Best Grants for New Nonprofits in Iowa

The Home Study and Post-Release Services program, led by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, provides critical support for unaccompanied alien children in the U.S. It ensures safe placements with sponsors by conducting thorough home checks and offers ongoing assistance to help children adjust and thrive. This program is vital for the well-being of vulnerable youth navigating complex immigration processes, fostering healthy connections within the community and ensuring their safety during this transitional period.

Greater Salina Community Foundation

Our mission is to build permanent endowment funds and meet charitable community needs. The Foundation achieves its mission by:

• Enabling donors to fulfill their charitable desires
• Increasing the capacity of nonprofit organizations to fulfill their individual missions
• Facilitating prudent management and care of funds
• Promoting community philanthropy through education
• Providing affiliate services to neighboring communities
• Meeting needs through grants, scholarships, and pass-through funds

Solomon Valley Community Foundation

Solomon Valley Community Foundation's mission is to be a catalyst for positive change; engaging partners and inspiring local philanthropy. We leverage resources to overcome obstacles, create lasting legacies, and contribute to the strenth of Mitchell County.

Fine Arts Future Development Scholarship

The Fine Arts Future Development Scholarship supports two different areas of study:

• Higher education for graduating seniors
• Summer music camp for junior high or high school students

Fine Arts Future Development Higher Education Scholarship

Graduation high school seniors in the Solomon Valley area, including Mitchell, Cloud, and Jewell Counties, that are pursuing a major in Instrumental Music or Art.

Renewals: Scholarship recipients may reapply as part of the total applicant pool. ​

The Field Initiated Projects Program aims to foster new research and develop solutions that enhance the inclusion and independence of individuals with disabilities. This initiative focuses on generating scientific knowledge and understanding critical issues faced by these populations, particularly those with significant support needs. With a total of 16 grants available over a 36-month period, this program encourages innovative approaches that support employment, living arrangements, and caregiver involvement.

At the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, we work with donors, grantees, and advisors to address key community issues.

Mike and Lillian & Charles and Anne Boonstra Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of Lillian Boonstra, who established the Mike and Lillian & Charles and Anne Boonstra Scholarship Fund of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. Lillian was born and raised in Muskegon. She married Mike Boonstra, who, along with his brother Charles, owned the Boonstra Brothers Coal Co. on Western Ave for many years. Mike was one of the originators of radio station WMUS, a well-known country music radio station. Mike died a tragic death in 1981. He and Lillian were childless but always had candy for the neighborhood children. They were affectionately known as the candy lady and man. Not only was the Community Foundation a beneficiary of Lillian’s generosity, but also her church and others. The Boonstra Fund will be used to assist students attending any college, university or technical degree program, in addition to those pursuing careers in Christian vocation and service.

About Us

Leadership. Collaboration. Impact.

The Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley helps philanthropists support the causes closest to their heart while connecting local residents to the resources they need for a better quality of life.

Our Mission

To serve as a leader and advocate for strategic philanthropy, partnering with donors to anchor a permanent and growing endowment and making investments in the Mahoning Valley that improve the quality of life for all residents.

Scholarship Opportunities

Your Community, Your Support System

Our community members support hundreds of local students every year through various scholarships facilitated by the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley.

• MyPath- Goldberg Scholarship Fund for MVCAP
  • Awarded to Trumbull County or Mahoning County students participating in MyPath programming or advising, with priority given to students who are or have been in foster care. 

About Us

Leadership. Collaboration. Impact.

The Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley helps philanthropists support the causes closest to their heart while connecting local residents to the resources they need for a better quality of life.

Our Mission

To serve as a leader and advocate for strategic philanthropy, partnering with donors to anchor a permanent and growing endowment and making investments in the Mahoning Valley that improve the quality of life for all residents.

Scholarship Opportunities

Your Community, Your Support System

Our community members support hundreds of local students every year through various scholarships facilitated by the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley.

Awarded to Trumbull County residents pursuing a health or medical-related degree or certification – including, but not limited to, those in nursing, behavioral health and public health – from an accredited institution.

Heartland Community Foundation: Paul and Terrii Bowman Scholarship

Amount

$1,000 minimum; Multiple scholarships may be awarded.

Geographic Limitations:

High school seniors qualified for graduation from a high school in Rooks County, Kansas.

Renewals

• Recipients are eligible for a one-year automatic renewal by meeting the following criteria:
  • Enrolled in a vocational field at a post-secondary institution.
  • In good academic standing.

