Foundation projects flourish in southern Nodaway County
Submitted photo
Pictured is a promotional button featuring the logo of the Greater Southern Nodaway County Community Foundation. Last year alone, the group, which was founded in 2009, used a combination of donations and grant funds to make improvements at the Barnard city park, assist with Eagle Scouts projects, and fund a robotics club for students at South Nodaway R-IV School.
An organization dedicated to improving the lot of southern Nodaway County has been helping Barnard/Guilford area residents in a big way.
“Our general mission is to improve the quality of life in our area,” said Sue Nothstine, secretary of the Greater Southern Nodaway County Community Foundation.
“Our organization is set up so that community members can come to us when they have something they would like improved or have a project that they’re interested in doing, and the we do our best to find funding for that project and make it happen.”
GSNCCF was founded in 2009 following a town meeting in which citizens voiced support for some kind of community improvement organization.
“We started with nothing really, we just had what people were willing to donate to improve their community,” Nothstine said.
The organization eventually became affiliated with Nodaway County Economic Development organization and has undertaken a number of projects.
“The NCED has been so supportive of us and our mission, and have given us so much help in this endeavor,” said Nothstine, who also credits her husband Don in getting the foundation up and running.
“Don was the one who really got started with the idea,” Nothstine said. “We were both working on the Trails Committee in Maryville, so we were learning about foundations and collaborating with other foundations and community improvement.
“And Don just thought that something like that would be really cool for our smaller community. So that’s why we set up the town meeting, and the people in town were very supportive and so we decided to pursue this idea.”
Currently GSNCCF has 16 board members, including a South Nodaway High School student.
“We encourage younger people to be involved with what we’re doing,” Nothstine said.
And, indeed, southland youth are a priority.
In the past year alone, foundation resources have been used to improve the Barnard city park, assist with Eagle Scouts projects, and fund a robotics club for students at South Nodaway R-IV School.
GSNCCF obtains the majority of its funding through grants, and has set ambitious goals for the new year.
“We’ve received a grant from US Bank recently that will match any funds that we raise in 2016,” Nothstine said. “So our goal is to independently raise $5,000 in 2016, which US Bank will match, for a total of $10,000. Then we will have enough money to truly invest into the foundation and let it grow.”
The first official fundraiser GSNCCF will host this year will be a Valentine’s Day gala on Sunday Feb. 14.
The gala will take place at the Tri Meadows center in Conception Junction and will include dinner, dancing, entertainment, and a live auction featuring gift baskets, Northwest Missouri State University branded merchandise, hunting gear, and gift certificates for area restaurants.
Anyone interested in more information about the GSNCCG, or purchasing tickets for the Valentine’s gala, can call Nothstine at 660.652.3688.
