Community Foundation Awards More than $300,000 to Local Nonprofits
Local nonprofits received a total of $305,881.67 in grant funding from the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri today at an awards presentation at The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Quincy.
Supported by 70 permanent endowment funds, these grants will make a lasting difference for nonprofit organizations serving our region in the areas of arts and culture, community improvement, education, health, and human services. Funding will assist with program delivery, the purchase of vital equipment and supplies, and the everyday operational needs that keep these organizations running strong.
“We are really pleased to be able to offer additional funding to the Community Grant Program this year thanks to the generosity of our donors,” said Kent Embree, Program Officer. “This generosity has enabled us to exceed $300,000 in support to nonprofits, every dollar of which will be put to work to improve our communities. The Community Grant program is our longest-running program and we continue to advance it with the help of our dedicated volunteers to do our best to meet the needs of our applicants. Our goal is that the program not only helps our nonprofit community financially, but also provides them knowledge and resources to pursue grants from other funding sources.”
The Community Foundation’s Community Grant program is designed to support and strengthen nonprofit efforts that improve quality of life across our 12-county region. Each year, the Community Foundation invites nonprofit organizations to apply for funding, and a dedicated committee of regional volunteers reviews the applications to determine grant awards based on funds available.
These grants are made possible by the power of endowment. Generous donors partner with the Community Foundation to create permanent charitable funds that reflect their philanthropic goals and respond to local needs. Some funds are unrestricted while others are for a specific cause or community. The Community Foundation invests and grows these funds, and each year a portion of the fund's earnings are distributed as grants, while the principal remains intact.
“Nonprofits bring ideas to life and meet real needs in our communities,” said Catherine Bocke Meckes, Chief Executive Officer of the Community Foundation. “We are humbled for the opportunity to connect resources to these opportunities. Because of our generous endowment donors, we’re able to invest in that important work not just today, but every year moving forward. That kind of long-term impact is limitless.”
The following funds supported the 2025 community grant program:
Community Endowment Funds, support grants for arts and culture, community betterment, education, health and human services in the Community Foundation’s 12-county service area:
• Anonymous Funds (2)
• Angie (Fusselman) Mayes & Evelyn J. Fusselman Fund
• Bette J. Starnes Endowment
• B'nai Sholom Endowment
• Carl, Althea & Cathy Wiskirchen Endowment
• Carl & Gladys Koehser Family Fund
• Charles A. & Nancy Scholz Charitable Fund
• Dorothy L. Swallow Fund
• Dr. & Mrs. Merle F. Crossland Family Fund
• Earl & Irene Oliver Family Fund
• Grant L. and K. Georgann Sturhahn Fund
• Hansen-Spear Funeral Home Endowment
• Harry Channon Eaton Family Endowment Fund
• Harry J. & Bernice M. Wissman Heidbreder Fund
• James R. and Katherine H. Williams Fund
• Jeffrey G. & Theresa L. Spear Fund
• Karl H. & Bobbi Bowles Family and Quincy Farm & Home Supply Company Fund
• Kirk Family Fund-Houston, Carolyn & Carson
• Margaret J. Sinnock Fund
• Mrs. Arthur O. Lindsay Fund
• Robert A. & Anne M. Mays Fund
• Russell and Annette Goehl Endowment
• Robert G. and Melva Campbell Riley Fund
• William E. and Margaret E. Durall Family Endowment
Funds for Adams County, support any charitable need or opportunity in Adams County, Illinois:
• Paul H. & Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund
• HOMEBANK of Quincy Fund
• William & Sheila Menke Endowment
• Alan L. Stiegemeier and Mary Ellen Stiegemeier
Field of Interest Funds, support a specific cause or community as determined by the donor:
• Ben & Helen Bumbry Educational Assistance Endowment
• Bill and Lynda Keller Fund
• Blessing Hospital Community Health Fund
• City of Refuge Fund
• CommunityWorks Endowment
