Blaine County nonprofits encouraged to apply for grants before Dec. 2
By Eric Valentine
Time. Energy. And money. Those are perhaps the three most critical ingredients to the success of any venture. Ask any aspiring nonprofit which of those three they could use more of and it’s funding that always seems trickiest.
Well, a local women’s organization can’t do much about the first two items, but it certainly has been making a significant impact on that tricky one. The Wood River Women’s Foundation has, since 2005, distributed nearly $2.65 million to nonprofit organizations across Blaine County and nearly $268,000 over the last year alone. This week it launched its 2020 grant cycle, an application process that ends Dec. 2, 2019.
“We are particularly excited about this cycle,” said Terri Bullock, WRWF president. “There’s so much great work being done by local nonprofits; we have been honored to support their missions since 2005 and look forward to supporting them for years to come.”
The WRWF accepts grant applications in a variety of areas, including arts, education, environment, health and recreation, and social services, with grants awarded in amounts from $5,000 to $25,000. A partial list of last year’s recipients reads like a Valley Who’s Who of prominent charities:
- Blaine County Education Foundation ($35,000)—To increase awareness of local college scholarship opportunities by developing a scholarship database available to all Blaine County students, hosting a scholarship fair, and providing teacher grants, among other things.
- The Hunger Coalition Idaho ($35,000)—To help fund the Bloom Youth Project and provide for paid internships for 10 teens.
- Blaine County Recreation District ($35,000)—To support the restoration of the public Aquatic Center in Hailey.
- Hospice & Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley ($35,000)—To complete several repairs and improvements to their 1900s building.
- Idaho BaseCamp ($35,000)—To help fund a comprehensive after-school program for Bellevue and Alturas third-fifth grade students, by offering scholarships to students and compensation for a Lead Educator.
- The Advocates ($35,000)—To help provide furnishings and fixtures for their transitional housing service center and 12 new apartments.
The application process is intensive and open only to official 501(c)3 nonprofits. A detailed rundown of criteria is available on the organization’s website at woodriverwomensfoundation.org/eligibility-criteria. It is not open to efforts that are “religious or political in nature.”
By mid-February, the WRWF selection committee will be ready to conduct site visits to the nonprofits who have reached the finalists phase. In early March, those organizations get to present their project to the full WRWF membership. Applications will be voted on by WRWF members in April 2020 and the funds will be distributed in July 2020.