A program that gives money from state gambling profits to the 84 counties without a casino is now 20 years old.
Iowa Gaming Association president Wes Ehrecke recently gave the annual report on the County Endowment Fund to the Racing and Gaming Commission. “This year was 1,830 grants for $11.6 million,” Ehrecke says. Ehrecke says the program has had a lot of impact since it was created by the Iowa legislature in 2004.
“In 20 years, it’s been like 38,745 grants for $160 million,” he says. “So a very impressive program, and we like to think that every single citizen is benefiting in some way in the impact with these nonprofits in each of these counties.”
Ehrecke says there are a variety of different ways the money is spent. “It can be just a few grants or many grants. Each of those counties foundations have their own separate board of directors to be able to determine how best to spend that money for their area, and so I think it’s been a remarkable program,” Ehrecke says.
You can see more on the money and how it was spent at IowaCommunityFoundations.org.