The Dallas County Foundation is helping contribute to over 30 projects in 2025.

Grant Chair Lynn Ubben confirms to Raccoon Valley Radio that 56 grants were submitted this year, of which 36 were funded for a total of $200,000. She states that the grants are in 11 communities within Dallas County including Perry, Adel, Minburn, Redfield, and Dallas Center. 

Ubben shares that the two biggest projects that were funded were for the Perry Police Department for $20,000 to upgrade body-worn cameras as well as dash-cam videos in their vehicles, and the Perry Rotary Club’s phase two portion at Wiese Park for an inclusive playground in the amount of $15,000. She understands the impact these grants have on communities, especially the smaller ones.

“It’s very difficult in a smaller community to be able to raise the funds to be able to do some of these bigger things. And so it’s kind of fun when you can help communities like that. Even our school districts, we’ve helped some school districts with equipment, just because the smaller communities sometimes need some help. And then the smaller projects, getting helmets for youth football, making sure kids are safe. Those projects are kind of fun too.”

Ubben describes that out of the $200,000 in grants, $51,500 was from Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation with four projects. She says that the Dallas County Foundation receives money to benefit projects from the gambling funds from the state run casinos each year.