Best Grants for Small Nonprofits in Iowa

The Disability Foundation, in partnership with The Dayton Foundation, invites proposals for grants aimed at supporting organizations providing direct services to individuals with disabilities. Eligible applicants include community-based nonprofits and academic institutions. Grants, capped at $10,000, can be used for various purposes such as enhancing service accessibility, purchasing necessary equipment, and expanding services. This initiative seeks to empower disabled individuals by ensuring they receive essential resources and support.

The Retail Food Safety Regulatory Association Collaboration CAP aims to enhance retail food protection in the U.S. by renewing a cooperative agreement that promotes collaboration among non-profit organizations and educational institutions. This initiative focuses on reducing food-borne illnesses through research and the advancement of best practices in retail food safety. By leveraging local and state resources, the program seeks to effectively mitigate food safety risks and improve public health outcomes.

The Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program (HTPCP) aims to enhance access to essential preventive clinical and public health services for children through community-driven initiatives. Funded by the US HHS: Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), this program focuses on empowering local communities to implement effective strategies that improve children's health outcomes and promote overall well-being. Projects funded under this initiative will play a vital role in ensuring healthier futures for children.

The Gerald M. Friedman Fund Grant, established in 2002, honors the contributions of Gerald M. Friedman to sedimentary geology. It supports graduate students in their research and travel for professional development. Eligible candidates must be in good academic standing and have completed at least one semester of graduate study. This fund, initiated by Friedman's former students, reflects his legacy in academia and the field of sedimentary geology.

About

Founded in 1971, the Mensa Foundation was established by members of American Mensa to extend the organization’s impact. While connected by a shared purpose, the Foundation operates independently, guided by its own Board of Trustees, strategic plan, and initiatives.

Awards

Excellence in Research

The Mensa Foundation’s Awards for Excellence in Research recognize researchers who are building new knowledge in intelligence.

Presented annually, these awards honor exceptional work published in peer-reviewed journals or presented at professional conferences.

Details

A prestigious recognition in the field, the Awards for Excellence in Research celebrate innovative contributions that redefine how intelligence, giftedness, and related fields are studied and applied.

Award Components

Criteria for Entry

Council on Foundations

The Council on Foundations is a nonprofit membership association that serves as a guide for philanthropies as they advance the greater good. Building on our 75-year history, the Council supports over 1,000 member organizations in the United States and around the world to build trust in philanthropy, expand pathways to giving, engage broader perspectives, and co-create solutions that will lead to a better future for all. 

Council Awards

Our awards program recognizes excellence in philanthropy and honors leaders for their dedication to explore creative ways to advance the common good and fund solutions for complex issues. The Council Awards recognize exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact across the philanthropic sector.

Excellence in Community Foundation Leadership Award

The Excellence in Community Foundation Leadership Award recognizes an exceptional senior leader at a community foundation who demonstrates outstanding vision, integrity, and impact in advancing their institution's mission and the broader philanthropic field. Nominees should exemplify the unique leadership demands of community philanthropy.

Award Criteria

• Strategic Leadership and Vision: The individual has demonstrated clear, forward-looking leadership that advances the community foundation’s mission, such as, but not limited to, strong strategic direction and strong governance.
• Community Impact and Partnership: The individual has built meaningful relationships that strengthen the foundation’s role as a trusted community leader.
• Resource Development and Stewardship: The individual has advanced philanthropic resources and long-term organizational growth, such as, but not limited to, effective donor engagement and sustainable growth of the foundation’s assets and initiatives.
• Innovation and Field Leadership: Champions new ideas, approaches, and/or collaborations that strengthen and progress the community foundation and the philanthropic field.

The ASPCA Research Grants for Shelter Research invite proposals in six key areas including Access to Veterinary Care, Applied Behavior Research, and Shelter Research. These grants aim to fund high-quality research that can significantly benefit animal welfare. Eligible investigators from U.S. entities and certain Canadian organizations are encouraged to apply. The program emphasizes collaboration between shelters and researchers, fostering innovative solutions to improve the well-being of animals in shelter settings.

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

Marguerite C. Lucas Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by an anonymous donor, who established the Marquerite C. Lucas Scholarship of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County in honor of Marquerite Lucas. Marguerite C. Lucas had great passion for education. She stressed the importance of perseverance and a "do what you have to do" attitude to pursue your dreams. Her legacy will continue through this scholarship geared towards helping women pursue an education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

The National Meredith Willson Awards provide multi-year operating support to organizations using music for systemic change. The Music Man Foundation will award grants of $50,000 to $500,000 to 5-10 selected organizations in 2026, focusing on their impact through music. Eligible organizations must have 501(c)(3) status, a history of music programming, and a commitment to systemic change. Applications will be evaluated on leadership, organizational capacity, and alignment with grant criteria.

