PIKE COUNTY – Three local nonprofit organizations have been honored with grants from the Pike County Endowment Fund, held with the Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri. The grants mark the eleventh annual community grant awards presented from the Pike County Endowment.

“The work of nonprofits is critical to the success of our communities and our people. The Pike County Endowment Fund provides a permanent way to ensure that needs and opportunities in Pike County will always have a source of support because when our nonprofits are strong, so are our communities,” said Kaye Iftner, Pike County Endowment Fund Council Chair.

Recipients of the 2023 Pike County Endowment Fund grant awards include:

• Pike County Senior Citizen’s Council for general operating support to continue providing services to county residents including seniors and disabled individuals and to supplement the ongoing repairs and expenses at the Pike County Senior Citizen’s Center.
• Two Rivers Regional Council of Public Officials for the SNAP to Success vocational training, which assists individuals receiving SNAP in Illinois who are interested in vocational training in a Certified Nursing Assistant program through John Wood Community College.

• Two Rivers Resource Conservation & Development for its Access Food Feed the Hungry program, which provides protein products to local food pantries through the generous donation of deer meat by hunters.

The Pike County Fund Council, a panel of local representatives, evaluated applications submitted by nearby nonprofit organizations as part of the Community Foundation’s community grant program. Based on their assessments, the Council made thoughtful recommendations for the allocation of grants, with the goal of addressing the most pressing needs and promising opportunities within Pike County.

The Pike County Endowment Fund is a permanently endowed charitable fund exclusively for the benefit of Pike County. Gifts made to the fund are strategically invested to encourage growth, and grants are subsequently awarded from the accrued interest.

“The Pike County Endowment Fund is a way to ‘keep local money working for local causes,’” said Iftner. “Anyone can make a gift to the Pike County Endowment Fund at any time and be confident that their gift is more than a donation – it’s an investment into the future of Pike County.”