Gilchrist Foundation Helps Area Organizations Grow
The Gilchrist Foundation is proud to support Siouxland nonprofit organizations that are growing. The Foundation’s purpose is to foster the long-term viability of charities and enable special projects rather than supplying short-term operating funds. Granting funds for expansion projects and initiatives directly ties into this type of support. In 2023, the Foundation awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to nonprofit organizations specifically for expanding their physical space, including Camp High Hopes, a local organization that offers recreational activities for children, teens and adults with disabilities, special needs and chronic illnesses.
The Foundation awarded Camp High Hopes a $200,000 1:1 Challenge Match for the acquisition of land and aquatic area. The new 10-plus parcel of land surrounds the camp’s lake, making the entire lake now part of Camp High Hopes. The entire cost of the acquisition was $503,000, with Camp High Hopes raising the remaining funds from donors and a state DHS grant.
The land acquisition will provide the camp with a wonderful lakefront area that will provide a great activity area this summer, as well as better fishing and boat access. The organization also has plans to build an accessible trail around the lake that will eventually include a campsite, classrooms and a playscape area.
“The Gilchrist Foundation has been so important to use these last several years,” says Executive Director Sarah Morgan. “The Foundation has helped us both sustain our camp in the present as well as support our future projects.”
Camp High Hopes is One-of-a-Kind
Camp High Hopes’ mission is to remove barriers to enjoying the outdoors as well as a low staff-to-camper ratio and personalized attention. Located on 90 acres on the outskirts of Sioux City, Camp High Hopes offers campers adaptive recreational experiences that are both safe and fun. It has a lake, modern camper cabins, a boat dock, an archery range and an adaptive Rec Center.
Over the past 12 years, Camp High Hopes has welcomed more than 500 campers per year from across the Midwest, as no similar camp exists within a four-hour radius. Campers, ranging in age from five to 95, have helped build a loving community and Camp High Hopes is committed to the unwavering pursuit of happiness for every single one of its cherished campers.
Other Expansion Project Support
The Gilchrist Foundation awarded several other grants in 2023 that supported the expansion efforts of area nonprofit organizations.
· Ducks Unlimited. Ducks Unlimited received a $100,000 project grant for the Chicoine land acquisition, which will help protect the Big Sioux River.
· Woodbury County Conservation Board. The Woodbury County Conservation Board was awarded an $80,000 Project Grant to help Izaak Walton League acquire more land.
· The Nature Conservancy in Iowa. The Nature Conservancy in Iowa was awarded a $100,000 Project Grant to acquire the Broken Kettle Grasslands for Camp Joy Hollow.
About The Gilchrist Foundation
The Gilchrist Foundation has long supported conversation efforts in Iowa and the Midwest as it was one of many philanthropic passions of Founder Jocelyn Gilchrist. Jocelyn was interested in wildlife from an early age. She loved animals and nature and would visit DeSoto Bend with her family.
Each year, the Gilchrist Foundation awards thousands of dollars to support wildlife and protect habitats, including expanding protected areas. In 2023, the Foundation gave more than $500,000 in grants that supported local and regional conservation initiatives, including the ones listed above.
The 2024 grant season is just ramping up.
Requests for consideration of 2024 grants are due April 1, 2024. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Organizations whose missions align with the Foundation’s can apply for an invite either online or by PDF.
Grant applications are due June 28, 2024. Once a request for invitation is approved, selected charities receive a URL link where they can submit their grant application for either Capital Campaign, Project Grant or Endowment.
Micro-grants, which offer grants of up to $5,000, are available year-round and don’t require a request for consideration. Micro-grants will be either accepted or denied within 30 days. This grant allows non-profit groups to receive funding for smaller projects on a one-time basis.
For more information, contact us here.