This year's St. Patrick's Day was especially festive for ECCF: On that day, we announced the recipients of bonus grants through our Give Green Grant Catalog. 

This Grant Catalog, which allowed the public to donate directly to nonprofit funding requests, was part of the celebration of ECCF’s upcoming 25th anniversary. Give Green supports animals, the environment, and fitness opportunities; it’s one of ECCF’s four giving categories. A Grant Catalog for Create Culture, which supports art, literature, music, and museums, took place in July 2021 and raised almost $60,000 for 17 local nonprofits. The Form Futures Grant Catalog, which supports local education and training opportunities, took place in October 2021 and raised more than $51,000 for 14 local nonprofits. A Grant Catalog for our final category, Offer Opportunities (basic needs like food, shelter and medical care), will be launched in April 2022.

The Give Green Grant Catalog was live for donations from Feb. 7 to March 2, 2022.Together, 14 local nonprofits raised more than $80,000 in public donations! In addition to the funds raised from direct donations, the top three fundraisers also received bonus grants of $10,000, $7000, and $5000.

The $10,000 bonus grant winner is Boys and Girls of the Club Greater Chippewa Valley, which requested funding for a summer gardening program. The $7000 bonus grant winner is the Flying Eagles Ski Club, which requested funding for additional coaches for its youth ski program. The $5000 bonus grant winner is the Eastside Hill Neighborhood Association, which requested funding for new playground equipment at Boyd Park. 

Plus, three of the remaining nonprofits that raised at least $1000 were entered into a drawing for three $1000 bonus grants. The nonprofits drawn were: Family Resource Center, which requested funding for nature-centered parent/child experiences; Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release, which requested funding for a flight cage for injured raptors; and YMCA of the Chippewa Valley, which requested funding to help send children in need to Camp Manitou.

Other participating nonprofits were: Bob's House for Dogs; Chippewa Valley Cat Club; Eau Claire County Humane Association; Friends of Beaver Creek Reserve; Hope Gospel Mission; Lower Chippewa Invasives Partnership; OutdoorMore; and Trinity Equestrian Center. 

Congratulations to these fabulous nonprofits, not to mention ALL the nonprofits that do so much to enhance our area’s quality of life. We hope you’ll join us in April to support basic needs like food, shelter, and medical care through our Offer Opportunities Grant Catalog.

ECCF is proud to be one of more than 700 community foundations across the U.S. that are enhancing their communities by helping donors support the charities they love.