John and Marge Cooke came to Galena in the early 1990s, and quickly made themselves known.  Throughout the years they lived in the Territory, Galena, and Prairie Ridge, they were involved in virtually every board, committee, and organization in town.  They gave their money, their guidance, and their time to anyone who needed it, and the list of recipients is long.

Matching grants require the recipient to provide funds in addition to the grant funds, or match the funds.  This is intended to help the recipient in their fundraising efforts, by providing a match for every dollar they raise or commit.  It allows the donor to stretch their contributions across multiple projects, and make more of a difference.

The Cookes taught us the value of matching grants, thus the board of directors of the Rotary Club of Galena established the John and Marge Cooke Matching Grant fund, which, admittedly, is still in its infancy.  As the rules are being debated and funds are being donated, this application has been put out to test the market - who needs us, and how much do they need?

The first rule is purpose: grants can only be made to 501(c)3 (non-profit), educational, or public institutions.  If you're not sure, don't rule yourself out - let us decide.  If it benefits our community, we will look for ways to help.