The Fiscal Year 2010 Witwer Trust competitive grant program opens November 1, 2009. Click here to download an application and guidelines. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. December 15, 2009.
Read the application carefully to ensure eligibility of your organization and project. If you have questions, contact Joi Bergman, Communications Director, at (319) 892-5118 or joi.bergman@linncounty.org.
Click here to see the scoring tool that will be used.
Click here to see a list of FY08 Witwer Trust grant recipients.
What is the Witwer Trust Grant Program?
Each year, Linn County receives $80,000 from a trust established by Weaver Witwer, a well-known Cedar Rapids grocer and landowner who died in 1979. Mr. Witwer established the Trust as a way to give back to the community in perpetuity. Each year, the County awards these funds to local non-profit organizations through a competitive grant process. The funds must be used to benefit Linn County residents.
Who is eligible for Witwer Trust grants?
Non-profit organizations that are located in Linn County or that have a branch location in Linn County and whose work benefits Linn County residents are eligible for grants. Proof of non-profit status is required. Grant funds must be used for programs or projects that benefit Linn County residents. Applicants must be up-to-date on final report submissions from previous Witwer Trust grants to eligible for the next grant cycle.
Due to legal restrictions, Iowa Code Section 331.901(5), organizations under ecclesiastical or sectarian management are not eligible for Linn County grant funds.
What types of grants are available?
Grant funds must be used for programs or projects that benefit Linn County residents. Requests for programmatic and capital projects are eligible; requests for operating support are not.
How do I get a grant application?
An application packet is posted to the Linn County website November 1 of each year. Please read the instructions carefully. To see a copy of the FY08 grant application, click here. Please note the application is updated annually, and the FY08 application is provided as informational only. Applicants must use the current year's application, which is posted to the Linn County website November 1 of each year.
What is the deadline?
Applications are accepted once a year. The application cycle is from November 1 through December 15. An application packet is posted to the county’s website each November 1 and applications are due December 15 by 5:00 p.m. If December 15 falls on a weekend, applications are due the following Monday by 5:00 p.m. Applications are to be submitted to the Board of Supervisors office.
What is the review process and timeline?
Grant applications are screened for completeness by county staff. Incomplete grant applications and applications that do not follow grant guidelines will be ineligible for grant funds and will not be reviewed. Complete grant applications and those meeting the grant guidelines are reviewed and scored by the Linn County Board of Supervisors. Funding decisions are made in February.
What is the average grant amount?
The average grant amount is $3,000. The total amount available is $80,000. Please keep this in mind as you develop your budget. The Linn County Board of Supervisors Witwer Trust Fund receives more funding requests than it can possibly grant. If support of a worthwhile program is declined, this decision does not reflect on the value of the group or service, but rather on the need to be selective because resources are limited.
May I submit more than one proposal?
No. Only one application is allowed per organization. If an organization submits more than one grant application, all applications submitted by that organization will be deemed ineligible for grant funds and will not be reviewed.
May I submit more than one project in one proposal?
No. Only one proposal is allowed per organization, and only one project is allowed per proposal. If an organization submits a proposal requesting funding for more than one project, the proposal will be deemed ineligible and will not be reviewed.
Can I apply to the Witwer Trust and to the Linn County Historic Preservation Grant Program for the same project?
No. An organization cannot apply for funding for the same project to both the Witwer Trust and the Linn County Historic Preservation Grant Program.
What is the Linn County Historic Preservation Grant Program?
This is a competitive grant program for non-profit organizations in Linn County to be used for historic preservation projects. Eligible projects include collecting and preserving historical materials, artifacts, places, or structures; maintaining a historical library or collection; conducting historical studies or research; issuing publications; providing public lectures of historical interest; or otherwise disseminating a knowledge of the history of the area to the general public. Grant application packets are available on the County’s website February 1 and applications are due April 2 by 5:00 p.m. If April 2 falls on a weekend, applications are due the following Monday by 5:00 p.m. Applications are to be submitted to the Board of Supervisors office. The most recent application packet is available by clicking here. The Linn County Board of Supervisors annually allocates approximately $28,000 to this grant program. The average grant award is $2,500. Due to legal restrictions, Iowa Code Section 331.901(5), organizations under ecclesiastical or sectarian management are not eligible for Linn County grant funds.
If your historic preservation project involves a structure (a building), you must contact the Historic Preservation Commission staff liaison prior to submitting an application. Applications for structural projects must follow the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Historic Preservation Guidelines/Treatment Standard plan.
If you have questions, please contact:
Joi Bergman
Communications Director
(319) 892-5118
joi.bergman@linncounty.org
