Area Nonprofits Receive Grants

The Viking Foundation of Lincoln awarded 17 grants to nonprofit organizations in November, including three in Polk County. These awards represent the foundation’s second group of grants funded during 2020.

“It a great pleasure to see that during the past eight months, our foundation was able to provide assistance to so many worthy individuals and nonprofits,” said Steve Eggland, the foundation’s president and founder.

As a new, fledgling foundation, Viking awarded $50,000 in grants in 2012, according to Eggland. Over the past eight years, the annual funding amount has gradually doubled to a total of more than $100,000 in 2020. “We are very, very gratified that we can help those who are less fortunate deal with so many challenges, especially during the pandemic this past year,” he added.

The Viking foundation supported these organizations in Polk County:

• $8,500 to Des Moines Pastoral Counseling to support their COOL Program that provides psychological counseling to children and youth,
• $8,500 to Everybody Wins! Iowa to help fund their one-to-one reading mentoring program, and
• $5,000 for Meals from the Heartland to expand their hunger-fighting program by engaging the assistance of FFA chapters.

In addition to these contributions, The Viking Foundation awarded a total of $42,000 to these nonprofit organizations in Lancaster County, Nebraska: Willard Community Center, Center for Illegal Immigration Assistance, Center for People in Need, Lincoln Literacy, Mustard Seed Sewing Group, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, Child Advocacy Center, Community Crops, and Court Appointed Special Advocates. Awards totaling $22,000 were also made in Denver County, Colorado, to: Ability Connections, Clothes to Kids, Deserving Dental, Rocky Mountain Communities and Sun Valley Youth Center.

The Viking Foundation was created to help improve and enrich the lives of individuals – especially children – who are less fortunate. The foundation provides charitable grants to 501(c)(3) organizations primarily in three counties. The grants are directed to those who are challenged with issues related to poverty, housing, gender, education, mental and physical health, and others.

The 2021 grant proposal submission deadline is Oct. 1. Detailed information about the foundation, and its history, values and proposal guidelines, can be found at vikingfoundation.webs.com.