EDWARDSVILLE, IL – The Edwardsville Community Foundation (ECF) recently presented a $5,000 grant to the Watershed Nature Center for its capital campaign project, Access Nature.
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This project will modify the entrance at the Watershed Nature Center to allow for greater access and understanding of native habitats located in the park.
The Watershed Nature Center was selected to receive this grant by ECF’s Grant Committee, which reviewed all of the grant applications from various registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofits which are working to complete capital campaign projects. ECF Executive Director Pam Farrar said that the grant committee awarded the money to Access Nature because of the long-term benefit it will provide to people in the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon community.
“It’s always difficult to select one nonprofit to receive this kind of grant, because there are so many wonderful organizations in our community, doing important work. However, the mission of the Edwardsville Community Foundation is to enhance the quality of life for people in our community, and we feel like the Access Nature Project will provide a unique opportunity for everyone living here, as well as
visitors outside of our community,” said Farrar.
Watershed Nature Center Executive Director Sarah Palermo said in addition to modifying the entrance to the park, this project will also create a large, open Education Meadow and a Shoreline Classroom where students can have direct water access. Palermo said the campaign is halfway towards reaching its $200,000 goal now.
“We believe that Access Nature will provide so many new educational opportunities for people of all ages in our community and allow them to experience nature in a completely new way. We are also so appreciative of the support we’ve received from the Edwardsville Community Foundation for helping us move this project closer to becoming a reality,” said Palermo.
The Edwardsville Community Foundation was founded to create an organization where people could donate money that would directly impact the quality of life in the local communities. The ECF operates as a charitable trust that receives, manages, and distributes tax-deductible charitable contributions for the benefit of the residents living in the local communities, as defined by the Edwardsville School District 7. Since its inception in 1997, the ECF has distributed more than $5.4 million to charitable causes.
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