ICF grants offer substantial aide to area
By ELAINE SANDMAN
Staff writer
The Idaho Community Foundation (ICF) awarded several grants totaling $12,500 on June 19 to various organizations in the area. The grants went to the South Boundary Volunteer Fire District, Northwest Lions Foundation for Sight and Hearing, Boundary County Fairgrounds, Boundary County Historical Society, Inc. and Friends of Head Start.
"I knew the expansion of the fire station would require funding from more than one source," Fire Chief Tony Rohrwasser said. "Last December, I began searching for grants on the Internet and found the ICF website. I located a link to their grant application, filled it in, and submitted it in early January. In May, the ICF asked if they could use our fire station for a meeting in June."
The ICF used South Boundary as the hosting facility for the grant awards presentation for all the grants they awarded in the area.
South Boundary plans to use its $1,500 grant money to outfit the new training center/community room with tables and chairs. The nature of the expansion also allows the county to plan on reinstating the fire station as an election polling location for the community.
"The fire district also applied for and was awarded a grant from the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) in the amount of $6,500 for tools and equipment for the station," Rohrwasser said. "The IDL grant was from the Rural Fire Assistance Grant program. And right now, we are waiting for word on five other grant applications we submitted."
Another grant went to the Northwest Lion's Foundation for Sight and Hearing in the amount of $1,000 to help cover the operating costs of the Lions Health Screening Unit for free sight, hearing, glaucoma, diabetes and blood pressure check-ups in Boundary County.
Lion's Development Manager Jolene Bernhard, who began writing grant applications nearly 10 years ago, admitted that at first she was pretty intimidated by the process.
"Thankfully, over the years I have learned some valuable lessons that make it less painful," Bernhard said. "There are a lot of things that need doing in our world, and I hope more individuals find a way to use their individual talents to help. For me, it is writing grant applications."
She explained that when writing a grant application people should remember to illustrate a solid plan for the use of the money as well as monitor the benefits of the funding.
"Provide statistics that show a need for the funding, and show how you're working with other groups to illustrate a wider impact for the grant money," Bernhard explained. "It is important to also learn about the agency funding the grant, in many cases they are happy to provide assistance, answer questions and give advice. The ICF is incredible in this way, and it was an honor to work with them."
The ICF also awarded a $5,000 grant to the Friends of Head Start, for the construction of the new Head Start Center in Boundary County, and a $2,500 grant to the Boundary County Historical Society for the building of a new museum entrance facing the Bonners Ferry Visitors Center.
"To me, the term community means a group of individuals who learn to work together for the common good," Rohrwasser explained. "Volunteerism is what how we man our fire stations in Boundary County, so donating money, talent or time to organizations such as the ICF, adds to another piece to the puzzle of helping our community function."
The ICF's mission is to enrich the quality of life throughout Idaho, and in 2006 they awarded $3.3 million in grants. Some individuals try to fly under the radar while helping the community, but it is important to point out their contributions as inspiration to others. Three local residents, Marty Becker, and Richard and Donna Hutter, were members of the Northern Region Advisory Panel for ICF in 2006. ICF makes it a point to have panel members from all areas for better representation.
"A famous quote says, "No man is an island," this fits all communities, most of them really can't afford everything they need, so we are extremely grateful for organization like the ICF," Rohrwasser said.
The ICF achieves its mission to aide Idaho communities through donations and a sound investment plan that provides solid growth. Visit their website at www.idcomfdn.org, or call 800-657-5357 for more information.