Search Through Community Development Grants in Iowa City, Iowa in the U.S.

About Us

Our Mission

The mission of The Auto Club Group Foundation is to work on behalf of our members and the communities we serve to create lasting solutions, inspire learning and provide funding in the areas of traffic safety, driver education and financial literacy.

Our History

In 1902, nine motor clubs across the country joined together to form the American Automobile Association (AAA) to protect the rights and interests of automobile users and promote better highway and traffic safety. Today, The Auto Club Group Foundation continues to support those interests by investing in traffic safety, driver education and financial literacy initiatives. The Auto Club Group Foundation which is a private Foundation, represents 14 states and 2 U.S territories, and is an integral part of AAA's evolution and success.

How We Work

Our approach to grant funding comes from a very basic principle which is to have an understanding of the goals and objectives of local communities. Our relationships, which have developed from years of community service, allow us to offer support in a more impactful and meaningful way.

The Auto Club Group Foundation, which is a private foundation, is funded by our sponsoring organization, AAA – The Auto Club Group. We award grants to organizations and initiatives that enhance our mission in the areas of Traffic Safety, Driver Education and Financial Literacy throughout our 14 U.S. states and two U.S. territories.

Priority Areas

Traffic Safety

The Auto Club Group Foundation is dedicated to supporting traffic safety programs and initiatives that make our roadways safer for all users. The ACG Foundation strives to be responsive to emerging traffic safety issues by considering grant applications that are forward thinking and address new technology.

Financial Literacy

The Auto Club Group Foundation supports financial literacy programming in grades K – 12, empowering students with the tools they need to make sound financial decisions.

Driver Education 

The Auto Club Group Foundation wants to ensure everyone has access to quality driver education by supporting scholarships and programming needs in underserved communities.

What does this program do?

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

What is an eligible area?

Rural areas including cities, villages, townships and towns including Federally Recognized Tribal Lands with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest U.S. Census Data are eligible for this program.

How may funds be used?

Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and / or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses.

Examples of essential community facilities include:

• Health care facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
• Public facilities such as town halls, courthouses, airport hangars or street improvements.
• Community support services such as child care centers, community centers, fairgrounds or transitional housing.
• Public safety services such as fire departments, police stations, prisons, police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles or equipment.
• Educational services such as museums, libraries or private schools.
• Utility services such as telemedicine or distance learning equipment.
• Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses.

Grant Approval

Applicant must be eligible for grant assistance, which is provided on a graduated scale with smaller communities with the lowest median household income being eligible for projects with a higher proportion of grant funds. Grant assistance is limited to the following percentages of eligible project costs:

Maximum of 75 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 5,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 60 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 55 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 12,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 70 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 35 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 80 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 15 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 90 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income. The proposed project must meet both percentage criteria. Grants are further limited.

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

Global Impact Cash Grants

Identifying and incubating innovative early-stage solutions. We identify, incubate, and develop innovative early-stage solutions with the highest potential for impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We're looking for programs that fit within our investment sectors, focus on the underserved, and use technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services.

We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. A brief Letter of Inquiry (LOI) is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application. Please expand and carefully review each of the three sections below to learn more

Our priority social impact sectors

We focus on investing in innovative, tech-enabled solutions to the challenges and opportunities that matter most to communities in need, prioritizing four social impact sectors:

Cisco Crisis Response

Mobilizing to provide essentials to communities in need and those in crisis, including food, housing, secure connectivity, and disaster relief

By leveraging Cisco’s people, technology, financial resources, and strategic partnerships, we help strengthen community resilience and drive long-term recovery from crises.

Education

Supporting students, teachers, and schools by increasing engagement, building skills, promoting subject mastery, and expanding their capacity to thrive

Cisco is committed to inclusive access to digital skills training and supporting those who use technology to educate. Through programs like Cisco Networking Academy and social investments in education, we create new opportunities for individuals to thrive.

Economic Empowerment

Transforming communities through skill development, long-term career opportunities, entrepreneurship, and access to financial products and services

Strategic grants that unlock economic prosperity and growth for individuals and communities.

Climate Regeneration

Building an inclusive, regenerative, and resilient climate future through education, regenerative agriculture, conservation, protection, and clean energy solutions

Our efforts began in 2021, when the Cisco Foundation committed US$100 million over 10 years to fund nonprofit grants and impact investing in climate solutions. 

