With Integrity and Trustworthiness, We Focus on the Future
JOIN US IN CREATING A LEGACY
The HLOCF is a non-profit, volunteer organization. Our mission is to solicit funds and award grants that enrich the communities of Heron Lake and Okabena by promoting education and opportunities to create a legacy of pride and partnership. Our annual fundraising efforts include a Silent Auction, Golf Classic and Dinner Theatre. We also accept other gifts and donations. Because of our relationship with SWIF, donations are tax deductible.
About the Foundation
Thanks to you, great things have happened since the Heron Lake-Okabena Community Foundation (HLOCF) was organized in 2001.
Through fundraising events, memorials and other donations, we met our goal of raising $25,000 in 2004. Our partner, the Southwest Initiative Foundation matched these local gifts, increasing the size of our endowment fund to $50,000. We immediately started accepting grant applications from local organizations and reinvesting in our community.
WE CAN ALL BENEFIT
Many non-profit organizations can benefit from grants awarded by HLOCF. Grant awards are announced at the Silent Auction each spring. The application deadline is January 15th of each year. Click the button below to apply.
Donations to the HLOCF
SWIF provides the administrative 501(c)(3) infrastructure to the HLOCF. It also provides ongoing professional and technical support in areas such as fundraising, strategic planning, marketing, public relations and grant making.
Our endowment is a fund that is kept in perpetuity to provide ongoing revenue generated by the investment of principal. Or more simply put, a savings account. The principal is invested and the income is distributed to qualifying projects within the Heron Lake and Okabena communities. The endowment fund is a long-term strategy—it provides dollars now and in the future.
Planning for HLOCF began in 2001.
TOTAL FUNDS RAISED = $157,118
TOTAL FUNDS GRANTED = $168,919
We now have over $225,706 in our Endowment Fund (as of 03/31/23)
(updated 05/23/23)
SILENT AUCTIONS
March 2003
Raised $5800
March 2004
Raised $7054
March 2005
Raised $6379
Granted $1200: $600 to TNP & $600 NHLGP
March 2006
Raised $4700
Granted $1834: $305 to Junior Achievement, $754 to the SSC Wellness Ctr., $775 to HL Day Care
March 2007
Raised $8767
Granted $2937: $500 to Women of Today, $1000 to HL EMT, $1437 to SWU Baseball
March 2008
Raised $6700
Granted $4225: $325 to SSC Special Ed Dept, $1500 to HL Library, $1200 to SSC Wellness Center, $1200 to Okabena Park and Rec.
April 2009
Raised $5119
Granted $4348: $1000 to SSC Wellness Ctr, $1000 to SSC FFA, $1000 to SSC Learning to Give Class, $250 to HL Ecum VBS, $598 to SSC Flag Squad, $500 to ECFE
March 2010
Raised $4612
Granted $4434: $1000 to SSC Lib, $714 to SSC Physical Ed Dept., $1500 to HLO Food Shelf, $220 to Rost 4-H, $1000 HL Public Library
March 2011
Raised $4636
Granted $4300: $450 to SSC Elem Lib, $1000 to SSC Learning to Give Class, $650 to SSC Wellness Committee, $800 to LaCrosse 4-H, $1000 to Heron Lake Public Library, $300 to Lady Quasars BB Team, $100 to SSC Life Skills Class
March 2012
Raised $5030
Granted $6580: $225 to Western Community Action for HL Food Shelf, $700 to SSC Art Department, $780 to SSC Elem Library, $900 to SSC Technology Dept., $975 to HL Public Library, $1000 to SSC Door Project, $2000 to HL Legion Auxiliary for Veterans’ Memorial
March 2013
Raised $5332
Granted $5992*: $200 to HL Community Ed Youth BB, $500 to SSC Parenting Group, $550 to TOP (Teen Outreach Program) $742 to SSC Elem Phy Ed for Skate Time, $1000 to SSC Band, $1000 to HL Public Library, $2000 to HL Veteran’s Memorial. (*Parenting Group and Teen Outreach Grants were returned for reissue in 2014)
March 2014
Raised $5638
Granted $8000: Okabena Leg. Aux-$3000, HL Firemen-$1500, HL EMT’S-$800, HL Pub Lib-$500, SSC Student of the Week Prog-$500, SSC Flags-$500, SSC Elem Music-$500, SSC Wellness Comm-$500, SSC High School-$200
March 2015
Raised $5991
Granted $10230:HLO Community Ed-$320, HLO Golf-$500, HL Public Library-$1000, HLO Meals On Wheels-$1410, HL Am Legion-$1500, HL Fire Dept-$1500, HLO Math Dept-$2000, HLO Wellness Center-$2000
April 2016
Raised $6672
Granted $10900-HLO Softball-$500, HLO Ind Tech-$550, HL Library-$750, HLO Meals on Wheels-$750, HLO Camp Foster Excursion-$850, HLO Food Service-$1000, Okabena Municipal Liquor Store-$1000, HLO Legion Baseball-$1500, Okabena Development Club-$2000, Heron Lake Legion Auxiliary-$2000.
