Best Dickinson County Grants for Nonprofits in Iowa

The Gilchrist Foundation offers capital campaign grants to pre-selected non-profit organizations, particularly those enhancing arts, wildlife conservation, public broadcasting, and disaster relief. While the Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, eligible organizations can request an invitation to apply. Grants typically support significant renovation or expansion projects, aiming to foster long-term viability and special initiatives. Preference is given to projects in the Sioux City area, with a focus on stimulating matching funds.

The Polaris Foundation Grant focuses on long-term community investment, emphasizing areas such as environment, community development, youth safety, and education in STEM and trades. The foundation prioritizes funding requests from 501(c)(3) organizations located in specific communities where Polaris operates. Organizations are encouraged to promote responsible land use and create vibrant environments for residents, while adhering to eligibility requirements and avoiding politically affiliated or discriminatory programs.

The Gilchrist Foundation offers project grants to pre-selected non-profit organizations that align with its mission in the arts, wildlife conservation, public broadcasting, and disaster relief, primarily focusing on the Sioux City area. Organizations can apply for funding to enhance or establish programs that are self-sustaining, as the foundation does not intend to provide long-term financing. Interested parties must first request an invitation to apply for funding.

The Gilchrist Foundation offers endowment grants aimed at supporting pre-selected non-profit organizations that align with its mission in the arts, wildlife conservation, public broadcasting, and disaster relief. Although unsolicited applications are not accepted, organizations can request an invitation to apply. The Foundation prefers projects that demonstrate robust board participation and offers matching funds, particularly favoring initiatives in the Sioux City area. Approximately 55% of grants are allocated to endowment and capital campaigns.

The Gilchrist Foundation offers micro-grants up to $5,000 to support nonprofit organizations focused on the arts, wildlife conservation, and disaster relief, particularly in the Sioux City area. This initiative allows for one-time funding aimed at fostering creativity and community engagement. Organizations eligible for these grants must be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entities. Applications are accepted year-round, with decisions made within 30 days, promoting impactful projects that benefit local residents.

Okoboji Foundation

The Okoboji Foundation was started in 1988, by a group of dedicated lovers of The Lakes Region who wished to improve the quality of life of those who call this area home.

Originally named the University of Okoboji Foundation, Berkley Bedell served as the first Board Chairman.  In 2006, the foundation changed its name to the Okoboji Foundation to establish the organization as a Community Foundation. Over $5.24 million has been granted to more than 80 different nonprofit agencies located around The Lakes since its inception and preserving the stories that make Iowa Great Lakes a place of local legends.

Today, the Okoboji Foundation is the center point of giving for vital capital projects. Current funding priorities focus on arts & culture, economic development, lake quality & environment, and outdoor experiences & recreation. It’s through the generosity of donors that the Okoboji Foundation continues to make a positive, lasting impact in the Lakes community.

Areas of Focus

We fund projects in the Iowa Great Lakes Region that align with one or more of the following:

• Arts & Culture – Enriching community life and sustaining nostalgia and legacy for residents and visitors.
• Outdoor Recreation – Expanding opportunities for active, healthy lifestyles.
• Lake Quality & Environment – Protecting and sustaining our lakes and natural resources

What We Fund

We fund VITAL CAPITAL PROJECTS, such as buildings, equipment, or physical property that will be available for many years of use in our Lakes communities. We want to help develop communities where people want to live, work, visit, and play

Projects should be visible, available to a large portion of the public, and have a long lasting impact in the Iowa Great Lakes region.

Professional signage must be included on structures or property funded by Foundation grants. The Okoboji Foundation will provide official logos and style guidelines for signage.

Funding Levels

There are two categories of funding: Leadership Grants and Community Needs Grants.

Leadership Grants

Grant requests of $25,000 or more will be reviewed by the Okoboji Foundation grants committee. The committee may request an in person follow-up presentation by the nonprofit. Projects should be completed and request reimbursement with receipts totaling amount of grant award within three years of the award notification.

Okoboji Foundation

The Okoboji Foundation was started in 1988, by a group of dedicated lovers of The Lakes Region who wished to improve the quality of life of those who call this area home.

Originally named the University of Okoboji Foundation, Berkley Bedell served as the first Board Chairman.  In 2006, the foundation changed its name to the Okoboji Foundation to establish the organization as a Community Foundation. Over $5.24 million has been granted to more than 80 different nonprofit agencies located around The Lakes since its inception and preserving the stories that make Iowa Great Lakes a place of local legends.