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Alliant Energy Foundation

Since 1998, the Alliant Energy Foundation has invested more than $76 million in local community organizations and initiatives. The Foundation supports projects that help families thrive, encourages communities to innovate and protects the natural beauty of Iowa and Wisconsin.

Focus Areas

We focus our giving on four strategic areas that align with our values: 

Hunger and Housing

• In this category, we support programs in:
  • Clothing and household needs:
    • Clothing; baby essentials such as cribs, car seats and diapers; household necessities.
  • Food and nutrition:
    • Food pantry support, food delivery and meal outreach, school and backpack nutrition, refrigeration needs, emergency food, farm-to-table.
  • Housing and shelter:
    • Emergency shelter support, refrigeration needs (excluding heating equipment), transition and permanent housing, housing for people with disabilities, home ownership, homelessness prevention, case management assistance, independent living.
  • Transportation: 
    • Bus passes, ride share.

Workforce Readiness

• In this category, we support programs in:
  • Agriculture:
    • Youth agriculture (FFA, 4-H), school gardens, farm education and innovation, county fairs.
  • Literacy and education:
    • Libraries and bookmobiles; after school and summer reading; adult literacy; financial and digital literacy; STEM programming, workshops and festivals; STEM grants for K-12 classrooms; interactive classroom programs/tools; after school and summer STEM programs.
  • Workforce development and transportation:
    • Career exploration and job training, employment skills for disadvantaged youth, employment for people with disabilities, school-to-career solutions, energy industry programs, work transportation assistance and ride share.
  • Youth development: 
    • Leadership and mentoring, anti-bullying, after school programs, YMCA.

Environmental Stewardship

• In this category, we support programs in:
  • Environmental conservation:
    • Protecting wildlife spaces, planting trees and prairies, creating and protecting habitats, water cleanup.
  • Environmental education:
    • Public education, workshops, and school programs about environmental issues, endangered species and wildlife protection.
  • Park updates:
    • Improving city parks with benches, signs and picnic tables.
  • Trail projects: 
    • Enhancing trails with benches, signs, picnic tables, garden beds and maintenance.

Community Safety and Engagement

• In this category, we support programs in:
  • First responders:
    • Lifesaving equipment such as thermal cameras, gas monitors, fire gear and AEDs. (Standard funding: $1,000)
  • Community events:
    • Festivals, fairs, holiday lights and parades.
  • Playground updates:
    • New equipment for public parks. (Standard funding: $1,000)
  • Disaster readiness and relief:
    • Aid for natural disasters, fires and pandemics.

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

Background

The Destination Iowa Fund Grant Program is funded through a legislative appropriation of $6.5 million. Funds will be awarded to cities, counties, and non-profit organizations proposing to invest in vertical infrastructure to create or expand existing Primary Destinations to increase tourism to the state.

Projects will attract visitors and new residents to the state and bolster the quality of life in Iowa’s rural communities. The aim is to make strategic investments that yield lasting results and create a positive ripple effect throughout the community. These projects will not only address immediate needs but also contribute to long-term sustainability and enhance the overall quality of life for residents.

Eligible projects can receive grant funds up to 25% of eligible project costs related to the construction, development, or expansion of destination. Applicants must have 65% of financing/fundraising secured at time of the pre-application. Half of program funds are allocated to Rural Destinations. Rural is defined as a community that has a population of less than 20,000.

Eligible projects will have minimum total Project costs:

• Urban - $5 million or greater
• Rural - $1.5 million or greater

Primary Destination: means natural, man-made, cultural, recreational or educational attraction(s) that drive visitors to an area. It is the primary target for promoting tourism, attracting visitors, and stimulating economic development in that specific area.

Vertical Infrastructure: means land acquisition and construction, major renovation and major repair of buildings, all appurtenant structures, utilities, site development, recreational trails, and water trails. “Vertical infrastructure” does not include routine, recurring maintenance or operational expenses or leasing of a building, appurtenant structure, or utility without a lease-purchase agreement.

Mission

PFund Foundation builds equity with LGBTQ+ communities across the upper Midwest by providing grants and scholarships, developing leaders, and inspiring giving.

Vision

PFund Foundation invests in thriving and more equitable communities for queer people in the upper Midwest.

