The Legacy Foundation is pleased to announce awards totaling $148,713 to the 2025 Summer Cycle Bright Ideas Community Enrichment Fund grant recipients. Recent grant money awarded will help nonprofits improve community development and vitality, arts and culture, health care, and education. At the Legacy Foundation, we are excited to watch our nonprofits continue to grow and help improve many aspects of the community.
The following 9 organizations received the most recent grant awards:
•Greater Ottumwa Development Foundation for Meet Ottumwa’s Playeasy RFP Platform
•Rippling Waters Inc for Transforming Neighborhoods: A Holistic Approach to Affordable Housing and Community Revitalization
•Ottumwa Community School Foundation for the OCSD Career Tree Project, new work-based learning and career initiatives
•River Hills Community Health Center for the Ottumwa High School Student Wellness & Therapy Room Enhancement Project
•Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa for Foundations for Growth: A Girl Scout Expansion Program
•Midwest Little League dba Ottumwa Little League for the enclosure of American Fields’ batting cage
•Agency Community Development Corporation for the Agency Park Improvement Project
•Ottumwa Boxing Club for a boxing ring, lights, and gloves for tournaments
•Blakesburg Historical Preservation Society for masonry repairs and lawn re-grading at the 1892 Abernathy House
At the Ottumwa Legacy Foundation, we recognize and embrace the critical role that we can play in the community as a catalyst for positive change. We are doing this by initiating and advancing promising ideas, making grants, convening conversations, promoting collaboration, providing sound information, and celebrating success.
We are always looking to support new and innovative ideas and efforts that can have measurable impacts on the residents and communities in Wapello County. We highly encourage all local nonprofits to submit applications to the Bright Ideas Community Enrichment Fund. The next online Bright Ideas application cycle opens on September 15th, 2025.