The Jewell County Community Foundation's Fine Arts Future Development program supports high school seniors in the Solomon Valley area, including Mitchell, Cloud, and Jewell Counties, who are pursuing majors in Instrumental Music or Art. This initiative, backed by the Greater Salina Community Foundation, aims to foster creativity and artistic talent among youth, helping them to achieve their educational aspirations through scholarships and community support.

The John and Olive Cornellisson Scholarship Fund, managed by the Greater Salina Community Foundation, supports students graduating from USD 239 or 240 high schools pursuing higher education in agriculture or vocational training. Open to high school seniors, current college students, and non-traditional students, the fund emphasizes financial need over GPA. Previous recipients can apply for renewal, ensuring continued support for those striving to advance their education.

The Handweavers Guild of America (HGA) offers scholarships to students in accredited fiber arts programs in the U.S. and Canada. These scholarships, awarded based on artistic and technical excellence rather than financial need, support education in fiber arts, textile research, and conservation. Annually, funds of $4,000 or more are allocated for tuition. Applicants can apply under categories of artistic merit or scholarly research in the textile industry, with only one scholarship awarded per individual per year.

The John and Evelyn Turnbull Nursing Education Fund, administered by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, provides scholarships of up to $3,000 to residents of Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire Counties pursuing a Baccalaureate or Master’s degree in Nursing. This fund is aimed at supporting students from diverse backgrounds, ensuring access to education in nursing, and addressing the region's healthcare needs.

The Talati Family Scholarship Fund, administered by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, aims to support students of color pursuing higher education. Students can apply through a single online application, which connects them to various scholarships based on eligibility. Awards can reach up to $3,000 and may impact financial aid offers. This scholarship is available to undergraduate and graduate students attending accredited institutions in the U.S., particularly those from Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties.

At the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, we work with donors, grantees, and advisors to address key community issues.

Lewis G. and Margaret R. Curtis Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of Lewis and Margaret, who established the Lewis G. and Margaret R. Curtis Scholarship of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. Margaret Curtis wished to establish two scholarships; one for females pursuing careers in nursing or health care careers and the other for a male pursuing a vocational, technical or trade career scholarship. Mrs. Curtis, a nurse in the area, provided for this fund in her will in memory of her husband and herself. She stated that the income be used to award scholarships in two fields, nursing and vocational training.

At the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, we work with donors, grantees, and advisors to address key community issues.

Stanley C. and Maxine G. Sutherland Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of Stanley Sutherland, Jr., who established the Stanley C. and Maxine G. Sutherland Scholarship of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. Education was important to Maxine Sutherland. She graduated from Muskegon Junior College in 1940, received her nursing degree from the Hackley School of Nursing in 1942, and continued her education over the years until she received a B.S. in Education from Western Michigan University. Nursing was also important to Maxine, and over the years she was employed by Hackley Hospital, Visiting Nurses, and the office of her brother, Dr. Griffith. In her memory, her husband, Stanley Sutherland, Jr., has established the Maxine G. Sutherland Memorial , a donor advised , which will assist Muskegon County residents to pursue careers in nursing and other health related fields as well as support other projects and programs that were equally important to her.

At the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, we work with donors, grantees, and advisors to address key community issues.

Sherman R. Poppen Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of Sherman R. Poppen, who established the Sherman R. Poppen Scholarship of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. Nancy Poppen was an artist who wanted children to explore and develop their talents in the fine arts. Prior to her death, in 1993, she established a fund in her name to provide "individualized arts opportunities" for Muskegon Public Schools students in grades three through 12. Her husband, Sherman Poppen, has watched the talents of over one hundred students develop over these last few years. Feeling the need to continue to support their talents, he established the Sherman R. Poppen Scholarship Fund to provide scholarships for Muskegon High School graduates who have participated in programs funded through the Nancy K. Poppen Fund. Now these students, pursuing arts studies at accredited colleges and universities or under the tutelage of master artists, can be assured of continued support and backing.

At the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, we work with donors, grantees, and advisors to address key community issues.

Rocket Scholars Foundation Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of the parents and alumni of Reeths Puffer Schools, who established the Rocket Scholars Foundation Scholarship of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. The Rocket Scholars Foundation was created by parents and alumni with two purposes in mind:

• To continue to foster within the school system a culture of rigorous academic achievement for all students and
• To offer those students who have demonstrated high achievement, scholarships to help defray the increasingly expensive tuition costs at colleges, universities and accredited post-secondary vocational and technical schools.

At the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, we work with donors, grantees, and advisors to address key community issues.