Council on Foundations

The Council on Foundations is a nonprofit membership association that serves as a guide for philanthropies as they advance the greater good. Building on our 75-year history, the Council supports over 1,000 member organizations in the United States and around the world to build trust in philanthropy, expand pathways to giving, engage broader perspectives, and co-create solutions that will lead to a better future for all. 

Council Awards

Our awards program recognizes excellence in philanthropy and honors leaders for their dedication to explore creative ways to advance the common good and fund solutions for complex issues. The Council Awards recognize exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact across the philanthropic sector.

Outstanding Corporate Philanthropy Leadership Award

The Outstanding Corporate Philanthropy Leadership Award will recognize an individual at a corporate foundation or a corporate giving program that is advancing the greater good. This award celebrates those who embody the integrity, leadership, and accomplishment that defines excellence in the field of philanthropy.  

Award Criteria

The criteria for this award reflects the characteristics and attributes of corporate philanthropy’s foremost leaders. The individual should possess qualities such as:

• Leadership: The individual has demonstrated admirable leadership in the face of crisis or has shown a unique capacity to take their organization and the field to new heights.
• Courage: The individual has taken stands on issues important to them and their work and is willing to push their organization and the field to do better.
• Integrity: The individual embodies qualities such as fairness, a commitment to equity, and a willingness to admit faults and learn from mistakes.
• Trust: The individual centers trust in their relationships with partners and other stakeholders and furthers public trust in philanthropy.

Through your nomination, you can acknowledge the work of a trustee or staff member working in philanthropy who has made a critical difference in the field and demonstrated leadership in times of crisis, charting new paths for the social sector.One supplemental material upload is required (no more than five total items) may be uploaded to provide documentation and support of achievements. These supplemental materials may include, but not limited to: reference letter, endorsement, or letter of support for the nomination from the community leadership (i.e., nonprofit, grantee partner, or a government leader), videos, news articles, report, or publication, organizational strategic plan or annual report, or individuals resume.

The Council on Foundations prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, sex, ethnicity, religion, or national origin, to each such award.

The Title X Family Planning Services Grants support diverse projects aimed at providing essential family planning services across the United States and its territories. With an anticipated funding of up to $257 million, these grants will empower low-income and uninsured individuals by enhancing health literacy and access to reproductive health services. The program emphasizes informed decision-making and addresses gaps in reproductive knowledge, ultimately promoting better health outcomes for millions of Americans.

The OVC FY 2026 Enhanced Collaborative Model (ECM) Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking aims to strengthen responses to human trafficking through multidisciplinary collaboration. This initiative provides essential resources for victim identification, service delivery, and case investigations, all supported by the U.S. Department of Justice. By fostering cooperative efforts, the program seeks to enhance the effectiveness of local jurisdictions in combating this critical issue and ensuring the safety and rights of affected individuals.

American Cancer Society

The mission of the American Cancer Society is to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.

ACS Research Priority Areas

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has identified these 6 areas to categorize and track the research we fund to help advance our mission. Applicants (except Institutional Research Grants and Professor grants) are asked to select at least 1 of these research areas that aligns with their proposal:

• Etiology (causes of cancer)
• Obesity/Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL)
• Screening and Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Survivorship
• Health Equity Across the Cancer Continuum

Research Scholar Grants

Research Scholar Grants (RSG) provide support for independent, self-directed researchers.

Applicants' institutions must provide space and other resources customary for independent investigators.

Grant proposals are investigator-initiated and may pursue questions across the cancer research continuum, as long as they fit within an American Cancer Society (ACS) priority research area.

These grants typically contribute to the cost of salaries, consumable supplies, and other miscellaneous items required in the research. 

Research Scholar Grants are funded up to $215,000 per year (direct costs), plus 10% allowable indirect costs, with a project period up to four years.

Spencer Educational Foundation Inc

The Spencer Educational Foundation was founded by the Rims Atlanta Chapter in 1979. To this day, Spencer remains the premier organization funding the education of tomorrow's risk management and insurance leaders.

The Spencer Educational Foundation: awards merit-based scholarships and grants to university students pursuing careers in risk management, insurance, and/or actuarial science; provides grants that create experiential learning opportunities both on and off campus; funds the development of risk management and insurance curricula in colleges and universities; supports Risk Managers by creating internship opportunities within the risk management function of their companies; and operates across the United States and Canada. 

Spencer Educational Foundation: Risk Manager on Campus Grants

Spencer’s Risk Manager on Campus (RMOC) Program has been praised by both universities and risk managers as a rewarding educational experience for students and a chance to give back to the profession. The grant program brings a practicing risk manager to the university to present and engage with students about the Risk Management profession and the Insurance industry. Since 1997, Spencer has awarded over 500 RMOC Grants totaling $1.7 million to universities & colleges across the United States and Canada.