Today, the Okoboji Foundation is the center point of giving for vital capital projects. Current funding priorities focus on arts & culture, economic development, lake quality & environment, and outdoor experiences & recreation. It’s through the generosity of donors that the Okoboji Foundation continues to make a positive, lasting impact in the Lakes community.

Areas of Focus

We fund projects in the Iowa Great Lakes Region that align with one or more of the following:

• Arts & Culture – Enriching community life and sustaining nostalgia and legacy for residents and visitors.
• Outdoor Recreation – Expanding opportunities for active, healthy lifestyles.
• Lake Quality & Environment – Protecting and sustaining our lakes and natural resources

What We Fund

We fund VITAL CAPITAL PROJECTS, such as buildings, equipment, or physical property that will be available for many years of use in our Lakes communities. We want to help develop communities where people want to live, work, visit, and play

Projects should be visible, available to a large portion of the public, and have a long lasting impact in the Iowa Great Lakes region.

Professional signage must be included on structures or property funded by Foundation grants. The Okoboji Foundation will provide official logos and style guidelines for signage.

Funding Levels

There are two categories of funding: Leadership Grants and Community Needs Grants.

Community Needs Grants

Grant requests under $25,000 will be considered by the Youth In Philanthropy student led committee. Any unfunded grants in this category will then be reviewed by the Okoboji Foundation grant committee. Projects should be completed and request reimbursement with receipts totaling amount of grant award within one year of the award notification.

What is the Dickinson County Endowment Fund?

The Dickinson County Endowment Fund is a non-profit, tax exempt foundation established in 2005 to support community betterment projects in Dickinson County, Iowa. The Fund encourages philanthropic giving and provides financial support for projects and programs that improve the quality of life and help promote a healthy economy of our county.

Grant Info

Funds awarded by the DCEF must be used for civic, educational, public, charitable, patriotic or religious projects.

Applications must include information on community need/benefit, project budget, applicant group’s ability to complete the project and any sources identified for partnerships or matching funds.

The Black Hills Charitable Giving Program supports community growth by providing sponsorships and donations to eligible organizations. Focused on thriving communities, conservation, and nurturing future leaders, it invites applications from 501(c)(3) organizations and schools. Funding priorities include critical needs like food security and education, while requests benefiting individuals or political causes are generally not funded. Applications are accepted year-round, with decisions made within 120 days.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative's Charitable Giving Program focuses on supporting communities across its nine-state service territory. The program reviews funding requests periodically and allocates donations to various categories, including education, health services, civic betterment, and cultural initiatives. Additionally, it offers matching funds for member donations and contributes surplus office equipment to organizations in need. This commitment to community growth and sustainability reflects Basin Electric's mission to enhance the well-being of its members.

The Alliant Energy Foundation offers community grants to support local organizations within its service areas. With a focus on strategic areas such as hunger, housing, workforce readiness, environmental stewardship, and community safety, the foundation has invested over $76 million since 1998. Applications are accepted year-round, and funding is available for specific programs aimed at enhancing community well-being and innovation. Organizations may receive one grant per year, emphasizing the foundation's commitment to diverse community support.

The Fort Dodge Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, enhances community well-being through the County Endowment Funding Grant. By fostering partnerships and providing grants to local organizations, it addresses pressing community needs and promotes charitable causes. The Foundation emphasizes economic vitality, recreational development, and community betterment, ensuring that funds are allocated efficiently to improve the quality of life for citizens in Fort Dodge and surrounding areas. This initiative exemplifies their commitment to philanthropic engagement and sustainable community growth.

The Hannah T. Croasdale Fellowship, offered by the Phycological Society of America, supports graduate students in expanding their phycological training. This fellowship provides up to $2,250 to help cover costs associated with attending phycology courses at biological field stations. Eligibility requires applicants to be currently enrolled in or admitted to a graduate program. Proposals for courses at non-affiliated field stations are highly encouraged, fostering broader educational experiences in phycology.

Stanislaus Community Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students in order to help them achieve their educational and career goals. We believe that by investing in our students, we are investing in a brighter future for Stanislaus. 

Jane Wynne Woolley Scholarship

Open to English Language Learners demonstrating financial need.

Award Amount:

• $1,000-$2,200   

Stanislaus Community Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students in order to help them achieve their educational and career goals. We believe that by investing in our students, we are investing in a brighter future for Stanislaus. 

Richard & Dolla Squires Memorial Music Scholarship

Open to graduating high school seniors pursuing a degree in music and demonstrating financial need. 