Paul and Libby Kara Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of Paul M. Kara, who established the Paul and Libby Kara Scholarship of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. The Paul and Libby Kara Scholarship Fund helps graduating seniors or adult/returning students with significant financial need. It is designed to help students with the "last dollars" needed to continue their education. Paul and Libby believe that every student should be able to achieve their educational goals.

The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts administers over 160 scholarships. Some of the funds help students from a particular school or area; others provide financial assistance to those pursuing a specific field of study; still others assist students that are most in need. Students who apply to the Scholarship program may be eligible for many of these funds. 

Scholarships are provided for one academic year and are not automatically renewed each year. You can reapply to our program every year you are going to attend college, and the application you submit that year will be considered for all scholarships for which you are eligible.

Edward A. and Shirley B. Livi Scholarship Fund

To support residents of Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire Counties who are pursuing fine or performing arts beyond their college freshman year.

Additional Guidelines

• Students can receive up to $3,000 in scholarships from the Community Foundation.
• Scholarship awards could impact the financial aid offered by a college, and students are advised to check with their college financial aid offices about this.
• Scholarships may be used to offset tuition, fees, room and board, and other items included as part of the cost for attending the institution. Some part and/or all the award could be considered taxable income. It is advisable students check with the college or tax accountant regarding this matter.

Access Advocate for Clinical Research Participation

Objective:

This program will support implementation and evaluation of a Parkinson’s disease (PD) focused Access Advocate model designed to increase inclusive research participation. Funding will support Access Advocates at clinical sites to build practical, relationship based pathways to improving representative research enrollment and retention.

Funding Details:

• Duration: 24 months 
• Award Amount: $200,000 

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) and its inclusive recruitment strategy has examined what barriers and motivators shape participation (e.g., FIRE-UP PD study3) as well as funded sites to pilot tactics that address those barriers (e.g., Black & African American Connections to Parkinson’s Disease study4). Now we aim to scale and validate approaches that show early promise by investing more deeply and measuring impact across settings.

This program will fund advocates at clinical sites to build practical, relationship-based pathways to improving representative research enrollment and retention. These support staff will help patients and care partners navigate health system complexity and everyday needs that often determine whether research participation is feasible. They will help address barriers such as transportation, caregiving responsibilities, language needs, and insurance and financial strains by connecting people to resources, coordinating logistics and providing consistent follow-up. These advocates also should discuss research participation opportunities with patients and connect them to recruiting studies.

The model is grounded in the idea that research participation is more feasible when (i) foundational practical needs are addressed first and (ii) raised by a trusted health care partner. By helping to reduce practical barriers, advocates are expected to increase screenings, enrollment conversion and retention across key trial milestones.

This program will test these hypotheses and further establish training, infrastructure needs and sustainability of such positions.

Program Goal

This program aims to:

• Support establishment of site-based Access Advocates to support potential participants and care partners across multiple active or planned PD studies.
• Evaluate needs and opportunities for onboarding and ongoing training for advocates in PD and clinical research fundamentals as well as site and local resources.
• Recommend repeatable workflows for identifying prospective participants, assessing barriers, connecting them to resources, coordinating logistics and supporting follow-up.
• Collect and report a core set of evaluation metrics across sites (reach, encounters, referrals, screened, enrolled, retained), including barrier tracking and resolution.
• Evaluate the impact of Access Advocates in recruiting and retaining underrepresented community individuals to/in Parkinson’s studies.
• Evaluate the impact of Access Advocates on “health system value” indicators (e.g., appointment adherence/show rates, medication access/adherence proxies) that could support funding sustainability from other sources.
• Establish a cross-site learning community that enables funded sites to share lessons, refine the Access Advocate model and inform broader adoption beyond the funding period.

The Strategic Health Partners Scholarship, offered by the Cobb Community Foundation, supports children of W-2 employees of Strategic Health Partners. Eligible applicants include U.S. citizens or legal residents with a combined family income under $330,000. Scholarships provide up to $2,500 for the first year and $1,000 for up to three renewals, contingent upon maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.0. This initiative aims to facilitate educational opportunities for families in need.

Our History

In late 1993, a group of Cobb business leaders recognized the community’s need for a vehicle to invest in its future. The group was led by Jim Rhoden, owner of Futren Corporation (now Futren Hospitality) and included the late Otis Brumby Jr., Bobbi Burruss, Murray Homan, Judge Conley Ingram, Senator Johnny Isakson, Bob Prillaman, Bob Russell, the late Lanie Shipp Hoover, the late Roy Simmons, Deborah Wallace, the late John Williams, Jack Wilson and Diane Woods. Their solution was the creation of the Cobb Community Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.