Spencer’s Risk Manager on Campus program offers grants of up to $5,000 to universities and colleges in the United States and Canada to host a practicing Risk Manager on its campus for a 1–3-day residency. The grant award is to be used to:

• Reimburse the risk manager for travel, housing, and incidental expenses incurred from the visit.
• Coordinate class visits, campus-wide lectures, panel discussions, meals, student club/organization meetings, senior administration visits, and/or receptions for students to network with and learn from the visiting risk manager, thereby exposing students to careers in Risk Management and Insurance (including Actuarial Science) and cultivating excitement about the industry.

Council on Foundations

The Council on Foundations is a nonprofit membership association that serves as a guide for philanthropies as they advance the greater good. Building on our 75-year history, the Council supports over 1,000 member organizations in the United States and around the world to build trust in philanthropy, expand pathways to giving, engage broader perspectives, and co-create solutions that will lead to a better future for all. 

Council Awards

Our awards program recognizes excellence in philanthropy and honors leaders for their dedication to explore creative ways to advance the common good and fund solutions for complex issues. The Council Awards recognize exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact across the philanthropic sector.

Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking

The Robert W. Scrivner Award for Creative Grantmaking was originally created and endowed by friends and colleagues in 1984 as a tribute to Robert Scrivner, a former staff associate of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and first executive director of the Rockefeller Family Fund.

This prestigious award has historically recognized outstanding creativity in grantmaking at the individual level. Starting in 2021, it now recognizes a grantmaking organization that, with a combination of vision, principle, and commitment, is making a critical difference in an innovative way.

Award Criteria

• Creativity: The grantmaking organization demonstrates a flexible and adaptable approach to grantmaking, leveraging innovative practices and creating new and better ways of operating.
• Vision: The grantmaking organization embodies their vision throughout their daily practices and procedures.
• Principle: The grantmaking organization operates with integrity and principles, and this is shown throughout their engagement with their nonprofit partners and other stakeholders.
• Trust: The grantmaking organization centers trust in its relationships with its nonprofit partners and other stakeholders and furthers public trust in philanthropy.

Through your nomination, you can acknowledge the work of a trustee or staff member working in philanthropy who has made a critical difference in the field and demonstrated leadership in times of crisis, charting new paths for the social sector.One supplemental material upload is required (no more than five total items) may be uploaded to provide documentation and support of achievements. These supplemental materials may include, but not limited to: reference letter, endorsement, or letter of support for the nomination from the community leadership (i.e., nonprofit, grantee partner, or a government leader), videos, news articles, report, or publication, organizational strategic plan or annual report, or individuals resume.

The Council on Foundations prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, sex, ethnicity, religion, or national origin, to each such award.

Spencer Educational Foundation Inc

The Spencer Educational Foundation was founded by the Rims Atlanta Chapter in 1979. To this day, Spencer remains the premier organization funding the education of tomorrow's risk management and insurance leaders.

The Spencer Educational Foundation: awards merit-based scholarships and grants to university students pursuing careers in risk management, insurance, and/or actuarial science; provides grants that create experiential learning opportunities both on and off campus; funds the development of risk management and insurance curricula in colleges and universities; supports Risk Managers by creating internship opportunities within the risk management function of their companies; and operates across the United States and Canada. 

Spencer Educational Foundation: Internship Grants

Through our Internship Grant Program, Spencer aims to support tomorrow’s Risk Management and Insurance leaders through experiential learning opportunities. 

Spencer provides internship grants of up to $7,500 to Risk Managers to hire interns in the risk management function of their organizations. Employers apply for grants from Spencer, and students then apply directly with the companies for internship opportunities.

Since 1999, Spencer has awarded $3.5 million to create over 650 risk management internships. Through the internship program, students learn about the field in a real-world business setting where they can quickly apply what they know, respond to new experiences, and begin to develop contacts in the industry. 

The USPOULTRY Research Grants program, sponsored by the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, aims to enhance the poultry industry through comprehensive research funding. Established in 1963, it supports diverse projects related to poultry and egg production. With over $30 million invested, the program emphasizes improving product quality and safety. Proposals are evaluated by a panel of experts, with a funding rate of 15-20%. Eligible projects typically have budgets under $80,000 and timelines of 1-2 years.

The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD), a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and the Housing Assistance Council, invites rural communities to apply for design support. CIRD aims to enhance rural life and economic viability through planning and creative placemaking, empowering local citizens to address unique community challenges. Opportunities include Local Design Workshops and a Design Learning Cohort, providing resources, training, and support to foster community-driven solutions.