April 2017
Raised $3925
Granted $11150-HLO PE-$400, HLO FB-$750, LaCrosse 4-H-$800 HL Public Lib-$800, HLO Meals on Wheels-$1000, HLO Elem Lib-$1000, Okabena Legion BB-$1000. HLO FACS Dept-$1200, HLO 21st Century Classroom-$1200, HLO School Garden-$1500, HL Fire Dept-$1500
March 2018
Raised $8798
Granted $14713-HLO Pool-$200, HLO Elem PBIS program-$1000, HLO Food Serv-$475, HLO HS PBIS-$1000, HLO FACS-$1000, HLO Athletics-$1500, Okabena Community Club Lights-$1438. HLO Public Library-$1500, Meals on Wheels-$1000, HLO Elem Library-$1000, HL EMS-$2000, HL Fire Dept-$1500, Okabena Fire Dept-$1100
March 2019
Raised $5486
Granted $13676: HLO Summer Learning Academy-$500, HLO FCCLA-$500, HLO Volleyball Program-$750, HLO Band-$600, Heron Lake Public Library-$1000, HL and Ok Fire Depts and HL EMS-$3000, Okabena Fire Dept-$1500, HLO Legion Baseball-$750, HLO Elem Skate Time-$740, HLO/F FB-$750, Okabena Community Club-$500 & $836, HL Ecumenical VBS-$500, HLO HS PBIS-$500, HLO Track & Field-$750, Jackson Cty Food for Kids-$500
March 2020
Raised $3304
Granted $15730: HLOF FB-$750, HLOF Golf-$500, Ok Fire-$820, HL Fire-$1500, HLEMS-$700, HLO Robotics-$1000, HLO Band-$1100, HLOF Baseball-$400, OK Leg BB-$1000, HLO Summer Food-$500, HLO FFA-$500, HLO Wellness Ctr-$1000, HLO Gym Banners-$1000, HLO Bleachers-$1000, HL Library-$900, HLO Elem Lib-$1000, HLO Tech-$500, Ok Comm Club-$1000, OMLS-$560
March 2021
No Silent Auction Due to Covid
Granted $12760: Jack Cty Library- $500, HLO Elem Lib-$650, HLO Ag-$610, HLOF Athletics-$1000 HLO Summer Food Prog-$500, HLO Facs-$500, HLO Ind Tech-$3000, HLO Wellness Ctr-$1500, Okabena Corner Pocket-$700, HLO FFA-$1000, Ok Comm Club-$2000, HL Lib-$800
March 2022
Raised $7965
Granted $18460: Jack Cty Lib-$900, HLO School Lib-$1000, HLO Ag-$700, HL Pub Lib-$700, HLO Ag-$2500, HLO Robotics-$2500, HLO Ind Tech-$1800, HLO Legion BB-$1500, HLO Wellness Ctr-$1500, OLMS-$2000, HLO FCCLA-$1200, HLO Facs-$1160, Okabean Comm Club-$1000
March 2023
Raised $6576
Granted $18500-Jack Cty Lib-$500, HL Pub Lib-$900, HL Elem Skatetime-$800, HLO FFA Greenhouse-$750, HLO FCCLA t-shirts-$500, HLO Legion Baseball-$1000, HLO Ind Tech-$750, Okabena Fire Dept-$2000, HLO Ag Dept-$500, HLO Pool-$1500, HLO Youth FB-$1000, HLOF FB-$1000, Heron Lake Fire-$2000, HLO Sports Field-$1500, HLO FACS-$500, HLO Mental Health/Prev-$1000, HLOF Golf-$800, HLO Elem Lib-$500, HLO Robotics-$1000
TOTAL RAISED: $118,484
GRANTS TO DATE = $168,919*
GOLF TOURNAMENTS
September 2004
Raised $2600
September 2005
Raised $2300
September 2006
Raised $2319
September 2007
Raised $1700
September 2008
Raised $1664
September 2009
Raised $2971
September 2010
Raised $1837
September 2011
Raised $1758
September 2012
Raised $1559
September 2013
Raised $1727
September 2014
Raised $2028
September 2015
Raised $936
September 2016
Raised $1053
September 2017
Raised $1200
September 2018
Raised $ 1164
August 2019
Raised $ 2586
August 2020
Raised $0.00 (no tourney held due to covid)
August 2021
Raised $2140
August 2022
Raised $2188
TOTAL RAISED: $33730
DINNER THEATERS
2005
Raised $1200
2006
Raised $ 580
2007
Raised $800
2008
Raised $960
2009
Raised $290
2010
Raised $1074
TOTAL RAISED: $4904
MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVITIES
Mary Beth Carlson Concert—2004
Did not make any profits. Did as service to Community. Those of us who attended enjoyed it immensely!
Road Races: 2005, 2006, 2007
Done as service to community. Not profit maker. 2008 was handled by HL 150th Committee
Kari Heisinger Timmer Holiday Concerts: 2011, 2012, 2013
Done as service to community.
The Heron Lake-Okabena Community Foundation is organized as an affiliate of the Southwest Initiative Foundation.
Our partner, the Southwest Initiative Foundation, provides administrative support through gift processing and receipting, grant processing, investment management, and the 501(c)(3) public charity infrastructure necessary for your gifts to receive the highest possible charitable tax deduction. We also have access to technical and professional support from Southwest Initiative Foundation in areas such as strategic planning, board development, fundraising, marketing and public relations, and grantmaking.
In return, we have established an advisory board to lead the Heron Lake-Okabena Community Foundation, raise funds to support our vision, coordinate a grant process and educate the community. We are in the driver’s seat, with Southwest Initiative Foundation supporting us every step of the way.
For more information about the Southwest Initiative Foundation, click here.