• Cory Didriksen Lovelace Fund
• Dr. Robert & Shirley Murphy Endowment for Music Education
• G. Arthur (Art) Keller, Jr. Fund
• Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund
• Heart of the Community Fund
• Holzgrafe Family Fund
• HOMEBANK Fund
• Irwin Family Fund
• James L. & Dorothy W. Rouner Fund
• Jane's Kids' Fund
• Jayne & Leroy Boeckelman Fund for Young Musicians
• Jerry and Linley Bartell Endowment
• Jon's Home Center Associates Fund
• Katherine Broemmel Endowment for the Arts
• Kaye & Norman Kemner Education Fund
• Quincy Recycle Fund
• The Quincy Foundation Fund
• The Wood Endowment
• United States Founding Fathers Fund
County Endowment Funds, support nonprofit organizations in a specific county:
• Brown County Endowment Fund (IL)
• Hancock County Endowment Fund (IL)
• Lewis County Endowment Fund (MO)
• Marion County Endowment Fund (MO)
• Monroe County Endowment Fund (MO)
• Pike County Endowment Fund (IL)
• Ralls County Endowment Fund (MO)[KE4.1]
• Shelby County Endowment Fund (MO)
Donor Advised Funds, allow a fund advisor to recommend grant recipients. Donor advisors may recommend grants at any time throughout the year, but are encouraged to consider grants in support of Community Grant requests:
• Ralph Oakley Family Fund
• Jim Drozdz Memorial Fund
• Palmyra Chamber of Commerce Prosperity Fund
• Joe & Denette Kuhlman Family Fund
• Betty Schmidt Endowment
These are among the 230+ funds at the Community Foundation that support arts and culture, community betterment, education, health or human services, include eight new funds contributing grant dollars for the 2025 program.
This year’s grant recipients include:
Adams County Bicentennial Commission
- Adams County Bicentennial Legacy Project-Adams County Courthouse Timeline;
Funded by Funds for Adams County, United States Founding Fathers Fund, Betty Schmidt Endowment
Adams County Sheriff's Office - Sheriff's Work Alternative Program Trailer Project;
Funded by Funds for Adams County, Jim Drozdz Memorial Fund
Barry Food Pantry
- General Support of the Barry Food Pantry;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds, Pike County Endowment Fund
Bella Ease
- Outdoor Storage for Community Activities;
Funded by Ralph Oakley Family Fund
Birthday Blessings
- Healthy Sleep for Kids Experiencing Foster Care;
Funded by Lewis County Endowment Fund
Bluff City Theater
- Building Creative Culture One Seat at a Time;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Bright Futures Bowling Green - General Support of Bright Futures Bowling Green;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Bright Futures Knox County
- General Support of BFKC – Prosocial Bonding Events/Mitigate Risk Factors;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Brown County Early Learning Center
- NFP General Operating Support;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Canton Public Library
- A Mighty Girl Book Club;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Carl Sandburg College
- Nursing Skills & Simulation lab update;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Chaddock Children's Foundation Chaddock
- Puppet Troupe Expansion;
Funded by Jerry and Linley Bartell Endowment, Holzgrafe Family Fund
CHADS Coalition for Mental Health
- Signs of Suicide; Funded by Community Endowment Funds
CHART Teen Task Force
- Sexuality Education in Northeast Missouri Schools;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds, Marion County Endowment Fund
City of Louisiana
- City of Louisiana Pickleball and Trash Cans;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
City of Palmyra, Missouri
- Green Space Concept Planning;
Funded by Heart of the Community Fund, Palmyra Chamber of Commerce Prosperity Fund
Clark County Council on Aging - Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Funds;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Community for Christ Assistance Center
- Families in Need (Food Pantry);
Funded by Funds for Adams County
Connect Child and Family Solutions
- General support of Connect Child and Family Solutions;
Funded by Ralph Oakley Family Fund
Cornerstone Foundations for Families
- Adoption Support and Preservation Groups; Funded by Jane's Kids' Fund, Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund, Funds for Adams County, Joe & Denette Kuhlman Family Fund
Covered Bottoms Diaper Bank, Inc.
