The Wright County Charitable Foundation requested an increase in funding from the board of supervisors Jan. 22.
The county had given $9,000 when the foundation started collecting funds nearly 20 years ago, but has recently reduced that amount to $4,500. While the WCCF would like to see the funding increase again, Duane Asbe stated, “Any amount is appreciated.”
Asbe of the WCCF gave an overview of the group’s activities. Last year, WCCF granted nearly $350,000 in requests. Since its inception, the foundation has given $1,626,653 to projects that totalled over $20 million. “Some of these projects only come to fruition with our assistance,” Asbe said. “We can be pretty impactful.”
In addition to directly funding projects, the WCCF is an umbrella organization to 38 other charitable funds in the county. Those funds are managed by individuals, families, corporations and other non-profit groups. Those groups include the Richard O. Jacobson Fund for Belmond, Lake Cornelia Improve- ment Fund, Rowan Public Library Endowment, Wright County Fair, Heartland Museum Foundation and Hagie Manufacturing. “We have a pretty good variety of funds,” Asbe said. The charitable funds total over $8 million.
The supervisors will decide on next fiscal year’s funding in the next several months.
In other business, the supervisors:
—heard that the recorder had collected $84,562.40 over the past quarter. That total is down $600-$700;
—approved the semi-annual report from the treasurer. It will be published soon in county newspapers;
—approved a promotion and pay increase for Jennifer Hogrefe in the recorder’s office;
—appointed Todd Swaland and Darron Baker to the Emiment Domain Commission;
—appointed Alec Amonson as a trustee in the Eagle Grove Township. There is still a vacancy on the Troy Township board of trustees;
—and heard that the secondary roads department will be contacting landowners to ask permission to build “snow fences” out of plowed snow in trouble areas along gravel roads.
