Clarence Johnson & Eunice Iwen Community Foundation for Arthur, ND

About the Clarence Johnson & Eunice Iwen Community Foundation

Clarence Johnson and Eunice Iwen

Established in 2005 through a generous gift from the Clarence Johnson & Eunice Iwen estate, this fund benefits  youth and community projects and activies in the Arthur, ND area (defined as the Northern Cass School District boundaries).  The Foundation is affiliated with the North Dakota Community Foundation, which is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under IRS code 501(c)(3) and North Dakota Law.

The community foundation is managed locally by a group of volunteers whose main activities are building the fund and recommending grants annually. 

Local Advisory Committee

                                      Term Ends

Nichol Sorvaag, Chair          2025*

Dale Lako                             2027
Deb Gebeke, Secretary       2028                   
Sue Iwen                              2029
Scott Kroeger                       2027*

*eligible for a 2nd 3-yr term

Contact

Nichol Sorvaag
16387 25th St SE
Argusville, ND 58005

701-866-5789

Email

or contact Amy Stromsodt, NDCF Development Director, at 701-795-1531.

Annual Reports

2023

The Good Samaritan Society has received numerous grants from the Clarence Johnson & Eunice Iwen Community Foundation over the years.

 Recent grant awards are listed below.

SPRING 2024 GRANTS: 

  • Arthur Fire Department - $50,000 New Fire Hall
  • BIO Girls - $4,000 Operational Support Northern Cass
  • City of Arthur:
    • $2,450 Picnic in the Park
    • $3,162 City Banners and Flags
    • $1,200 for Arthur Beautification and Programming
  • ​​​​​​​Community of Care - $5,000 general operating support
  • Job Development Authority of Arthur: 
    • ​​​​​​​$16,900 asbestos removal at the school
    • $7,100 Spill Bucket replacement
    • $6,500 Parking Lot sealant
  • ​​​​​​​Northern Cass Dollars for Scholars - $10,000 Dollars for Scholars Scholarships
  • The Arthur Market - $3,000 The Arthur Market events
  • Clarence Johnson & Eunice Iwen Scholarship Fund - $28,545 Increase Scholarship Giving

FALL 2023 GRANTS:

  • Arthur Cemetery - $10,000 for annual mowing, trimming & maintenance
  • Arthur Fire Department - $186,940 New Fire Hall
  • City of Arthur:
    • $4,300 Veterans Day Program & Christmas Tree Lighting
    • $3,000 City Sign Lighting
  • Community of Care - $10,000 One Stop Service Center
  • Marketplace of Ideas/Marketplace for Kids, Inc. - $2,500 Marketplace for Kids Education Day in Mayville
  • Northern Cass Dollars for Scholars - $7,740 2024 Dollars for Scholars Scholarships
  • Northern Cass School District #97 - $15,000 Northern Cass Full Service Community School

​​​​​​​SPRING 2023 GRANTS:

  • Arthur Fire Department - $9,500 for Personal Protective Equipment
  • City of Arthur - $1,900 for Arthur Beautification and Community Recreation
  • Community of Care - $5,000 for general operating support
  • Clarence Johnson & Eunice Iwen Scholarship Fund - $10,000 to endowment
  • Northern Cass School District - $3,000 current scholarships for graduating Seniors

FALL 2022 GRANTS:

  • Job Development Authority of Arthur - $78,894 for the mall and bar/cafe roof project
  • Arthur Fire Dept - $20,500 for the loan payment on the fire truck
  • City of Arthur:
    • $7,000 - snowblower for the city tractor
    • $6,000 - snowblade for the city pickup
    • $4,150 - Veteran's Day program and Christmas Tree lighting
  • Clarence Johnson & Eunice Iwen Scholarship Fund - $15,000 Increase Scholarship Giving
  • Community of Care - $10,000 for the One Stop Service Center
  • BIO Girls - $3,165 Operational Support Northern Cass
  • Marketplace of Ideas/Marketplace for Kids, Inc. - $2,500 for Mayville Education Day

