DRA Distributes Over $1 million in Grants to Non-Profits

When the Q Casino's Iowa Greyhound Park closed earlier this year, there was some uncertainty regarding the future of the Dubuque Racing Association (DRA) in the area. Q Casino President/CEO Alex Dixon stopped by our studios in May to discuss a future where the DRA would solidify itself as a philanthropic force in the community.

That force is being felt amongst the Dubuque-area today as the DRA announced that it has given out over $1 million in core grants to local non-profits. Of the 157 different applicants, 59 received funds.

While less than the DRA has given in the previous years, this year's recipients are receiving, on average, around $19,000. That's up from previous averages around $9,000.

Photo Credit: Q Casino

In our interview months back, Dixon spoke about the changing face of the DRA:

We really have a focus on raising the population of Dubuque. We want to make sure we are able to bring folks together to make sure that we are able to raise the number of people who live, work, and play right here.

This time around, the 157 applicants sought an upwards of $4.5 million in funding. Two mission grants were also announced, adding up to $325,000. The grants themselves are supported by proceeds from Q Casino and Diamond Jo Casino.

The focus for the grants going forward is aligning with other organizations in town, as well as zeroing in on opportunities to grow Dubuque's population, according to Kathy Buhr, the DRA director of strategic and philanthropy.

Some of the organizations that received grants:

The Dubuque Museum of Art received $50,000 in core grant funding.
The Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens received a $35,000 grant to install new bathrooms.
Dubuque Dream Center received a $200,000 grant to potentially purchase the Fulton Elementary School building.
The Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce received $125,000 in efforts to bring a commercial air service back to Dubuque.

You can take a listen to my interview with Alex Dixon from earlier this year, regarding the future of the DRA:

LOOK: Here is the richest town in each state

Just saying the names of these towns immediately conjures up images of grand mansions, luxury cars, and ritzy restaurants. Read on to see which town in your home state took the title of the richest location and which place had the highest median income in the country. Who knows—your hometown might even be on this list.

Categories: Articles