The Carroll County Board of Supervisors heard from the first of many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) seeking county support at Monday’s meeting, with most seeking funding at the same level or slightly increased for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027. The first NGO to present their ask was the Family Crisis Center, which is requesting the same funding amount as FY26, $6,000. Development Director Tracy Feathers says the Family Crisis Centers (FCC) serve 31 counties in western Iowa and are one of the first agencies to respond to victims of domestic violence.
For Carroll County specifically, they aided over 200 people last year with an average cost per client of $1,030. Next was Emily Winker with the Elderbridge Agency on Aging, which advocates for older Iowans in 29 counties. From home-delivered meals for the elderly to helping residents navigate services, Elderbridge is one of the highest returns on investment for the county, according to Supervisor Gene Meiners.
Winker says that for every dollar the county spends with Elderbridge, the organization provides $19.50 in services to residents. The agency’s funding request is based on the local 60+ population, which, according to FY25 data, Carroll County has 5,870 people in this demographic. Elderbridge is requesting $3.30 per senior, compared to $3.12 per senior last year. Stacy Venteicher, with the Carroll County Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), then presented her FY27 request for $9,000, the same amount the program has requested since 2013. Venteicher says Carroll County has one of the strongest RSVP programs in Iowa.
The final request at the Dec. 1 meeting came from the Carroll County Historical Society. President Barbara Hackfort says the preservation group is seeking a $1,000 increase, from $4,000 to $5,000.
The Historical Society is primarily funded by private donations, but Hackfort says the county’s backing helps them maintain sites such as the museum, the schoolhouse, and the trapper’s cabin. The county is still very early in the FY27 budgeting process, and no decisions on funding requests will be made until after the first of the year. Additional NGO requests, such as the Carroll County Growth Partnership (CCGP), New Opportunities, the Community of Concern, and others, are slated for the supervisors’ meeting agendas in the coming weeks.