SPRING 2022 GRANTS:

  • Arthur Fire Department - $70,000 for tanker-pumper fire truck
  • Hunter Volunteer Fire Department - $30,000 to purchase a rescue truck
  • City of Arthur - $5,400 for Arthur Beautification & Community Recreation
  • Community of Care - $5,000 for Operating Support
  • Northern Cass Dollars for Scholars - $5,000 for Scholarships
  • Northern Cass School District #97 - $5,000 for their Summer Food Program
  • Rural Cass County Emergency Food Pantry - $2,500 for the Northern Cass Backpack Program

FALL 2021 GRANTS:

  • Arthur Fire Dept - $28,059.47 New Tanker-Pumper Fire Truck
  • BIO Girls - $3,000 Operational Support Northern Cass
  • City of Arthur:
    • $1,000 Boulevard Flags
    • $3,500 Veterans Day & Christmas Tree Lighting
    • $15,000 Water Shed Drainage Project
    • $10,000 City Shop
  • Community of Care - $5,000 General Operating Support
  • Hunter Ambulance Service - $14,700 Portable Radios
  • Northern Cass Dollars for Scholars - $5,000 Scholarships
  • Northern Cass School District - $15,000 Safety & Security Project
  • Clarence Johnson & Eunice Iwen Scholarship Fund - $5,000 Increase Scholarship Giving

SPRING 2021 GRANTS:

  • Arthur Fire Department - $2,500 for Truck Repairs
  • City of Arthur - $1,100 for Newsletter Wafer Applicator
  • City of Arthur - $4,100 for Beautification & Community Recreation
  • Clarence Johnson & Eunice Iwen Scholarship Fund - $5,000 for Scholarships
  • Community of Care - $5,000 for Operating Support
  • Hunter Ambulance Service - $50,000 for 4x4 Ambulance
  • Job Development Authority of Arthur - $77,437 for JDA Loan Principal Reduction
  • Northern Cass Dollars for Scholars - $5,000 for Scholarships

FALL 2020 GRANTS:

  • Arthur Cemetery Association - $1,000 for Marker and Cemetery Beautification
  • BIO Girls, INC - $5,000 to support the Northern Cass BIO Girls (Beauty Inside and Out) program
  • City of Arthur - $5,000 toward annual tree lighting and Veteran's Day events
  • City of Arthur - $5,000 toward purchase of a utility dump trailer
  • Community of Care - $10,000 for general operating 
  • JDA of Arthur - $2,745 toward purchase of a new cooler for the cafe
  • JDA of Arthur - $5,000 for a new digital sign for the station
  • JDA of Arthur - $31,000 toward payment of debt on original mall purchase
  • JDA of Arthur - $14,390 for roof repairs
  • Joint Arthur and Hunter Park District (Northern Cass Pass) - $30,000 toward completion of the Northern Cass Pass walking/bike path between Arthur and Hunter
  • Northern Cass Dollars for Scholars - $3,000 toward scholarships for graduating seniors
  • Rural Cass County Emergency Food Pantry - $1,500 to support the Northern Cass School backpack program
  • Clarence Johnson & Eunice Iwen Scholarship Fund - $10,000 toward building a permanent scholarship named for Clarence and Eunice

SPRING 2020 GRANTS:

  • Arthur Rural Fire Protection District - $7,600 to purchase new SCBA Masks
  • Arthur Rural Fire Protection District - $10,296 toward purchase of new truck and hand held radios
  • City of Arthur - $3,200 for Main Street Beautification and Community Recreation programs
  • City of Arthur - $15,000 toward the renovation of Arthur Community Hall
  • Community of Care - $5,000 for General Operating support
  • Hunter Ambulance - $40,000 toward purchase of a 4X4 ambulance
  • Hunter Volunteer Fire Department - $8,500 for equipment updates
  • Joint Arthur/Hunter Park District - $15,000 to finish paving the Northern Cass Pass
  • Northern Cass School - $11,000 for the Mental Health Wellness Initiative
  • Northern Cass School - $2,000 toward STEM programming (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
  • Northern Cass Dollars for Scholars - $5,000 for scholarships to graduating seniors
  • JDA of Arthur - $2,700 to cover rent reductions due to COVID-19
  • JDA of Arthur - $5,000 toward new wainscoting in the Mall
  • Clarence Johnson & Eunice Iwen Scholarship Fund - $5,000 to build a named scholarship

FALL 2019 GRANTS:

  • Arthur Cemetery Association - $1,500 for tree removal and maintenance of the cemetery
  • BIO Girls, Inc - $2,000 to support a Northern Cass chapter of BIO Girls (Beautiful Inside and Out)
  • City of Arthur - $10,000 for the final payment on Arthur signs at entrances to the city
  • City of Arthur - $10,000 toward the purchase of additional lighting for the Community Christmas Tree and to pay for the meal for the Tree Lighting Event
  • City of Arthur - $38,000 toward renovation of the Fire Hall and Community Center
  • Community of Care - $5,000 to support programs 
  • JDA of Arthur - $15,000 toward payment of debt on the original mall purchase
  • JDA of Arthur - $8,000 to replace overhead doors at the gas station
  • JDA of Arthur - $7,500 to repair coolers at the cafe, bar and grocery store
  • Joint Arthur and Hunter Park District (Northern Cass Pass) - $20,000 to pave approximately 4 miles of the trail
  • Northern Cass Dollars for Scholars - $5,000 to support local scholarships to graduating seniors
  • Northern Cass School District - $1,000 to help defray the expenses of the Northern Cass Hall of Fame Banquet
  • Clarence Johnson & Eunice Iwen Scholarship Fund - $2,684 to build a named, endowed Scholarship in Memory of Clarence Johnson and Eunice Iwen

SPRING 2019 GRANT:

  • City of Arthur - $48,000 for renovations to the Arthur Community Center & Fire Hall
  • City of Arthur - $10,000 toward payment on Welcome to Arthur signs
  • City of Arthur - $4,500 for City Beautification/flowers on Main Street and summer events for kids
  • Dollars for Scholars, Northern Cass School - $5,000 toward scholarships for graduating seniors
  • Hunter Volunteer Fire Department - $5,000 toward equipment upgrades and purchase of a new SCBA Unit
  • Job Development Authority of Arthur - $4,500 toward repairs to the Mall building
  • Job Development Authority of Arthur - $25,000 toward debt payment on the Mall Building
  • Job Development Authority of Arthur - $10,000 toward maintenance and upkeep of the Arthur Gymnasium
  • Job Development Authority of Arthur - $1,000 to replace lighting in the Mall
  • Job Development Authority of Arthur - $3,000 for upgrades to Kelly's Cafe
  • Northern Cass School District - $3,000 to students in Career & Community Leaders of America to attend a National Conference
  • Rural Cass County Emergency Food Pantry - $2,000 to support the Northern Cass Backpack Program to feed needy families

How to Apply for a Grant

Grant Guidelines
Organizations applying for grants from the Community Foundation for Arthur must meet the following guidelines:

  • Grants will be limited to those organizations and/or projects that provide a direct service or benefit to the Arthur area as determined by the Advisory Board (defined as the Northern Cass School District).
  • Grants will made only to those organizations designated as a government entity or a non-profit, tax exempt group under IRS code 501(c)(3).
  • Grants will not be made to individuals.
  • Grants to religious organizations will be limited to those activities which are non-denominational and serve the entire community.
  • Low priority will be given to applications that will be funding day-to-day operations of an organization.
  • Grants for requests of multi-year commitments will generally not exceed 5 years.
  • Grants will be made twice each year with application deadlines of April 1 and October 1.