PRISM Fund

PRISM (Promoting Rural Interconnections for Sexual Minorities) grants support rural LGBTQ+ organizations from across PFund’s five-state service area.

The PRISM program works to increase the capacity and connection of rural LGBTQ+ serving organizations through grants, trainings and cohort collaboration.

PFund builds community and provides resources for LGBTQ+ individuals across the upper Midwest and the First Nations therein.

 Prioritized Communities

The LGBTQ+ community of the upper Midwest is not monolithic. Factors such as age, race/ethnicity, geography, disability, income, and gender all influence the challenges facing queer individuals. PFund Foundation recognizes that some subpopulations of the queer community may need elevated levels of support to achieve equitable outcomes. To address this need, PFund Foundation has identified three prioritized communities who are especially important to our work:

Queer People of Color

LGBTQ+ people who also belong to minority racial and ethnic groups experience additional oppression and discrimination—both inside and outside of queer communities. 

PFund demonstrates its commitment to queer people of color through its programs. 55% of 2022 PFund Scholars identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. During the worst months of the COVID-19 pandemic, PFund launched a $90,000 emergency fund (now known as the Equity Fund) for queer entrepreneurs of color in Minneapolis to help their businesses survive the economic impacts of the coronavirus and unrest following the murder of George Floyd. In 2022, PFund offered a second round of grants from the Equity Fund for queer BIPOC business owners in Minneapolis.

Gender-Expansive People

Transgender, gender-expansive, and nonbinary individuals are being made the targets of discriminatory legislation and scapegoating at the regional and national levels. The pandemic has also disproportionately impacted transgender and gender non-conforming college students: the Williams Institute at UCLA found that transgender students were six times more likely to have been seriously ill or hospitalized with COVID-19 than their cisgender peers. 55% of 2022 PFund Scholars identify as transgender, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, or nonbinary.

Queer People in North and South Dakota

LGBTQ+ people living in North or South Dakota face a unique set of challenges, including the ongoing impacts of high COVID-19 rates, political environments actively hostile to queer and trans individuals, and fewer nonprofit resources for queer communities (especially outside of large cities). PFund estimates there are at least 82,000 queer individuals living in the Dakotas and the foundation is in the process of building a new targeted outreach program to LGBTQ+ people in rural areas the upper Midwest in 2022.

Community Catalyst Building Remediation Program (IA)

The Community Catalyst Building Remediation Program assists communities with the redevelopment or rehabilitation of buildings to stimulate economic growth or reinvestment in the community.

Through the Community Catalyst Building Remediation Program, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) will provide grants to communities for the redevelopment, rehabilitation or deconstruction of buildings to stimulate economic growth or reinvestment in the community. Strong applications will show the potential of catalytic economic growth in the community; improve appearances and safety; make use of underutilized property, exhibit appropriate design standards; and be well-funded. Economic growth may include the creation of additional jobs, growth of new or existing businesses, development of new housing units, increase property values or potential population growth.

Funding

Maximum grant: $100,000

Funding based on annual availability. 40% of funds will be awarded to cities with populations under 1,500.

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

About 

The Community Foundation of Johnson County was founded in 2000 by visionary community leaders such as Willard L. “Sandy” Boyd, Dick Schwab, Joan Benson, and others who believed that by bringing together passionate, generous people from all walks of life to meet the needs of the community, all of our residents would benefit. This belief still holds true as we work to continue our founders’ legacy of giving by connecting communities who care with causes that matter to support sustainable change.

From an initial gift of $400,000 made by Dick Schwab and Katherine Burford on December 1, 2000, the Community Foundation has grown to oversee nearly $67 million in charitable assets and has distributed more than $29 million in grants to nonprofit organizations. We also support more than 290 nonprofit organizations, family and business charitable giving funds, community endowment funds, and charitable giving circles benefitting all of Johnson County.

By giving through the Community Foundation, you make a personal and conscious decision to uplift others. We are honored to be your partner in philanthropy, helping you to be more, do more, and give more. We are your trusted giving resource, providing diligent stewardship that allows your generosity to have an impact for generations to come.

John E Langhorne Leadership Grant

The John E Langhorne Leadership Development Grants were created to celebrate and continue Dr. Langhorne’s legacy of cultivating leadership skills in the Iowa City Area. These grants will support charitable programs and projects which offer leadership development to individuals of all ages. Dr. Langhorne believed that every person’s leadership style is unique and ever-changing, and these grants will support a variety of programs which enhance leadership development for individuals.

