Lincoln County Community Foundation seeks grant applicants

The Lincoln County Community Foundation has money to give away and is seeking eligible applicants from the communities of south Lincoln County.

In order to qualify for a grant, the organization must be a 501c3 non-profit and fill out a brief application. The foundation is in the second year of increased funding for grants using the Robert Pederson Endowment. That endowment was established for the community of Libby by Robert Pederson, a longtime employee of the St. Regis and Champion lumber mill in town.

In more than 22 years of giving grants, the foundation has far surpassed the original amount of the endowment of $250,000. That endowment was grown by using fundraisers done by the board and donations by community citizens.

This year, the foundation has $37,000 available for distribution. The written application must be mailed and postmarked no later than Aug. 31.

Last year with the Pederson Endowment, the foundation gave $10,000 to the Heritage Museum for a new roof. Other recipients of the over $10,000 in grants were: Lincoln County Public Library Foundation, Troy Morrison Backpacks, Bull Lake Rod and Gun Club, Kiwanis Koats for Kids, U-Serve Tennis, Our Kids Christmas Program, Libby Chamber of Commerce and the Troy Lake Creek TV District.

For those who are interested in donating to the foundation it can be done with a cash gift, a planned gift such as a life insurance policy, or part of an estate in your will. There are tax advantages for planned giving and corporate giving.

For more information, contact Paula Darko-Hensler, chair at pdhensler@gmail.com or Jim Seifert, Treasurer at jpseifert@hotmail.com.

Other members of the board include Linda Gerard, Bernie Cassidy, Allison Lundin, Betty Jo Wood and Amy Smart.

To apply, download the application at mtct.org. Use the menu to find Local Foundations. The foundation webpage can be found using the graphic of the state.