116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Linn County awards $100K in economic, community development grant funding
The annual funds were split among 17 area organizations.
Aug. 25, 2025 5:30 am
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CEDAR RAPIDS — Seventeen area nonprofits have been selected to receive a combined $100,000 in funding for community and economic development projects across Linn County.
The Linn County Board of Supervisors last week unanimously approved the grant allocation after a review of all applicants.
The annual funding is available to organizations with a Linn County presence whose work benefits county residents through sustainable economic and/or community development programming.
This year, the county received 42 applications totaling $596,000 in funding requests for the $100,000 in available funds. Funding allocations over $5,000 included:
- The Ely Fire Department, $16,000 for a new LUCAS chest compression device
- Matthew 25, $8,000 for the Cultivate Hope Corner Store
- Cedar Amateur Astronomers, $7,000 for health and safety upgrades at the Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center
- Pleasant Grove Heritage Park, $7,000 for phase one amenity improvements
- Linn County 3rd Fire District, $6,000 for replacement of aging equipment
- SaveCR Heritage, $5,500 for the nonprofit’s “Westside Renewal” capital campaign
- Tanager Place, $5,500 for the nonprofit’s LGBTQ+ Youth Center.
An additional 10 organizations received $5,000 or less for various projects or programs, including
- African American Museum of Iowa, $5,000
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Corridor, $5,000
- Camp Wapsie, $5,000
- Eastern Iowa Health Center, $5,000
- Hawkeye Downs, $5,000
- Hiawatha Economic Development Corp., $5,000
- Together We Achieve, $5,000
- Marion Public Library, $4,000
- National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, $3,500
- NewBo City Market, $2,500.
All three supervisors reviewed applications individually and their feedback was then pooled to identify final allocations. Applications for programmatic and capital projects were given priority over requests for operating support.
Comments: grace.nieland@thegazette.com
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