Valley County approves Community Improvement Grant Program to fund local nonprofits

The Valley County Board of Commissioners approved a new Valley County Community Improvement Grant Program on Oct. 29, establishing an initial application window of Nov. 1–Dec. 30, 2025 and a review period in January leading to distribution of funds in February 2026.

County staff member Mackenzie presented the proposed program and a draft scoring rubric to guide objective review of nonprofit applications. The program will prioritize projects that strengthen community services and quality of life; priority areas are open‑ended ("include but are not limited to") so organizations outside specified categories may apply. Mackenzie said the county will accept nonmatching grants, require organizational contact information and an EIN, and recommended an advisory committee to review applications.

Commissioners agreed on an advisory committee structure that will include one commissioner, one other elected official and three community members. Mackenzie said the county will require basic financial and organizational documents and suggested allowing partial funding at the advisory committee’s and commissioners’ discretion.

Commissioner (unnamed) moved to approve the program with the changes discussed; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The commissioners directed staff to build a web page and begin outreach. Applications will be accepted Nov. 1–Dec. 30, with the advisory committee reviewing applications in January and final approval by the commissioners at the last meeting in January; approved funds will be released in February 2026.

The county intends to refine the process in following years and to require additional documentation if needed for compliance; staff said they will return language edits and an updated application form to the board prior to launch.