,000
- Rock River Heritage – $3,000
- Vincent de Paul-Fort Atkinson – $7,000
The Foundation opened its Covid-19 Relief Fund on March 18th and offered to match all gifts up to $60,000. The intention was to provide a vehicle by which individuals and organizations could help the local nonprofit community weather the pandemic crisis. Many nonprofits have faced unexpected expenses as they worked to keep everyone safe while also suffering from a decrease in revenue due to the inability to fundraise or collect program fees.
Over the past three months, donors stepped forward to contribute $59,780 to the Fund. The Foundation matched all gifts and added a little more to bring the Fund to $120,000.
“We are so grateful to all the people, businesses and organizations who contributed to this extraordinary fund,” said Scott Housley, the Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. “The fact that we are able to award all these grants is thanks to them.”
Local nonprofits were given the opportunity to submit a grant application outlining their added expenses and lost revenue due to the pandemic. The Foundation’s Board of Directors reviewed and evaluated each application before deciding on an overall distribution of the funds available.
Since the pandemic continues to affect the local nonprofit community, the Foundation’s Board also made the decision to keep the Covid-19 Relief Fund open and offer another match, this one up to $25,000, to encourage continuing donations. Every donation received will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, by the Community Foundation, up to $25,000.
Anyone who would like to support the ongoing effort can mail a donation to the Community Foundation at 244 North Main Street, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Checks should be made out to the Fort Atkinson Community Foundation with a note in the memo line that the gift is intended for the Covid-19 Relief Fund. Donations also can be made online at www.fortfoundation.org.
All donations to the Covid-19 Relief Fund are tax-deductible. They will be held in a designated account and will not be invested in the market. In addition to matching all donations, the Foundation will also cover all fees so 100% of all donations will go to support the nonprofit community.
For more information about the recent distributions or about the Covid-19 Relief Fund, contact the Foundation’s executive director, Sue Hartwick, at (920) 563-3210 or facf@fortfoundation.org.