Other Granting Considerations
Advisory Board members will look at the following factors when making granting decisions:

  • The impact of the grant on the success of the project
  • The number of people benefiting from the project and the overall impact on the community
  • Community financial and in-kind donations toward the project
  • Organizational management and integrity of the organization
  • Level of local involvement and support

**Applicants may be asked to appear before the granting committee to answer questions or clarify information in the application.

Deadlines: April 1 and October 1


To Apply for a Grant:

Step 1 - Review

Review the grant guidelines above to make sure your organization qualifies.

Step 2 - Register

Create an account on our Grants Portal. You will need your organization’s name, EIN, and executive officer's name. Be sure to write down your user name (email address) and password.

Step 3 – Complete Your Application

After registering or logging in, you will arrive at the application section. Click “Apply” to the right of the grant program to which you wish to apply. If you do not see your desired grant program on the list, contact our office. You will be able to save your application and return later to complete it.

Click here for more detailed instructions and tips for using our online grant system.

Other Funds Managed by NDCF in Arthur, ND

Dorothy W. Burgum Non-Endowment Fund Established in 1999

Frederick & Jody Burgum Family Non-Endowment Fund Established in 1998

Northern Cass Education Foundation  Established in 2000 by Northern Cass School for educational purposes.

Plan Your Legacy

Making a lasting difference in our community or for future generations may be easier than you realize.  With very simple language in your will or trust, you can support important projects and programs in our area forever.  Clarence Johnson & Eunice Iwen created a named fund to support the community of Arthur forever, and you can do the same if you like or support specific organizations in our community.

Gifts to any endowed fund at the North Dakota Community Foundation are carefully invested to generate a  permanent source of charitable income.

If you have children or other relatives, you can leave a portion of your estate to them and a percentage to a fund at NDCF. Doing so provides for your heirs while honoring your charitable values.

Brothers Russell and Dale Brown left gifts to the communities of Lisbon and Milnor, ND, in their estate plans.

Getting Started

1.  Download our free Estate Planning Guide - it contains helpful information and things to consider as you develop your own unique plan.

2.  Reach out to an Arthur Community Foundation committee member to learn more about the charities and needs in our area.

3.  Consider discussing (confidentially) your vision with our NDCF gift planner Amy Stromsodt.  She has many years of experience helping donors create their charitable vision and better prepare for their discussions with financial planners. Amy's cell is 701-741-3193 or you can email her at Amy@NDCF.net.

4.  Contact your professional advisors (financial planner, attorney and/or accountant) and ask for help in establishing a charitable gift to our foundation.

5.  Make sure your will or living trust is up-to-date and reflects your charitable goals.

6.  Consider notifying the charitable organizations about the gift you plan to leave them.  They will appreciate your generosity and will want to know what you’d like them to do with your eventual gift if it isn't clear.

Language for Your Will or Living Trust

Susanne Mattheis wished to support several different charitable organizations in Bismarck after she passed. NDCF helped her craft a plan that accomplished her charitable goals and provided long-term support to the Public Library, Symphony Orchestra, and five other local entities.

If you would like to make a gift to your hometown in your will, here is some sample language to consider:

“I give and bequeath to the North Dakota Community Foundation (Tax ID Number 45-0336015), a qualified charitable organization under IRS 501(c)(3), located in Bismarck, North Dakota, ___________ (a percentage of the estate, specific dollar amount, or remainder of estate) for the __________________ (name of new or existing fund), a permanent component of the North Dakota Community Foundation.”

*  Be sure to contact your legal advisor.

 

There are many other ways to make a deferred gift to your community, including

  • Making NDCF (and your specific community fund) the beneficiary of your life insurance policy, IRA, 401K, or commercial annuity
  • Establishing a Charitable Gift Annuity with NDCF
  • Other more sophisticated tools, depending on your unique situation

To investigate options and learn more about how other North Dakotans have given back, visit our planned giving website at www.NDCF.net/Plan.