Clarinda Foundation
Serving the clarinda community today, tomorrow, and forever.
Share With Clarinda
By making a contribution to the Share with Clarinda Fund you are ensuring the quality of life for those living in or visiting the greater Clarinda area for today and many years to come.
Make A Contribution
Giving to and through the Clarinda Foundation is an easy way to help support the community you love and have been a part of.
Book of Honor
The Clarinda Foundation’s Book of Honor provides a dignified, enduring tribute to the memory of a friend or relative. It can also provide recognition for community leadership.
Vision 35
Clarinda is a tight-knit community that values its small-town charm and family ties but faces challenges like population decline and housing shortages. The Vision 35 Strategic Plan aims to address these needs while leveraging the town’s strengths to build a vibrant future.
CLARINDA FOUNDATION AWARDS OVER $117,000 IN LOCAL GRANTS
The Clarinda Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce $117,776 in 2026 grant funding to 14 local organizations. Since 1986, Clarinda Foundation has distributed nearly $2 million for numerous community projects through the Clarinda Foundation’s annual grant cycle.
The Clarinda Foundation invited community members to attend a 2026 Grant Recognition Coffee that honored the award recipients on July 28, 2026 at the Lied Public Library.
This year’s recipients are:
- City of Braddyville. for playground fence – $556.00
- Clarinda Athletic Booster Club for sports complex concession stand & mobile trailer – $17,500.00
- Clarinda Chamber of Commerce for wayfinding signage – $6,000.00
- Clarinda Fire Department for Battery powered PPV Fan & Battery charger bank – $3,720.00
- Clarinda Parks & Recreation for Tennis Court project Phase I – $25,000.00
- Clarinda Outdoor Recreation & Engagement for Iowa DOT Right of Way – $30,000.00
- Grandma’s House Daycare for Nurturing Spaces initiative – $5,000.00
- New Market Foundation for walking trail lighting – $3,682.50
- City of Northboro for city park safety hazard removal – $3,000.00
- Page County Conservation for Pioneer Park shower house – $12,000.00
- City of Shambaugh for Community Building improvements – $1,750.00
- Spirit on the Square for Pole Wraps for light poles around the square – $3,437.50
- Southwest Iowa Families for EMDR Technology Expansion – $1,330.00
- Waubonsie Mental Health Center for Gibson Suite improvements & SPRAVATO Vitas equipment – $4,800.00
Grant applicants were required to demonstrate a positive, lasting impact to the local public for various types of projects within the community in areas such as arts, culture, humanities, health, human services education, the environment, public benefit and more. This year, each applicant also met with the Clarinda Foundation’s Grant Committee to share supplemental information that may not have been included in the written application.
Beckie T. Finch, Clarinda Foundation Executive Director and Board Secretary said, “As the Clarinda Foundation celebrates 40 years of serving our community, these grants are a powerful reminder of what can be accomplished when neighbors invest in neighbors. Every donation made to the Foundation helps create lasting opportunities and strengthens the future of the Clarinda area.”
In addition to recognizing this year’s grant recipients, guest speaker Jeff Privia, Superintendent of Clarinda Community Schools (CCSD), provided an update on the impact of recent Clarinda Foundation grants and the success of the Cardinal Fund Committee’s $200,000 community fundraising challenge. With more than $600,000 in combined grant funding and community donations, CCSD has completed several critical infrastructure improvements, including replacement of the 1957 electrical hub at Garfield School and upgrades to the HVAC control system at Clarinda Jr./Sr. High School. Privia also highlighted several upcoming district projects aimed at continuing to enhance school facilities for students and staff.
Funding for the Clarinda Foundation’s Grant Program comes from unrestricted endowment donations, unrestricted non-endowed donations from funds such as the Share with Clarinda and Book of Honor funds, and gifts from designated and donor advised funds. For information on contributing toward future community betterment projects, contact the Clarinda Foundation office at 114 E. Washington in Clarinda, call 712-542-4412, or email clarindafoundation@clarindafoundation.com.
Our Community…
Today. Tomorrow. Forever.
The Clarinda Foundation, Inc. was organized in 1986 and is a publicly supported, tax-exempt “community foundation” and grant-making organization serving the greater Clarinda area. We provide our donors the maximum tax benefits of charitable giving. With our donors’ support, we continuously strive to:
- Provide financial resources to support local projects.
- Assist donors to formulate and achieve their philanthropic dreams for ongoing good.
- Make charitable giving simple, efficient, and effective for donors.
- Create a deep and lasting positive impact on the quality of life in and around Clarinda.
Our Mission
The Clarinda Foundation is dedicated to cultivating philanthropic resources that will nourish a healthy and vital community for all people of the greater Clarinda area today, tomorrow, and forever.
Encourage private giving for public good.
Build and maintain permanent endowments to respond to changing community needs.
Serve as a catalyst and resource to effectively respond to community needs.
Provide flexible tax-exempt vehicles for donors with varied charitable interests and abilities to give.
Our Vision
The Clarinda Foundation envisions a successful locale made up of safe, thriving, and diverse people, supported by a strong and active charitable sector that is essential to our quality of life, and motivates public involvement through philanthropy.
OUR VALUES
The Clarinda Foundation believes that communities are healthy and vital when:
- They are welcoming to all and community members support and care for one another.
- They have the capacity to succeed.
- They are sustainable.