Tama County Community Foundation 2025 grant awardees pictured on April 10 in Toledo. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

TOLEDO – The Tama County Community Foundation (TCCF) held its 2025 grant awards celebration at the Wieting Theatre in Toledo on April 10, announcing the distribution of $181,754.01 to 33 projects of organizations serving Tama County through its 2025 grant cycle.

Grant recipient, organization, project the grant will fund, and grant amount is listed below by funding area.

Program Area: Arts & Culture

City of Traer, Traer Theatre, Equipment Upgrades, $2,090.49

Dysart Historical Society, Historical Museum Ceiling Repair, $1,200

Tama County Historical Society, Historical Newspaper Preservation & Digitization, $5,000

Tama County ISU Extension & Outreach Office, Gardening With Seniors III, $1,544.56

Wieting Opera Housing Company, Equipment Update, $3,800

Program Area: Community Betterment

American Legion Post 142, Tama County Government Day, $2,000

Amvets Post 10 Lincoln, Main Front Entrance, $6,300

City of Chelsea, Administration, Chelsea Park Project, $10,000

City of Chelsea, Library, Computers, Printer, and Integrated Library System, $6,773.94

City of Clutier, Emergency Vehicle Fueling Station, $8,226.23

City of Dysart, Pickleball Court Sport Surface and Fencing, $10,000

City of Garwin, Library, Equipment Upgrades, $1,044.48

City of Gladbrook, Fire Department, Fire Hose Tester, $2,000

City of Gladbrook, Library, Carpet Replacement, $5,000

Gladbrook American Legion Auxiliary, AED, $1,579

Legion Post 453, Exterior Siding, $17,000.00

Tama Fire Department Nonprofit Association, Gas Meters, Docking Station, and Calibration Unit, $5,900

Vining Volunteer Fire Department, Thermal Imaging Camera, $8,191

Program Area: Education & Youth Development

Al Exito, Al Éxito Tama: Student Success Tama, $4,350

Better Tomorrows Early Childhood Iowa, Quality Early Childhood Environments & Early Literacy, $5,000

Crayon Corner Learning Center, The Clean Project, $1,976

Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, Girl Scout Leadership Program in Tama County, $2,500

Pied Piper Preschool and Child Care, Infant/Toddler Safe Outdoor Play Area, $10,000

Tama County Daycare dba Kids’ Corner, Kids’ Corner Preschool Program, $8,000

Program Area: Environment & Animal Welfare

Tama County 4-H, Wildlife Education, $2,901.68

Tama County Humane Society, Website Building/PetPoint Software Subscription, $7,491.50

Program Area: Health

City of Tama, Ambulance, EKG and Defibrillating Monitoring System, $11,885.86

Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging, Inc., NEI3A Tama County Meal Program FY26, $2,500

Program Area: Human Service

Central Iowa Residential Services, Inc., Tama Opportunity Center & Tama County Consumer Needs, $2,500

Lutheran Services in Iowa, Healthy Families America (HFA) in Tama County, $3,000

Mid-Iowa Community Action, Inc., MICA Dental Vouchers for Kids, $5,000

Northeast Iowa Food Bank, Feeding Communities, $7,500

Traer United Presbyterian Church, Christian Hands Across Traer, $9,500

Decisions on grant awards are determined by a local committee, which consists of volunteers from Tama County. Committee members include Sara Forrester (Chair), Lori Baier, Dixie Forcht, Melanie Kemper, Maurice McWhirter, Tara Mennenga, Michelle Podhajsky, and Stacey Zeman. TCCF funds established by generous donors contributing to the discretionary grant process include the STC United Endowment Fund, Pauline Kober Traer Endowment Fund, and the Renew Clutier Fund.

Grants are awarded through TCCF’s competitive grant process to projects in the program areas of arts and culture, community betterment, education and youth development, environment and animal welfare, health and human service. Grant applicants must be a 501(c)(3) designated organization or government entity serving Tama County in order to be considered for funding. The 2026 grant cycle opens Nov. 15, 2025, with an application deadline of Jan. 15, 2026. The grant guidelines and application can be found at www.tamaccf.org.