- Bridging the Diaper Gap in West Central Illinois;
Funded by Ralph Oakley Family Fund
Culver-Stockton College
- Supplies for Student STEAM Days;
Funded by Lewis County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds
Douglass Community Services, Inc.
- Kids in Motion 2026 Program;
Funded by Jon's Home Center Associates Fund, Marion County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds
Downtown Monroe City Revitalization
- Monroe City;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds, Monroe County Endowment Fund
Embrace Children and Families
- General Support of Embrace Children & Families;
Funded by Marion County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds
Food For Thoughts Hancock County
- Week-End Meal Program;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Friends of the Castle
- General Support for Friends of the Castle;
Funded by The Quincy Foundation Fund
Friends of the Trails
- Bill Klingner Trail Phase 5 Construction;
Funded by Ralph Oakley Family Fund
Great Commission Broadcasting Corporation - WGCA-FM - Area Betterment Through Promoting Local Nonprofits;
Funded by Funds for Adams County
Hancock County Senior and Childcare Services - The Maple Grove Project;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Hannibal Arts Council
- General support of Hannibal Arts Council;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds, Marion County Endowment Fund
Harvest Outreach Ministries - General Support of Harvest Outreach Ministries; Funded by Marion County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds
Heartland Resources, Inc.
- Meals for Seniors;
- Funded by Community Endowment Funds, Lewis County Endowment Fund
Hearts of Hancock Humane Society
- Outdoor Cat Shelter Improvement;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County - Origin History Wall and Student Interaction;
Funded by County Community Endowment Funds, The Quincy Foundation Fund
Horizons Social Services of Adams County, Inc. - Horizons Box Truck,
Funded by Funds for Adams County
Ilasco Area Historical Preservation Society - General support of IAHPS,
Community Endowment Funds
Jackson-Lincoln Swimming Complex, Inc. - General Support of Jackson-Lincoln Swimming Complex;
Funded by Ralph Oakley Family Fund
Jensen Camp Foundation
- 2026 Summer Camp Scholarships;
Funded by Funds for Adams County, Community Endowment Funds
Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis - Junior Achievement 2025 Expenses;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds, Funds for Adams County
Kairos Hope Inc. - General Support Of Kairos Hope;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Learning Opportunities Quality Works Inc.
- Leadership Influencers Group;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Lewis County Food Pantry Inc. - Hunger in Lewis County;
Funded by Lewis County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds
Lewis County Health Department - Advance The Preventative Health of Lewis County, MO Residents;
Funded by Lewis County Endowment Fund
Liberty CUSD #2 - 2025 Math Manipulatives and Student Engagement,
Funded by Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund, Betty Schmidt Endowment
Marion County Health Department - Immunization Assistance;
Funded by Ralph Oakley Family Fund
Memorial Hospital - Bringing Lead Testing Home: Enhancing Rural Pediatric Care;
Funded by The Wood Endowment, Community Endowment Funds, Blessing Hospital Community Health Fund
Muddy River Opera Company - Premiere Program 2025;
Funded by Jayne & Leroy Boeckelman Fund for Young Musicians, Dr. Robert & Shirley Murphy Endowment for Music Education, Irwin Family Fund, Funds for Adams County, Community Endowment Funds, The Quincy Foundation Fund, Cory Didriksen Lovelace Fund
Parent & Child Together (PACT) for West Central Illinois - Classroom Materials;
Funded by Communityworks Endowment Fund
Pike County Senior Citizens Council - General support of the Pike County Senior Citizens Center;
Funded by Pike County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds
Pike County Unmet Needs Incorporated - General Support of Pike County Unmet Needs FY 2025 - 2026;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds, Pike County Endowment Fund
Pleasant Hill Senior Citizens Council - General Support of Pleasant Hill Senior Citizen's Center;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds, Pike County Endowment Fund
Quincy Art Center
Artist in Residence FY26 Irwin Family Fund
Quincy Catholic Charities
Mobile Food Pantry 2025 Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund, Funds for Adams County
Quincy Children's Museum - General Support of Quincy Children's Museum;
Funded by Funds for Adams County, Community Endowment Funds
Quincy Civic Music Association - Supporting music education with the Canadian Brass;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds, The Quincy Foundation Fund, Katherine Broemmel Endowment for the Arts