Award Amount:

• $1,000 

Stanislaus Community Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students in order to help them achieve their educational and career goals. We believe that by investing in our students, we are investing in a brighter future for Stanislaus.

Jim & Betty Lilly Scholarship Fund

Open to students from Stanislaus and Calaveras County who have attended a continuation high school, including those who have returned to and graduated from traditional high schools or attending a Vocational School.

Award Amount:

• $1,000

Stanislaus Community Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students in order to help them achieve their educational and career goals. We believe that by investing in our students, we are investing in a brighter future for Stanislaus. 

Robert Woolley Scholarship

Open to graduating seniors from Stanislaus County attending a four-year university to study horticulture.

Award Amount:

• $10,000

Literary Arts Fund

Grants Overview

The Literary Arts Fund will award at least $50 million in grants to the nonprofit literary arts field over the next five years, concluding in 2031.

With a short timeline, the fund’s grantmaking has a strategic focus on the areas of the literary arts ecosystem where it determined it could have the greatest impact— that is: supporting independent U.S.-based literary arts nonprofits whose primary mission is directly serving adult writers of creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and hybrid works in making their artistic work and sharing it with readers outside of school and academic settings. Please review the fund’s full eligibility requirements to learn more.

Innovation project grants provide funding to literary arts nonprofits for projects that may be collaborative and that aim to address critical challenges in one or more literary arts nonprofit organizations, presses, or publications that, if improved, would directly benefit creative writers’ artistic work and ability to share it with readers and audiences. These grants are disbursed to nonprofits in a single payment and intended for use during the project period.

Stanislaus Community Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students in order to help them achieve their educational and career goals. We believe that by investing in our students, we are investing in a brighter future for Stanislaus.

First Tee of Central Valley

Open to current/active members of The First Tee program with a minimum 3.0 GPA. 

Award Amount:

• $2,000 

Stanislaus Community Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students in order to help them achieve their educational and career goals. We believe that by investing in our students, we are investing in a brighter future for Stanislaus. 

Earl Pride Scholarship

Open to Stanislaus County employees and their children/step-children. Employee must work 24+ hours per week on a regular basis. 

Award amount:

• $1,000

Stanislaus Community Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students in order to help them achieve their educational and career goals. We believe that by investing in our students, we are investing in a brighter future for Stanislaus. 

Dr. Grant E. & Colleen Bare Scholarship

Open to current Modesto Junior College students and Stanislaus County students planning to transfer to a four-year college and pursue a degree in the fields of science, medical sciences and/or mathematics. 

Award Amount:

• Up to $3,500

Stanislaus Community Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students in order to help them achieve their educational and career goals. We believe that by investing in our students, we are investing in a brighter future for Stanislaus. 

Diane Bava Memorial Scholarship

Sponsored by Amador Family Scholarship Fund, this scholarship is open to current or former Modesto City School District students.

Award Amount:

• $1,000

Stanislaus Community Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students in order to help them achieve their educational and career goals. We believe that by investing in our students, we are investing in a brighter future for Stanislaus. 

David W. Moore Memorial Scholarship

Open to graduating seniors from Atwater, Golden Valley and Oakdale pursuing a degree in agriculture, ag-related fields, animal science or teaching or primary healthcare. Students must demonstrate financial need, community involvement and have a 2.5+ GPA.

Award Amount:

• $2,500

Stanislaus Community Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students in order to help them achieve their educational and career goals. We believe that by investing in our students, we are investing in a brighter future for Stanislaus. 

Bob Boggeri Farms Fund

Open to students planning to pursue a degree in Ag or Horticulture. Must be a FFA member and demonstrate financial need. Preference given to students from Hughson.

Award Amount:

• $1,000

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is set to release a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aiming to stimulate research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD). This initiative focuses on validating novel drug targets and supports early-stage drug discovery efforts. The U01 activity code will be utilized, and while applications are not currently solicited, this notice allows potential applicants ample time to form collaborations and develop impactful projects in the field of AD/ADRD research.

Stanislaus Community Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students in order to help them achieve their educational and career goals. We believe that by investing in our students, we are investing in a brighter future for Stanislaus. 

Turlock Irrigation District Energy Scholarship

Open to high school seniors attending a high school within the TID District territory planning to pursue a career in the Energy Utility Sector. (i.e. Engineering, Environmental Science, Electrical, Lineman etc.). Must plan to attend an accredited trade school or college/university and demonstrate financial need. The household must be a TID customer.

Award Amount:

• $2,500