Grants will be a maximum of $5,000. 

What does this program do?

This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.

What is an eligible area?

Rural Business Development Grant money must be used for projects that benefit rural areas or towns outside the urbanized periphery of any city with a population of 50,000 or more. Check eligible areas. 

What kind of funding is available?

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. There are two types of RBDG projects, Opportunity grants and Enterprise grants.

• Opportunity type grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding.
• Enterprise type grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application.

How may Enterprise type funds be used?

Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include:

• Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling and training, market research, feasibility studies, professional or/technical reports, or producer service improvements.
• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.
• Pollution control and abatement.
• The capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds that will make loans for start-ups and working capital.
• Rural distance learning for job training and advancement for adult students.
• Rural transportation improvement.
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

How may Opportunity type funds be used?

• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

Establishment of Foundation

John K. and Luise V. Hanson established and funded The Hanson Foundation in 1970 with $1,000,000. They contributed another $1,000,000 in 1988 and an additional $5 million in 1994. Upon John K. Hanson’s death in 1996, the foundation received $23 million from his estate.

Philanthropic Model

The John K. and Luise V. Hanson Foundation is listed as one of the Top 15 Foundations in Iowa, according to The Foundation Center, with total assets of approximately $72 million. The foundation has awarded over $64 million to nearly 1,000 organizations in more than 100 communities. Since 1970, the foundation has positively impacted the lives of tens of thousands of individuals by supporting projects that improve the quality of life for families.

Our Mission

The John K. and Luise V. Hanson Foundation is a private family foundation that gives back to communities and enhances the quality of life for individuals in north central Iowa. The foundation, also known as the Hanson Family Foundation, has a special interest in projects that strengthen families through arts and culture, family recreation, and youth development/education. Recognizing the value of innovative medical treatment to families, the foundation also has philanthropic ties to the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.

Primary Funding Areas

The John K. and Luise V. Hanson Family Foundation funds projects of all sizes that support a wide range of interests related to arts and culture, family recreation, and youth development/education. Since 1970, the foundation has strengthened organizations in more than 100 communities, primarily within north central Iowa. In 2021, the foundation celebrated surpassing $64 million in gifts.

What we Fund

• Arts & Culture
  • Previous projects include:
    • Clear Lake Arts Center
    • Boman Fine Arts Center
    • NIACC Arts and Leadership Series
    • Winnebago Historical Society / Heritage Park
• Family Recreation
  • Previous projects include:
    • Forest City YMCA
    • Pools / Aquatic Centers
    • Playgrounds
    • Biking Trails
• Youth Development/Education
  • Previous projects include:
    • Camp Tanglefoot
    • Clear Lake Yacht Club Sailing School
    • Eagle Scout Projects
    • Educational Technology

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

 MissionThe DRA, through its gaming and entertainment facilities provides for social, economic and community betterment and lessens the burden of Dubuque city and area government, while contributing to the growth and viability of Dubuque area tourism.

Focus for Grant Applications

All requests for funding in 2022 should tie to the mission of People Attraction: Population Growth, Retention and Tourism. This aligns with the DRA’s mission of providing social, economic and community betterment and lessening the burden of Dubuque city and area government, as well as our vision of being a dynamic community resource, acting as a catalyst to enhance the quality of life and financial well-being of the tri-state community.

University Partnerships

The CHS Foundation cultivates opportunity through university partnerships that benefit students studying in the field of agriculture with program support, mini-grants and scholarships. 

More than 225 scholarships are awarded annually to college students enrolled in an agricultural-related program at partnering two- and four-year colleges and universities. Mini-grants are awarded to agriculture-focused college clubs for innovative academic and leadership development. 

All scholarships and mini-grants are offered exclusively through our 24 partner colleges and universities listed below. Interested students or college clubs should contact their college of ag office to apply, since application and award timelines vary. 

