To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Rotary Club of Evanston Lighthouse has allocated $50,000 to non-profit organizations within Evanston.
Chip Uchtman, the club’s president, said $35,000 was given to the YWCA and $10,000 was given to Evanston150, “the strategic planning process for improving the City of Evanston on the occasion of its 150th anniversary,” according to the Rotary’s Web site. The last $5,000, he said, will end up going to “whoever needs it most.”
Through fundraisers and charitable donations, the club was able to award the special 25th anniversary grant and its yearly Community Service Grant.
“It’s our hope that by putting money into small organizations that can most cost-effectively use it, we can help better the community,” Uchtman said.
The club started accepting proposals for the $50,000 grant in March 2009 and awarded the funds in September 2009. The YWCA used the funds it received to renovate the kitchen at the local battered women’s shelter, Mary Lou’s Place.
YWCA Executive Director Karen Singer said the grant will help her organization achieve its mission: to empower women and eliminate racism.
“This is a project we’ve wanted to do for some time, and we haven’t been able to get the funding,” Singer said. “So we were thrilled when we got the news.”
After receiving a building permit earlier in the week, the YWCA will begin construction on the kitchen in two weeks, Singer said.
“The Rotary recognized the importance of our project in terms of the women we serve,” Singer said. “They thought it would have a big impact on the quality of the services we deliver.”
Applications for the club’s Community Service Grant, which supports organizations trying to heal the damage done by the economic crisis, will continue to be accepted through April 19, and checks will be given out on June 8 at the club’s meeting.
Some organizations within the community are reluctant to apply for the grant because the funds may be better used for nonprofits working on smaller budgets, said Sarah Flax, Evanston’s community development block grant administrator.
Evanston recently received an $18 million grant to refurbish foreclosed properties from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after applying for $40 million. Due to the massive reduction in funds, Evanston housing officials had to scale back their plans for renovations.
Flax said although Evanston’s housing department will be looking at other options for funding, they will not pursue funds from the Rotary Club.
“The funds are so important to other organizations that are working for the same goals we are,” Flax said. “I would hate to put us in competition with those nonprofits … Also the amount of money that we might be able to get for a project like ours may not be the best.”Uchtman said the Rotary Club has focused on making the biggest impact with the funds available to them.
“We really wanted it to be something that would have the greatest significance on the people of Evanston for a small budget,” Uchtman said. “With only $50,000 there’s just so far you can go in the grand scheme of things. We want the money to go where it will be the most cost-effective, and that’s what we’ve tried to do.”[email protected]