Fourteen years later, we obtained our own 501(c)(3) designation. Now, we are Cobb Community Foundation. In 2017 alone, we made $1.4 million in grants, $900,000 of which were distributed to charitable organizations right here in Cobb County.

Our Mission

Be a catalyst for a thriving community—mobilizing people, ideas, and resources to improve quality of life in and around Cobb.

Apply for a Scholarship

Each Cobb Community Foundation Scholarship Fund was created by a donor or group of donors with a specific objective in mind. In some cases, scholarships were created to honor someone’s memory, and in others, they were created to ensure opportunities would be available to certain groups of people. In all cases, they were established by individuals who want to help you pursue your dream.

Metro Marietta Kiwanis Morgan Thomas Scholarship Fund

The Morgan Thomas Scholarship was established by the Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club as an appropriate way to perpetuate the name and ideals of Mr. Morgan Thomas, a founding member. Mr. Thomas was a man who devoted his life to helping others through Kiwanis, his church and his profession. The scholarship will help others in the tradition of Mr. Thomas by providing financial assistance to deserving Cobb County students.

The estimated scholarship award will be $1,000-$2,500 with an estimated number of 3-4 scholarships available.

The Fostering Education Scholarship Fund, established by Village Connection and Innovative Fitness, provides scholarships of $2,000-$3,000 to eligible students who have aged out of Georgia's foster care system. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal residents, high school seniors or recent graduates, and have a minimum GPA of 2.5. This initiative aims to empower these students with the financial support they need to pursue higher education, fostering a brighter future for the community.

The Community Foundation of Shelby County

Our Mission

To inspire donor generosity and transform it into meaningful, lasting impact through charitable gifts.

Our Vision

To be the primary partner for donors who want to advance the community’s quality of life and capacity for excellence.

Layton Family Foundation Scholarship

Selection based upon (in order of priority):

• Academic ability and an additional essay on a designated topic, and recommendations.

Awards

• One $1,200 scholarship

The Community Foundation of Shelby County

Our Mission

To inspire donor generosity and transform it into meaningful, lasting impact through charitable gifts.

Our Vision

To be the primary partner for donors who want to advance the community’s quality of life and capacity for excellence.

Schmiesing Homeschool Scholarship

Selection based, in order of priority:

• Demonstrated church participation, employment history, recommendations, academic ability, and financial need.

Awards

• One $1,000 scholarship

The Community Foundation of Shelby County

Our Mission

To inspire donor generosity and transform it into meaningful, lasting impact through charitable gifts.

Our Vision

To be the primary partner for donors who want to advance the community’s quality of life and capacity for excellence.

Shelby County Youth Soccer Scholarship

Selection based upon (in order of priority): 

• Soccer involvement as a player, referee, and/or coach, demonstrated passion for soccer, a recommendation letter from a soccer coach or soccer mentor is REQUIRED, and an additional essay of no less than 100 words and no more than 200 words on a designated topic.

Awards

• Two $1,000 scholarships – One to a male applicant and one to a female applicant.

The MBF Small Grants Program supports conservation projects for monarch butterflies and their habitats, primarily in Mexico. It aims to fund initiatives focusing on habitat conservation, scientific research, education, and sustainable development. Grants are primarily awarded to Mexican organizations and individuals, with a preference for those with relevant experience. Projects should enhance local livelihoods and promote environmental awareness within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.

JFS–David Rubenstein Memorial Scholarship

The JFS–David Rubenstein Memorial Scholarship, established by Dr. Robert Rubenstein and Marie Raftery, honors the memory of Dr. Robert’s son, David. The program provides financial support to students from San Diego’s Jewish community pursuing college or vocational education, and encourages them to cultivate intellectual curiosity, reflect on Jewish values, and give back to their community.

Scholarships of up to $10,000 will be awarded based on academic achievement, community involvement, and financial need.

Students are eligible to receive up to a total of four (4) years of JFS-David Rubenstein Memorial Scholarship funding, and the funding years do not have to be consecutive. Scholarships are made on a year-to-year basis and are not automatically renewed. Scholarship recipients must submit a new application and the required documentation in compliance with the application deadlines, stated herein, for each year that they seek funding.

Scholarship funds will be sent directly to the academic institution the student is attending solely for use toward qualifying academic expenses, including tuition, school-provided housing, books, school fees, or required academic supplies/equipment. Should the recipient not matriculate college by the date listed in the award, he or she agrees to forfeit the scholarship award.