LAKE MILLS, Iowa — The same day that Cummins Filtration in Lake Mills announced its final round of layoffs come spring, the Winnebago County Community Foundation announced it would begin accepting applications for organizations seeking grant funding.

According to Marilyn Hoffman, executive director of the Lake Mills Chamber Development Corp., between $96,000 and $100,000 will be available to distribute among nonprofit organizations and community projects within Winnebago County. Those wishing to apply must be a nonprofit or governmental agency.

“It’s been a really good thing,” said Hoffman. “We’ve given to fire departments, ambulance crews, youth groups, libraries. It’s just so much fun to give this money out.”

Organizations and projects wanting to promote arts and culture, community affairs and development, education, environmental education and protection, health and historical preservation are among the categories eligible to receive funding.

Hoffman said the chamber received $10,000 in grant money last year to use for marketing and recruiting in light of job loss. During the past two years, Cummins Filtration has had several rounds of layoffs as its filter operations are being transferred to a facility in Mexico. Last Friday, they announced the final round of layoffs, putting 200 people from Lake Mills and surrounding areas without jobs. It has been estimated that these layoffs all together, over the past two years, have affected one-quarter of the town all together.

Past funding has also been granted to the Family Aquatic Center in Lake Mills for repairs and updates, Lake Mills Community Preschool and Daycare for playground surfacing and the Lake Mills Area Historical Society for attic insulation in the historical society’s building.

The Winnebago County Community Foundation is a local, nonprofit charitable affiliate of the Community Foundation of Waterloo/Cedar Falls and Northeast Iowa.

Hoffman said the funds come from dollars earmarked by the state of Iowa from gambling proceeds. A percentage of the commercial casinos’ gaming tax revenues are distributed to countywide community foundations located in counties without state-issued gaming licenses, such as Winnebago County. In 2009, more than $11.3 million was distributed by the Iowa Department of Revenue to these counties’ community foundations and/or affiliate organizations.

Hoffman also said these grant monies come from private donations.

“The foundation is a good way to leave a lasting legacy donation, if you have passion for music and arts,” Hoffman added.

Those who choose to give an endowment could receive up to a 20 percent tax credit, above and beyond the normal charitable donation tax credit given in the state of Iowa.

There is no limit on how much each applicant can apply for, as that’s determined on a case-by-case basis.

The deadline to apply for the community grants is March 15. Contact Hoffman at 641-592-5253 for application instructions or visit http://www.cfneia.org/affiliates/WinnebagoCounty/grants.