Contact: Scott Reigstad (608) 458-3145
Rebuilding Our Communities Grant will help group fund relocation to a permanent home
MADISON, WI – August 12, 2008 – The June flooding displaced many people and organizations throughout the Fond du Lac area. The Family Resource Center of Fond du Lac County was one such group and the time they have to vacate their current location is running short. As a result of the flooding, the Center has been asked to leave its present location by the end of this month. While facing that challenge, the Family Resource Center has had to cancel many of its classes and has been forced to stop taking clothing donations, which leaves the group with a very limited supply for those in need.
Now, thanks to a $5,000 flood recovery grant from the Alliant Energy Foundation, the Center is on its way to finding a permanent home so that they so they can again serve the families of Fond du Lac County. The dollars are coming from the Foundation’s Rebuilding Our Communities Grant Program. The program was established to provide unrestricted grants to help non-profit groups throughout Alliant Energy’s utility service territory with recovery from this summer’s flooding.
“The Family Resource Center of Fond du Lac County provides vital services to families throughout the county and it’s important they get back on their feet as soon as possible,” said Marthea Fox, Alliant Energy Foundation Executive Director. “The Alliant Energy Foundation wants to help the Center move forward, find a home, and get back to normal operations.”
The Family Resource Center of Fond du Lac has a twenty-eight year history of dedication to the healthy growth of children and families in the community. The group provides prenatal assistance and baby supplies, in-home parent education, and classes and play groups for parents of all backgrounds. The Center serves over 3,000 children and families annually.
“The Family Resource Center has moved around to several different locations since we began in the early eighties,” said Katie Rose, the Center’s Interim Executive Director. “With the flooding requiring us to move once again, it is our goal to find a location that we can call home for good. We appreciate the grant from the Alliant Energy Foundation in helping us pursue that goal.”
The Alliant Energy Foundation’s Rebuilding Our Communities Grant Program was created in response to the extensive flooding across Alliant Energy’s utility service territory in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota.
The Foundation has allocated $1 million for the program and non-profit groups can apply through October 1st for $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 unrestricted flood recovery grants. Funds are to be used to help non-profits resume or maintain operations. Non-profit groups can request funds by submitting a brief application form explaining their need and the population they serve that was affected by the flooding. A determination of grant eligibility will be made within 14 days of submission.
To be eligible, an organization must be a registered non-profit organization as defined by Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Service Code. Organizations are encouraged to review eligibility guidelines before applying. Government entities (i.e. schools and public libraries) are not eligible for this program.
Over the past ten years, the Alliant Energy Foundation has contributed more than $26 million across the Alliant Energy utility service territory to projects and organizations through a variety of programs and worthwhile initiatives. To learn more about the Foundation and its Rebuilding Our Communities Grant Program, please visit www.alliantenergy.com/foundation; or request an application from the Foundation office by calling (608) 458-4483.