Current University Partners

• Big Bend Community College
• Bismarck State College
• Blackhawk East
• Casper College
• Colorado State University
• Fox Valley Technical College 
• Iowa State University
• Kansas State University
• Lake Area Technical College
• Lake Region State College
• North Dakota State University
• Miles Community College
• Mitchell Technical College
• Montana State University
• Northeast Community College
• Oklahoma State University
• Redlands Community College
• Ridgewater College
• South Dakota State University
• University of Idaho
• University of Illinois
• University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• University of Wisconsin-River Falls
• West Texas A & M University

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts was established in New York in 1987. Although Warhol’s own radical artistic experimentation was cut tragically short by his unexpected passing at the age of 58, he had generously made arrangements to help future generations of artists break new ground. He called for the creation of a foundation dedicated to “advancement of the visual arts,” in his will, leaving nearly his entire estate to the cause.

Since its inception, the Foundation’s purpose has been to support experimental and challenging new artistic activity in the most meaningful way possible, and to preserve and expand Warhol’s artistic legacy. Those two goals are intertwined: every initiative the Foundation supports is considered through the lens of Warhol’s maverick approach to art and life, from his fundamental sense of freedom to be new and different, to his forward-thinking generosity.

• Following Andy Warhol’s will, the mission of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts is the advancement of the visual arts. The foundation manages an innovative and dynamic grants program while also preserving Warhol’s legacy through creative and responsible licensing policies and extensive scholarly research for ongoing catalogue raisonné projects. To date, the foundation has given nearly $300 million in cash grants to over 1,000 arts organizations in 49 states and abroad and has donated 52,786 works of art to 322 institutions worldwide.
• The Regional Regranting Program was established in 2007 to recognize and support the movement of independently organized, public-facing, artist-centered activity that animates local and regional art scenes but that lies beyond the reach of traditional funding sources. The program is administered by non-profit visual art centers across the United States that work in partnership with the Foundation to fund artists’ experimental projects and collaborative undertakings. 
• The 36 regranting programs provide grants of up to $10,000 for the creation and presentation of new work. Programs are developed and facilitated by organizations in Albuquerque (NM), Atlanta (GA), Baltimore (MD), Boston (MA), Buffalo (NY), Chicago (IL), Cleveland (OH), Denver (CO), Detroit (MI), Honolulu (HI), Houston (TX), Indianapolis (IN), Iowa City (IA), Kansas City (MO), Knoxville (TN), Rapid City (SD), Los Angeles (CA), Miami (FL), Milwaukee (WI), Minneapolis (MN), Mobile (AL), New Orleans (LA), Newark (NJ), Oklahoma City (OK), Omaha (NE), Philadelphia (PA), Tucson (AZ), Portland (ME), Portland (OR), Providence (RI), Raleigh (NC), Saint Louis (MO), San Francisco (CA), San Juan (PR), Seattle (WA), and Washington, DC.

Big Field Fund (BFF) Research/Development Grants

The Big Field Fund (BFF) awards grants to artists and collectives to support publicly-engaged experimental, collaborative, and connective visual arts projects in eastern Iowa. For the Research/Development Grants, the Big Field Fund awards $3000 to support artists in the early stages of an ambitious project that will fulfill one or more of the following focus areas:

• projects that manifest new and inventive models to present/nurture/deploy visuals arts in Iowa
• projects that support under-resourced artists and creative communities
• projects that engage with vulnerable or underutilized resources, structures, systems, or ecologies
• projects that would likely not otherwise be eligible for financial support due to their multidisciplinary, ephemeral, or risk-taking nature

BFF R/D Grants are intended to support eastern Iowa artists (this year, defined as within 80 miles of Iowa City and in the state of Iowa). In addition to the financial award to support their work, BFF will support grantees with:

• a public award celebration
• a grantee cohort gathering
• a studio visit/consultation with an artist, curator, or specialist in the field
• promotion of their projects via BFF’s communication channels

Rural Child Care Planning Grant Program (IA)

The Rural Child Care Planning program seeks to support the use of data and analysis by rural communities to determine the specific needs and solutions for child care in their area.

Child care is a challenge across rural communities in Iowa and across the nation. However, the solutions are often more complicated than the construction of a new facility. Many factors need to be carefully analyzed to determine the feasibility for development of a child care center, expansion of an existing one or support for in-home providers. Through greater understanding of their geographic market, demographics, competition, financials, and other factors, communities can be armed with the information needed to take proactive steps towards addressing child care challenges. Funding from the program will empower communities to assess their current child care environment and develop strategies.

Funding

Grant Recipients will be awarded $20,000.

