DeMOTTE â The DeMotte Womenâs Circle of Giving, the first circle of giving chapter to be established in Jasper County, now celebrates 34 active members who held their spring meeting in the library on April 23. The Circle of Giving is unique as it offers grants, ranging from amounts of $100 through $2,000 or more, to non-profit organizations in our own community.
The grants are funded through yearly dues paid by the membership into the Circle, with a minimum annual fee of $100. Recipients of the grants are decided by the members who review the applications each September and award the grants in October. All of the money collected by the Circle goes right back out in grants to impact residents and organizations of our town and immediate surrounding area, including schools.
The Circle awarded $8,100 to eight organizations in 2018. Since its inception in 2003 it has awarded $59,200, with every dollar staying at home in our community. The DeMotte Circle of Giving makes a tangible difference in the quality of life for residents and strives to make our town a better place in which to live, learn, play, and work.
The conditions to qualify for a grant are simple: the organization must be a registered not-for-profit 501 © 3, and the grant application must be submitted by Sept. 1, 2019. Some past grant recipients include Keener Township EMS, the DeMotte Little League, the Town of DeMotte, KVHS Band, art and music programs in both DES and DCS, the Valley Community Players, and the Fase Senior Center. Teachers are welcomed to apply for grants to fund individual class projects.
With only two meetings a year and dues this is the easiest way to make a tangible difference in the quality of life for so many of our residents. If you are interested in joining the DeMotte Women’s Circle of Giving or if you are interested in filing a grant app to meet the Sept. 1 deadline for submission, please call Charlotte at 987-6320 or visit the Jasper Foundation online at: http://www.jasperfdn.org/
