(Arnolds Park)– The Okoboji Foundation’s Youth in Philanthropy group has wrapped up another year. Ali Schmitz of the Okoboji Foundation says the 25 students who participated in this year’s program raised $60,000. Schmitz says that money was returned to the community in the form of grants. Among them was $24,500 to the Humane Society of Northwest Iowa…
“That was to fully fund their request for the dog kennel and training renovation project they have. Their next grant they awarded was to the Twin Forks Trap and Skeet Club, and that was also to fully fund their request for the Twin Forks skeet field and field construction project for $17,493. Additionally they had requests from the Spirit Lake Protective Association and their Templar Park public dock project. They funded $11,000 to that request; and then they fully funded the Spirit Lake Youth Athletic Triple Play Project and $7,000 went to that project.”
Schmitz says several factors are used by the students in awarding grants…
“They go through and look at the project partnership with the funds from other sources. They look at their operational budget. They look at the community involvement, ongoing funding and most importantly their lasting, positive impact that project will have in our community.”
The students this year reviewed a total of nine different requests for funding.