Applicants are required to demonstrate investment in the project process by providing a minimum of $10,000 cash match. The cash match must be secured, dedicated to eligible expenses, a legitimate part of the project and be expended within the eligible funding period. Cash match constitutes actual cash contributed to direct project expenses by the applicant or other funding sources. The minimum $10,000 match requirement may be raised through a combination of public and private sources but may not include in-kind donations of goods or services, unsecured funding or loans.

Rural Housing Assessment Grant Program (IA)

The Rural Housing Assessment Grant program supports the use of publicly available, online information and rural community efforts to interpret publicly available hard data to implement changes through development codes, local ordinances, and housing incentives specific to individual community needs.

In partnership with Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach’s Rural Housing Readiness Assessment workshops, program funding will empower communities to assess the current development environment and enact changes resulting in the creation of policies and procedures attractive to potential developers.

The program is administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s (IEDA) Center for Rural Revitalization in consultation with the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative Task Forces and ISU Extension and Outreach.

Funding

Grant Recipients will be awarded up to $20,000.

Applicants are required to demonstrate investment in theproject process by providing a minimum of $10,000 cash match. The cash match must be secured, dedicated to eligible expenses, a legitimate part of the project and must be expended within the eligible funding period. The $10,000 match requirement may be raised through a combination of public and private sources but may not include in-kind donations of goods or services, unsecured funding, or loans.

Rural BOOST Grant Program (IA)

The Rural BOOST program aims to provide teams of experts to assist passionate community and business leaders in developing intentional plans for next step growth. This pilot program is designed for rural communities, nonprofits, or employers to receive personalized technical assistance for identifying and implementing action steps to launch into the next stage of success. Rural BOOST has two tracts which target either communities or businesses. The Rural BOOST Program is designed to assist businesses or communities which have plateaued or hit an unexpected challenge to gain momentum for new growth.

Warning:Rural BOOST is not for the faint of heart. Applicants must be committed to leading a transformation in their community.

Rural BOOST, managed by the Center for Rural Revitalization, will dispatch 3-5 experts to meet with a local committee and discuss the existing conditions, assets, and anticipated needs. The Center for Rural Revitalization and supporting partners will then create an action plan and provide targeted financial support to launch next steps.

The Center for Rural Revitalization within the Iowa Economic Development Authority understands that not all community and business needs are the same and each journey will be different. For this reason, the Rural BOOST Program will assist to develop a flexible plan to meets local needs and allow for new opportunities that present themselves along the way.

BOOST is administered by the Center for Rural Revitalization, a division of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), in consultation with the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative Task Forces.

Eligible Funding Examples

The following are examples of programs or initiatives that would be eligible for funding following meeting with the Rural BOOST Team.

This list is not exhaustive but reflects the variety of ways the funding can be utilized. Additional resources will be provided by the Rural BOOST Team following the in-person meeting.

• National Center for Economic Gardening - using sophisticated tools for strategic research combined with “New Sciences” analytical frameworks to help local companies scale up and create jobs and wealth in the community. Requires partnership with certified Economic Development Organization (EDO).
• UNI Institute for Decision Making – consulting services targeting strategic planning, applied research, marketing, Business Retention Expansion Academy, and more.
• Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) – business assistance in the areas of leadership, technology, workforce, productivity, and growth.

Funding

Grantees will receive $10,000 for eligible one-time project expenses incurred and expended within the eligible funding period.

Applicants are required to demonstrate investment in projects by providing a minimum of $5,000 cash match. The cash match must be secured, dedicated to eligible expenses, a legitimate part of the proposed project and must be expended within the eligible funding period. The $5,000 match requirement may be raised through a combination of public and private sources but may not include in-kind donations of goods or services, unsecured funding, or loans.

CHS Inc

CHS (fomerly is a leading global agribusiness owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the United States. Diversified in energy, agronomy, grains and foods, CHS is committed to creating connections to empower agriculture, helping its farmer-owners, customers and other stakeholders grow their businesses through its domestic and global operations. CHS supplies energy, crop nutrients, seed, crop protection products, grain marketing services, production and agricultural services, animal nutrition products, foods and food ingredients, and risk management services. The company operates petroleum refineries and pipelines and manufactures, markets and distributes Cenex® brand refined fuels, lubricants, propane and renewable energy products. 

