The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa has partnered with the Rooted Carrot Co-op Market to establish a special project fund to help in the efforts to launch a community-owned grocery store. That means community members can help the Co-op get established by making a tax-deductible donation to the Rooted Carrot Co-op Market Fund.
Like other community foundations in other regions across the U.S., including Oshkosh, WI, and Fargo, ND, CFNEIA has identified a charitable purpose with the efforts to launch a food co-op. Because food co-ops offer economic development paired with health at a community level, along with environmental benefits, there is a growing trend to see these two types of organizations partner.
Community foundations typically partner with nonprofits, but have a long history of working with grassroots efforts and even for-profit businesses that are providing benefits to the greater community.
Since incorporation, the Rooted Carrot Co-op Market has received dozens of small donations totaling over thousands of dollars. But because the Co-op is not a nonprofit, these donors aren’t able to itemize their gifts when filing their tax returns. Now, through the partnership with CFNEIA, they can get that added benefit.
Consider making a charitable gift today. Gifts to this fund will be used to help pay for costs needed to establish the Co-op’s physical location.