Hormel Foundation provides nearly $15M in grants to Austin nonprofits

(ABC 6 News) – The Hormel Foundation announced it is providing nearly $15 million in grants to help nonprofits in Austin.

On Wednesday the Hormel Foundation Board of Directors approved distributions of $14.7 million in 2022.

“The dedicated effort, hard work and success of Hormel Foods’ employees has once again put us in a privileged position to distribute funds to nonprofit organizations that will benefit everyone in our community,” said Jeffrey M. Ettinger, chair of The Hormel Foundation.

The Hormel Foundation grants advance the missions of nonprofit organizations in Austin. Those organizations are:

• Austin Area Foundation
• Austin Community Charitable Fund
• Austin Community Growth Ventures
• Austin Community Scholarship Committee
• Austin Public Schools
• Cedar Valley Services
• City of Austin
• The Hormel Institute
• Mayo Clinic Health Systems – Austin
• Parenting Resource Center
• Riverland Community College
• Salvation Army
• United Way of Mower County
• YMCA of Austin

A press release also said "in addition to foregoing, the Cedar River Watershed District received a grant to build two large projects in the headwaters of Dobbins Creek to improve water quality and reduce peak flooding. Earthen berms will be built to temporarily hold large amounts of stormwater and snow before slowly releasing it."

“We have made great progress toward cleaner water and less flooding but, without the huge, ongoing support from The Hormel Foundation, we would not be anywhere close to where we are today,” CRWD administrator Justin Hanson said. To date, CRWD has built 14 upland-storage projects and achieved at least a 10-percent reduction in peak flow at the Cedar-Dobbins confluence in Austin.

Another grant was approved by the Foundation to supplement the budget for MnDot’s replacement and refurbishing of I-90 bridges to allow for aesthetic upgrades and safety improvements. “These improvements will improve pedestrian access across the bridges for both walkers and bikers,” said Tom Dankert, “ City of Austin’s Director of Administrative Services.