CHS invests in programs that strengthen hometown communities and develop future generations of ag leaders through CHS community giving and the CHS Foundation. These initiatives support CHS sustainability efforts and long-term focus on people and rural communities

CHS community giving serves cooperative communities through support of cooperative matching grants, Twin Cities projects, volunteerism and industry support.

CHS Foundation

The CHS Foundation builds ag career pathways and educates rural youth through support of ag safety.

Teacher Grants

The CHS Foundation will award up to $50,000 to help teachers to implement a project at their school that will engage students in experiential agricultural education. We know teachers have big ideas we want to help bring those to life for students in rural communities.

Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning

a Transportation Enhancement Program

Community Visioning is a process that encourages visionary and strategic thinking about transportation improvements in smaller Iowa communities. The centerpiece of this process is the development of conceptual plans that graphically illustrate the vision of the community for an improved transportation system. Participants in the program will:

• Identify and prioritize community needs based on participatory community assessments
• Develop community vision concept plans for transportation projects
• Identify potential funding sources for implementing concept plans
• Initiate the first phase of project development

Trees Forever field coordinators provide structured facilitation of the visioning process. Landscape architecture consultants collaborate with design interns to provide design assistance under the direction of ISU. ISU also provides research-based community assessments and directs transportation plan development by consultants. Iowa DOT provides review and technical assistance for transportation enhancement concept planning.

Communities that are interested in making enhancements connected to surface transportation may benefit from the Community Visioning Program. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) defines surface transportation as all elements of the intermodal transportation system excluding aviation and including water. To qualify for federal funding, enhancements must meet one of the following needs:

• Provide facilities for pedestrians and bicycles
• Provide safety and educational activities for pedestrians and bicyclists
• Acquire scenic easements and scenic or historic sites
• Beautify routes
• Preserve historic sites and routes
• Rehabilitate and operate historic transportation buildings, structures or facilities
• Convert unused rail corridors to trails
• Address other transportation enhancement needs as defined by FHWA

ABOUT ROOTED IN JUSTICE

“Rooted in Justice” is a funding program designed to help amplify youth voices and actions in the environmental and food justice movements.  Rooted in Justice supports community-based organizations and groups that manage established, youth-led, urban greening programs within a justice framework as a core part of their work, with two-year grants of $25,000/year.  

Rooted in Justice recognizes the importance and undeniable right of every young person to have the ability to develop their own relationship with the environment, be it through growing food, spending time with nature, creating community green spaces, or becoming environmental stewards. Rooted in Justice also honors the power and possibilities that arise when young people collectively work to be change-makers in their communities.

Rooted in Justice supports organizations, groups, collectives, and programs that work with young people between the ages of 12 to 20 in youth-led programming for communities or cultures which have historically or currently experience:

• A lack of access to land or nature;
• Agricultural oppression and/or neglect;
• Food apartheid; and/or
• Other forms of injustice based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics and disability.

Rooted in Justice awards a small number of grants each year with applications due in the fall and decisions made the following spring. Final grant decisions are recommended to the Cedar Tree board via a participatory grantmaking process with outside reviewers who have experience in youth-led urban greening, as well as food or climate justice programming. So far the program has awarded multi-year grants to 21 organizations and one-time grants to 10 additional organizations since 2021. 

Definitions

Rooted in Justice grants support organizations or programs that include all four of the elements described below: social justice, youth-led, urban greening, and cohort-based youth work. We articulate our understanding of those terms below in an effort to provide a guide for prospective organizations to use in determining whether their program is a good fit. However as we continue our work towards questioning and dismantling some of our preconceived notions, we recognize that these are not finite definitions and encourage prospective applicants who still feel their work may be a good fit to describe in their proposals why this is the case.  

Social Justice-Based Programs

Programs dedicated to creating equitable outcomes for communities directly affected by different aspects of injustice by:

• Sharing and redistributing power and resources;
• Amplifying voices and leadership;
• Tackling root problems through ongoing engagement and collaboration to find solutions, organize against oppression of all kinds and create mechanisms for change; and
• Developing a critical analysis with youth and community members.

Youth-Led

The development of youth leadership skills is a core part of programs funded by Rooted in Justice. Young people have the opportunity to play a role in the planning and decision-making for their program and may help shape the internal workings of the organization. Examples of youth-led programs include programs where participants: 

• Managing a portion of their programming budget;
• Co-facilitating program activities, meetings and gatherings;
• Shape their own programming and/or organizational strategic planning;
• Have regular and end-of-program opportunities to provide program feedback and evaluation; and
• Have opportunities for personal and/or professional growth within the program and organization.