The Middle School Music Grant, offered by the Peter R Marsh Foundation, aims to enrich the musical education of public middle school music teachers across the U.S. By facilitating performances at senior facilities, the grant fosters emotional connections between students and seniors, while providing essential classroom equipment. Funds cover music supplies, instruments, and transportation, ensuring students have the resources to thrive musically and socially. This initiative not only enhances music education but also promotes community engagement and empathy.

Scholarship amounts vary depending on the scholarship applied for. Applicants are encouraged to apply for as many awards as they are eligible to increase the likelihood of receiving one or more awards.

Scholarships can be used for cost of attendance, direct education expenses, including tuition, books, and/or other school-related fees.

If you receive an award, be sure to complete your scholarship acceptance form (online portal). Scholarship awards are paid directly to the academic institution by the end of August.

Wehrli Custom Fabrication Scholarship Fund

The Wehrli Custom Fabrication company created the scholarship to aid students interested in pursuing a career in the trades. The Fund supports two annual scholarships. The first is for a student attending a trade school or 2-year college, and the second benefits a student attending a 4-year college or university. Eligible areas of study include welding, machine tooling, auto mechanics, auto body, business management, and mechanical, industrial, manufacturing, or agricultural engineering.

About the Emporia Community Foundation

Our Mission

To connect caring people with causes that build stronger communities within the Emporia area which includes Chase, Coffey, Greenwood, Lyon, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties.

Addie's "Grace" Fund

The purpose of Addie's "Grace" Fund is to provide help to children with life threatening illnesses and support to their families. Grant requests will be considered for children under the age of 18.

The World Childhood Foundation aims to eradicate child sexual abuse and exploitation through innovative programs. Organizations eligible for funding must be based in the U.S. and focus on child safety, supportive environments, and responses to abuse. The grant does not support emergency relief, orphanages, or established program costs. Interested applicants should start the process 1-2 months prior to the deadline to ensure they can fulfill the necessary requirements, including a site visit.

The Kevin Flanagan Student Travel Award offers up to $800 for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing diving science to attend AAUS scientific meetings. This competitive, merit-based award honors Kevin Flanagan's legacy in scientific diving and support for AAUS. Established in collaboration with his family, it aims to encourage the development of safe and effective scientific divers through education and research, while promoting standards in scientific diving practices.

The Animal Food Regulatory Program Standards Implementation Development and Maintenance initiative aims to foster a cohesive national animal food safety system. This funding opportunity supports state programs in implementing the Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS) and encourages mutual reliance between federal and state regulatory efforts. Key outcomes include enhanced operational standards and improved integration of regulatory processes, ultimately contributing to a safer food supply and better animal health across jurisdictions.

Community Foundation for Muskegon County

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

The mission of the Community Foundation is to engage donors and connect them with opportunities to make a lasting impact, build community endowment, provide leadership on key issues, and make grants that reflect the communities we serve.

Scholarships

Our scholarship funds seek to empower and encourage Muskegon County residents to pursue their dreams, hone in their gifts, and give back to our community.

If you’re a high school or homeschooled senior, current college student, early college senior, or adult learner, the Community Foundation for Muskegon County may have a scholarship for you. We manage one of the largest scholarship programs in our area, with over $1 million committed to students in over 500 new and renewed scholarships awarded each year.

Dorothy Creason Tyler English Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of the Tyler Family, who established the Dorothy Creason-Tyler English Scholarship of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. This scholarship is intended for graduating seniors from North Muskegon High School, who have an aptitude and passion for English. The scholarship will be awarded to a student who has demonstrated overall academic achievement with a special interest in and passion for reading, writing and discussing the ideas generated from great literature.

Every Battle Creek area resident shall have the resources to access post-secondary education and training.

Your dreams matter — and we want to help you achieve them. Whether you’re a graduating high school senior, an adult returning to school, or a graduate student pursuing advanced education, we’re here to support you by opening doors to opportunity.

Beyond tuition, many funds support total cost of attendance — books, fees, equipment, and in some cases childcare or transportation.

Checks are made payable to the educational institution indicated on the follow-up and mailed directly to the educational institution. Checks are typically mailed in early August.

Helen Montgomery Musician Fund

The purpose of this fund is to support local minority artists that need assistance in order to pursue musical endeavors/expand their talent through programs associated with schools, church and nonprofit entities with a focus on music.

The FPTR: Acute Care Research Grant aims to support high-quality research relevant to acute care physical therapy practice. With a total funding of $80,000, this grant encourages innovative studies that can enhance the understanding and application of physical therapy methods. The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research prioritizes projects that address pressing clinical questions and contribute to the evidence base for effective practices while promoting equity in health care.