Endowment Fund benefits community

Established in 1980 to support Carrington area community projects, the Carrington Community Endowment Fund (CCEF) provides a method of receiving donations and distributing grants to worthwhile projects. The Foundation is affiliated with the North Dakota Community Foundation, which is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under IRS code 501(c)(3) and North Dakota Law.

The Carrington Community Endowment Fund is managed locally by a group of volunteers whose main activities are building the fund and recommending grants annually.

This year's grant application window is open until March 15. (See notice on front page of this week's Foster County Independent.)

During the 2023 grant season, the Carrington Community Endowment fund distributed $25,440.00, after receiving applications totaling $33,799.78. The recipients from 2023 were as follows:

Caring-Ton Child Care

Caring-Ton Child Care Center, Inc., provides education to children ages three to five, in a positive away-from-home environment. This preschool experience plays a unique and important role in a child's growth and development, as children direct their energies toward an awareness of the world and develop feelings of self-worth and adequacy. Caring-Ton Child Care serves children from Carrington, Sykeston, New Rockford and surrounding areas.

Curriculum is the largest expense for Caring-Ton Childcare each year, with most students attending two consecutive years. A diversified curriculum challenges kids to grow and learn year after year. With funding from the CCEF, Carrington Child Care was able to incorporate new material, making sure each child is equipped with age appropriate, and engaging programming.

Carrington Youth Center

The Carrington Youth Center provides a facility for area youth to gather and enjoy age-appropriate recreation under adult supervision. It also houses a 66-seat movie theater, bowling alley, and a new play center for toddler and preschool aged children. The entire community can participate in activities and events at CYC.

The double doors on the south side of the building were not functioning properly and did not close tightly, allowing rain, snow, and ice to get into the building. Repair attempts included adjusting the doors and adding weatherstripping, without success. A new play center in the back room has made that area a priority, and now, new doors provide access for employees and guests. The CCEF funded the cost of the materials, and CYC provided labor for installation on this project.

CHI Health At Home

CHI Health at Home provides home health and hospice services to individuals in our community, with trained and certified professionals dedicated to helping individuals live life to the fullest, no matter their current health status is.

For clients under hospice care, the CHI Health at Home pays for the equipment, medication, supplies, and the 24/7 nursing support that each client needs to ensure the highest level of comfort and support related to a terminal diagnosis. Hospice care relies heavily on donations to close the gap between insurance reimbursements and the cost of exceptional, comprehensive care.

Every dollar donated to CHI Health at Home - Hospice stays local. Several rural communities are served by one main location. The Valley City office serves over 50 communities in North Dakota, including Carrington. Support from CCEF means that local individuals can remain local as long as possible, near friends and family.

Dollars for Scholars

Carrington Area Dollars for Scholars (CADF) encourages Carrington High School graduating seniors to continue their postsecondary education by providing a scholarship. The Carrington chapter has been providing scholarships since 2001, awarding over $153,000.

The uniqueness of the CADF scholarships is that they are for all applicants, not just top academic students. Funding from CCEF allows larger scholarships for each applicant.

Foster County Historical Society

The Foster County Historical Society preserves the history of Foster County through its museum of artifacts and other historical properties, including the Putnam House located on Carrington's Main Street.

Built in 1907, the Putnam House has significant historical relevance to the City of Carrington and serves as a community cultural center, promoting the arts through visual and performing arts and adult and youth education. Visitors come from Foster County and surrounding areas; some events, tours, and rentals bring guests from across North Dakota and all of the United States. Approximately 1,000 people pass through the Putnam House doors each year.

Grant funds from the CCEF will be used specifically toward an exterior painting project that is schedule to begin in the spring of 2024. With National Registry distinction, the FCHS is limited to specific types of repairs and maintenance upgrades. The process followed by an approved painting contractor will ensure the best possible outcome for the longevity of Putnam House.

Because of the major expense of this large project, CCEF grant funds will be combined with a Cultural Heritage matching grant through the ND State Historical Society, public and private donations, and allocating county mill levy funds and existing Foster County Historical Society capital improvement budget funds.

Friends of the Carrington City Library

Carrington City Library strives to serve as a premier, vital community institution that provides learning and reading opportunities for patrons of all ages and all cultural and economic backgrounds. The Friends of the Carrington City Library provide support to the Library in a variety of ways, from fundraising and volunteer services, to program support and advocating for the library in the community.

Carrington City Library provides a vibrant, popular summer reading program each year. The program offers reading incentives for preschool children, children going into grades K-3 and 4-6, and teens and adults. Summer reading has proven to be effective in helping early readers maintain and develop their reading skills, and Carrington City Library's program strives to engage its patrons in a variety of ways beyond the books on the shelves.

These opportunities include STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and craft activities, yoga in the park, presentations by guest speakers, storytimes, and reading challenges for all ages. As activities are offered throughout the week, additional part-time staff help with science experiments, share stories during storytime, and assist patrons with checking out books. Several high school students are trained to assist throughout the 12 weeks of summer.

Additional funds were used for the licensing to show movies and for yoga instruction, atypical additions to a reading program that provide unique opportunities and fill needs in our community. The summer reading program is open to anyone in the Carrington area, and people come from New Rockford, Buchanan, Hurdsfield and Cooperstown. About 200 people sign up for the summer reading program.

Lights of Honor

Lights of Honor is a grass-roots effort to organize, fund, and light Independence Day fireworks for the Carrington area. A successful Independence Day fireworks show was displayed from the Foster County Fairgrounds on July 4, 2023.

Lights of Honor raised funds for the 2023 Independence Day fireworks show and continues to fundraise for future years. The CCEF was a major one-time sponsor, working through the Carrington Lions as a fiscal agent.

What is a Community Foundation?

The Community Endowment Fund Program is a signature program of the North Dakota Community Foundation. A community of any size may create a permanent, flexible financial resource to support nonprofit projects and programs under the umbrella of the North Dakota Community Foundation.

The Foundation provides professional management of the funds, as well as ongoing support from experienced staff. Because the fund is a component of the North Dakota Community Foundation, there is no need to create a separate nonprofit entity with by-laws, a Board of Directors, or staff. An Advisory Committee of local citizen volunteers builds the fund through annual fundraising campaigns, and recommends grants to eligible nonprofit or community projects each year.

The North Dakota Community Foundation provides the 501(c)(3) structure and professional staff. Community foundations help build and strengthen communities and bring together people and organizations that want to make a difference.

Our Carrington Community Endowment Fund consists of a large CCEF fund and a (smaller) named fund, the McGinn Kunkel Estate, whose interest automatically rolls into the amount that the Carrington committee administers.

What is the North Dakota Community Foundation?

The North Dakota Community Foundation (NDCF)was formed in 1976 to create an easy way for North Dakotans to help their neighbors and friends, now and in the future, through charitable giving and promoting philanthropy here at home. The NDCF currently administers over 750 charitable funds, including 69 different community foundations in the state.

Questions about the Carrington Community Endowment Fund should be directed to local board chair Bob Lipetzky at 701-652-3127.