Urban Greening

For the purpose of this grant we define “urban greening” as any activity that creates a mutually beneficial relationship between city dwellers and their environments. Programs that are a strong fit for Rooted in Justice will have many opportunities for youth to be outdoors.  Project settings can include, but are not limited to: 

• Urban and aquaponic farms
• Greenhouses and rooftop gardens
• Community gardens, green spaces, and rain gardens
• Composting sites
• Land conservation efforts
• Urban forests
• River or other water restoration  

Cohort-Based Youth Works

Rooted in Justice looks to fund organizations that build community with cohorts of youth through intentional, recurring programming. This grant is intended to support programs that offer youth significant learning and leadership opportunities as a group and as individuals. Priority will be given to organizations that have program infrastructure that supports a cohort of youth over time.  Drop-in programming, one-time conferences, or individual internships are not a good fit for Rooted in Justice.  

Youth Budgeting

As part of grant proposal, all Rooted in Justice grantees must share a plan to allocate a portion of the grant funds for youth participants to manage. What do we mean by this? We ask applicants to specifically set aside some amount of grant funds for youth to allocate to priorities of their choosing.  For example, youth participants can use their allocated funding to:

• Fund an entrepreneurial endeavor;
• Design the brand or swag for their group;
• Hire a speaker or outside expert to teach a new skill;
• Purchase supplies for a community-based art project;
• Host a celebration for their families, friends and neighbors;
• Pay for transportation to programming, special events, or conferences; and/or
• Any other youth-led activity the group may find beneficial.

Use of Funds

Rooted in Justice funding must be used for project support of existing youth led, urban greening, social justice work and associated general operating expenses. Operating expenses can include anything from program costs like staff salaries and youth stipends to organizational sustainability needs like major equipment purchases and leadership/staff training. If your organization’s entire mission is youth led, urban greening, social justice work, the Rooted in Justice grant can be general support. 

Funding

Two Year Grant

• Rooted in Justice Grant awards are two-year grants of $25,000 per year.
• After the initial two year grant, grantees may be eligible for a third year of funding at the same or lower level through a simple renewal process.
• In the 2025-2026 grant cycle, the Cedar Tree Foundation expects to support 4 organizations with multi-year grant awards.

Funding for Professional Development

• Each Rooted in Justice grantee organization also has access to an additional $6,000 to support professional development opportunities identified by each organization.  Half of these funds must be used to directly support the professional development of youth. 
• Rooted in Justice grantees can request reimbursement from this professional development fund to attend conferences, hire consultants, purchase equipment or software that increases organizational capacity, or participate in any activities that strengthen youth programming or justice practice of program providers in support of their youth development programming. The funds set aside for youth professional development can be used for youth exchanges or youth participation in conferences and other professional development opportunities directly for youth.  

Community Professional Development Calls

• Cedar Tree works with grantee partners to assess their professional development interests and facilitates on-line gatherings of staff or youth for skill shares, trainings, and networking opportunities.
• These network calls will likely happen 2-3 times per year. 

Rural YMCA Grant Program (IA)

The Rural YMCA Grant Program provides a total of $250,000 in awards to support facility infrastructure improvements at YMCA locations in rural Iowa communities. Funding for the program is made possible by an annual appropriation from the Iowa Legislature to the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

Eligible Projects

Infrastructure projects must involve the renovation or maintenance of existing YMCA facilities — as defined by the Iowa Code 8.57 — that are located in the applicant city for the purpose of fulfilling a social need related to youth development, healthy living or social responsibility. All projects and incurred expenses must begin and end within the funding period.

Such activities could include:  

• Construction
• Land acquisition
• Major renovation or routine, recurring maintenance of building or appurtenant structure
• Site development 

Funding

Grant requests must be between $10,000 and $100,000, and applicants are required to provide a cash match that is a minimum of 50% of the total grant amount requested.

The cash match must be secured, dedicated to eligible facility infrastructure expenses, a legitimate part of the proposed facility infrastructure project and expended within the eligible funding period. The match requirement may be raised through a combination of public and private sources but may not include in-kind donations of goods or services, unsecured funding, loans or other state of Iowa funding.