Giving Back 365 Members Award More Than $46,000 to Local Nonprofits

Members of the Watertown Area Community Foundation’s Giving Back 365 program have awarded $46,073 in grants to 15 local nonprofit organizations, supporting a wide range of community needs, from food access and basic infrastructure to youth programming, arts, and transportation.

Giving Back 365 is a donor-driven program that empowers members to collectively invest in the community and vote on which nonprofit grant requests receive funding, ensuring each award reflects community priorities.

The following nonprofits were selected for 2025 grants:

• • Beacon Center — $2,500 for plumbing repairs
  • Boys & Girls Club of Watertown — $3,600 for safety improvements to outdoor fencing and play equipment
  • Brothers & Sisters Behind Bars — $997 for a printer/copier
  • Community Transit of Watertown/Sisseton — $3,650 to support transportation for Brothers & Sisters Behind Bars case management participants
  • Glacial Lakes for the Children – Royal Family Kids Camp — $3,650 for first-year camp supplies, curriculum, and equipment
  • Goss Opera House — $3,650 to support the Children’s Passport to the Arts program
  • Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership — $3,247 for food-safe storage and transport equipment for the 60’s Plus Dining program
  • Joy Ranch of South Dakota — $3,500 for recreational equipment for the indoor multi-purpose center
  • Rachel’s Hope — $3,650 for hygiene and cleaning supplies for families in crisis
  • Salvation Army of Watertown — $2,379 for new commercial freezers
  • Watertown Area PACH — $3,500 to purchase fresh fruit

 

• Watertown Area Snow Queen — $800 for the annual Girl Power event
• Watertown Artwalk — $3,650 for 2026-2027 Artwalk
• Watertown Cares — $3,650 to purchase and install two PTAC heating and cooling units
• Watertown Hockey Association — $3,650 for the Hudl Instat program

Unique to the Giving Back 365 program, each nonprofit recipient shares their story on video, explaining how their grant funding will support their organization. View the video here: http://watertowncommunityfoundation.org/givingback365

In 2025, Giving Back 365 contributions exceeded $64,000. Half of those contributions were placed into the program’s endowment to grow over time and ensure long-term sustainability, while the remaining funds, combined with more than $9,250 in endowment earnings, were allocated for immediate granting.

“Grant requests this year totaled nearly $60,000, making for sometimes difficult decisions,” said Cammie Mengwasser, Executive Director of the Watertown Area Community Foundation. “Our Giving Back 365 members approached the process with care and intention, working together to prioritize requests and direct resources where they could make the greatest impact.”

Now in its 15th year, Giving Back 365 invites members to contribute $365 annually, a dollar a day, and take part in a collaborative grant-making process. Membership in the program grew by more than 7% this year, demonstrating continued momentum and Watertown’s commitment to community impact.

The 2026 Giving Back 365 membership campaign is open, and the Foundation invites local residents to join a growing group of people investing just $1 a day to make a meaningful difference in the Watertown area. It’s an opportunity to experience the power of collective giving in a simple, rewarding, and impactful way.

Learn more or join at watertowncommunityfoundation.org.

>>>Thanks to a Giving Back 365 grant, the Boys & Girls Club of Watertown can enhance safe play opportunities for youth.