This week is National Community Foundation Week, and Iowans are celebrating the 130+ organizations throughout the state that support charitable projects in their county. Iowa Council of Foundations President Kari McCann-Boutell says, “We have an incredibly strong community foundation network in Iowa. It’s one of the strongest models in the nation, thanks to two programs the Iowa Legislature put in place nearly 20 years ago.” The County Endowment Fund Program was created in 2004 by the Iowa Legislature and allocates a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue to local projects. Seventy-five percent of the proceeds are distributed through grants. The remaining 25 percent is added to the county’s permanent endowment fund for future use. The Endow Iowa tax credit program, created in 2003, encourages donations to community foundations’ endowed funds and has leveraged $359 million since its creation. Locally, the Community Foundation of Carroll County has awarded over $1.5 million in grants since 2006. Learn more about Iowa’s Community Foundations at www.IowaCommunityFoundations.org.