MUSCATINE, Iowa — When the Muscatine Big Brothers Big Sisters organization stages its annual Bowl For Kids Sake Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29, the event will be enhanced by another area organization.

The program received a  grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine to add its logo and contact information to short films produced for national use to promote the Big Brothers program. Krista Regennitter, program director of Big Brothers Big Sisters, a program of the Muscatine Community Y, said one of the films will be shown at Bowl for Kids Sake this year.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters grant is one of 16 the Foundation awarded in the last quarter of 2008.

Judi Holdorf,  Foundation executive director, discussed the grants this week as the Foundation announced the most recent awards.

The grants totaling $21,580, were awarded through the Muscatine County Endowment Fund in amounts ranging from $130-$4,000.

The Program was developed to encourage Iowans to give to worthy causes. Its  available only to community foundations that are qualified by the Iowa Department of Economic Development and accredited by the National Council on Foundations, Holdorf said.

Muscatine is one of the few counties that has its own Community Foundation, said Holdorf. The local Foundation is in compliance with national standards and grant applications can be evaluated and approved locally, rather than through a parent or sponsoring entity in another county.

The Endow Iowa Tax Credits program also  enables a donor to receive an Iowa income tax credit of 20 percent.

Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine Board  representatives and community members make up the Foundation’s Granting Committee. They review and evaluate grant applications each month and make recommendations to the full board of directors.

Regennitter said her organization applied for the Community Foundation  grant online and the process was very user friendly.

“It is nice to know there’s a place we can go for a smaller grant,” said Regennitter.  “A little boost goes a long way.”

Applying

For more information about applying for grants or establishing your own fund for granting purposes, call executive director Judi Holdorf at

563-264-3863 or go to www.muscatinecomunityfoundation.org.

Grants

Grants awarded by the Community Foundation from the Muscatine County Endowment Fund in the last quarter of 2008:

- Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Muscatine County — $300 to customize national documentary films for local marketing

- Diversity Service Center of Iowa — $1,000 to provide civic and leadership education for minorities

- Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre — $2,000 to develop a new production featuring the prehistoric wooly mammoth

- Friends of Muscatine Art Center — $200 for Festival of Wreaths to fund arts education

- Friends of Muscatine Historic Preservation — $1,500 to assist with fundraising for two Muscatine books to be sold

- Michael Edmonds — $130 for nutrition and health seminars at schools

- Muscatine Arboretum Association — $2,500 to install watering lines

- Muscatine Art Center — $1,000 for the Mosaic Project that is also a fundraiser for Muscatine Area Arts Council

- Muscatine Center for Social Action — $1,750 to promote dental education program to students

- Muscatine Connected Education Foundation — $4,000 for Spanish language software for a new alternative education program at Muscatine School District

- Muscatine County Extension — $500 to develop First Lego League in West Liberty to interest children in science, technology and engineering

- Muscatine Symphony Orchestra — $200 to support the free holiday concert in conjunction with the Holiday Stroll and $500 to score parts for “Grand Duo” performance

- Muscatine Welfare Association — $1,500 to purchase reusable tableware for eat-in diners at Snackers2

n Pearl City Outreach — $1,000 for Christmas meals and activities

n Quad City Arts — $1,000 to support the Visiting Artists Series program in the Muscatine schools

n West Liberty Dream Catchers — $2,500 for activities related to Dream Catchers’ third graders volunteer mentoring program