Quincy Community Theatre - General Operating Support;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds, The Quincy Foundation Fund, Ben & Helen Bumbry Educational Assistance Endowment
Quincy Concert Band - General Support of Quincy Concert Band;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Quincy Juneteenth Organization - Quincy Youth Initiative Program;
Funded by Ralph Oakley Family Fund
Quincy Public Library - LEGO Learners: STEM in Action;
Funded by Bill and Lynda Keller Fund, Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund, Joe & Denette Kuhlman Family Fund
Quincy Public Schools Foundation - Quincy Public Schools Foundation General Operating Support;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds, Funds for Adams County
Quincy Society of Fine Arts - Instant Arts Classroom Program;
Funded by Noma Meyers Eaton Fund, Funds for Adams County, Community Endowment Funds
Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association - General Support of the Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association;
Funded by Katherine Broemmel Endowment for the Arts, Funds for Adams County
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois - General Support of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois;
Funded by Funds for Adams County, Community Endowment Funds
Salem Evangelical United Church of Christ - Loads of Love Ministry;
Funded by Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund, City of Refuge Fund
Salvation Army of Quincy
- Hannibal Salvation Army LEAP;
Community Endowment Funds
Saving KidSight - KidSight Vision Screenings;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Science Coach - STEM Teacher Professional Development;
Funded by Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund
Scouting America - Great Rivers Council - Youth Membership Support;
Funded by Jon's Home Center Associates Fund
Shelby County Cares - Feed the Farmer Initiative;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds, Shelby County Endowment Fund
Sleep in Heavenly Peace - Community Bed Build IL-Liberty 2025;
Funded by Ralph Oakley Family Fund
Special Olympics Illinois - Region H - Expanding Athlete Opportunities in Adams, Pike and Brown Counties;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds, Funds for Adams County
Special Olympics Missouri - General Support of Special Olympics Missouri;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
The Child Advocacy Center of Northeast Missouri, Inc. - Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Education in Rural Schools;
Funded by HOMEBANK Fund, Lewis County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds
The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri - General Support for Food Assistance in Monroe County, Missouri;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
The Pittsfield Community Center, Inc. - Pittsfield Community Center Rehabilitation Project-Interior;
Pike County Endowment Fund, Community Endowment Funds
Transitions of Western Illinois - SMART Boards for Transitions School;
Funded by Bill and Lynda Keller Fund, Community Endowment Funds, G. Arthur (Art) Keller, Jr. Fund, Jerry and Linley Bartell Endowment, Quincy Recycle Fund
Tri-Township Fire Protection District - P25 Voice Pagers;
Funded by Jim Drozdz Memorial Fund, Funds for Adams County
Twin Pike Family YMCA - General Support of Twin Pike Family YMCA;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Two Rivers Resource Conservation & Development - Feed the Hungry Deer Donation Program for Pike County;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds, Pike County Endowment Fund
United Way of Adams County, Inc. - Dolly Parton Imagination Library;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
University of Missouri Extension - Knox County Knox County - 4-H/FFA Fairgrounds Restrooms Project;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
University of Missouri Extension - Shelby, Monroe, and Audrain Counties - Gift of Aging Conference;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Versailles Township - General Support of Versailles Community Building; Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Village of Versailles - Project Support for Parks;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
VOYCE - General Support of VOYCE;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
Warsaw Public Library - General Support of the Warsaw Public Library;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
West Central Child Care Connection
- Born Learning Project;
Funded by Funds for Adams County, Jon's Home Center Associates Fund, Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund
West Central Illinois Nutrition Project, Inc.
- Meals for Seniors;
Funded by Funds for Adams County, Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund
YMCA of Hannibal
- General support of the YMCA of Hannibal scholarship
program;
Funded by Community Endowment Funds
