About Peter Kiewit Foundation

The foundation supports efforts that align with our strategic impact areas, primarily in the Omaha metro area and across the state of Nebraska. We also make grants in that portion of Western Iowa within 100 miles of Omaha, as well as other geographies of interest to Mr. Kiewit.

Strategic Priorities

College Access and Success

• Goal: Increase (2- and 4- year) college-going, persistence, and completion.
• Investments in:
  • Programs and initiatives that help students to improve readiness for, access to, and success in post-secondary education.
  • Post-secondary institutions’ efforts to build their own capacity to improve student success outcomes.
  • Programs and initiatives that strengthen the alignment between high schools, post-secondaries, and employers to create a seamless school-to-career pathway.
• Two Scholarship Programs:
  • “Kiewit Vocational Scholarship” Program with Nebraska Community Colleges and Iowa Western
  • “Peter Kiewit Foundation Engineering Academy” at the University of Nebraska

Youth Development

• Out Of School Time
  • Goal: Increase the number of opportunity youth (K-12) participating in high quality out-of-school programs that enhance academic, professional, and personal learning.
  • Investments in:
    • Omaha metro area nonprofit organizations that provide high-quality out of school programs (after school/summer learning, college/career readiness, mentoring, and character-building).
    • Nebraska nonprofit intermediaries working to build the quality, capacity, and reach of the out-of-school time and mentoring sectors across the state.
• Stem Learning
  • Goal: Increase the number of high-quality STEM programs and learning experiences accessed by youth (outside of school).
  • Investments in:
    • Omaha metro nonprofit organizations and educational institutions that provide high quality STEM awareness, experiences, and exposure opportunities.
    • Quality of place amenities that provide STEM experiences (science museums, children’s museums, libraries, etc.)
    • Networks that support quality STEM experiences and connect them to educational and career pathways.

Economic Development and Opportunities

• Strengthen Omaha’s Urban Core
  • Goal: Increase the number of people who live, work, and play in Downtown Omaha
  • Investments in:
    • Civic, cultural, and recreational amenities that engage and improve the quality of life for residents in the Omaha Metro’s Downtown and Urban Core.
    • Catalyst projects that spur economic development in jobs, talent attraction, or housing.
    • Efforts that build an “ecosystem” for entrepreneurs to thrive and spur innovation.
    • Efforts that take a capital project from “basic to beautiful.”
    • Efforts that support walkable, bikeable communities as well as multi-modal transportation options (e.g., bikeshare programs, trail networks, bus rapid transit programs and supports, etc.

• Revitalize Distressed Communities
  • Goal: Improve the built environment to stabilize and grow neighborhoods and communities experiencing decline and disinvestment.
  • Investments in:
    • Catalyst projects and initiatives that revitalize the built environment.
• Economic Opportunity
  • Goal: Increase employment, jobs, and building of financial assets in distressed communities.
  • Investments in:
    • Small business programs that provide financial and technical assistance to minority- and female-owned businesses (e.g., loan funds, business acumen programs, business coaching/training).
    • Programs that build financial literacy for community residents to acquire assets and build wealth.
    • Workforce development programs that build skills and connect individuals to employment.
    • Programs that provide support and technical assistance to spur housing development and homeownership.

Quality of Place Amenities

• Goal: Increase access to quality civic, arts, and cultural and recreational amenities.
• Investments in:
  • Capital projects with community-wide support.
  • Innovative programs and collaborations that engage broad, diverse audiences and are inclusive of the entire community.
  • Occasional operating grants to arts and culture organizations pursuing innovation and best practices.

Community Capacity in Greater Nebraska

• Goal: Improve communities’ ability to lead and respond to their own needs and opportunities.
• Investments in:
  • Planning efforts to develop a community-wide plan for improvement and growth.
  • Community foundations and regional networks working to build capacity of community leaders.

In addition to these strategic impact areas we occasionally support responses to address emerging issues or opportunities that have a large scale, community-wide impact.

Project Type

We consider proposals that are closely aligned to the foundation’s Strategic Impact Areas. We fund general operations, programs, and capital projects.

Matching Funds

Peter Kiewit Foundation grants are awarded on a matching funds basis. An applicant must have developed at least a portion of the matching funds needed before submitting a request.

Grantmaking

The great majority of grants are given to organizations located in, and for projects to be conducted within, the state of Iowa and portions of Illinois, as well as to other organizations in which Mr. Carver had an interest during his lifetime. Generally speaking, the Carver Trust supports biomedical and scientific research, scholarships, and programs addressing the educational and recreational needs of youth. 

Program Areas

Elementary and Secondary Education

Supporting educational opportunities for youth, beginning with kindergarten and continuing through high school graduation, is a cornerstone of Carver Trust giving. Grant-making activities in this area may be divided into three, broad categories, each with the goal of enhancing access to resources and the application of innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Read more about this program area.

Higher Education

The Trust’s interests in the area of higher education extend to those projects that strengthen institutions and offer innovative learning opportunities to students enrolled in baccalaureate and graduate programs throughout the grant-making region of Iowa and parts of Illinois. Typically, funding is awarded to capital or programmatic initiatives that seek to substantively improve instruction or increase access to educational resources, with the goal of better preparing students for future academic and professional challenges. Projects incorporating interdisciplinary approaches and demonstrating the potential for lasting impact among a diverse range of students are especially encouraged. Read more about this program area.

Medical and Scientific Research

The goal of the Trust’s program in medical and scientific research is to provide support for innovative investigation that may hold great promise for advancing scientific knowledge and, in many cases, improving human health. To this end, the Trust has supported a variety of university-based scientific endeavors, most notably in the basic medical sciences, the chemical and biological sciences, and engineering. Although a majority of funding is awarded for the purpose of addressing institutional capital needs, a parallel focus of this program area is the research efforts of particular laboratories, often emphasizing multidisciplinary approaches and encouraging the development of untried, and inherently risky, specific aims. Read more about this program area.

Youth Services and Recreation

Projects receiving Trust funding under the youth program designation are typically designed to complement curriculum-based education and encourage individual development and physical well-being. Of the grants awarded within this category, a significant portion has been directed toward the efforts of organizations advocating for disadvantaged and disabled youth and their families. As an example, improving the conditions at adolescent residential facilities in Iowa, including those that offer opportunities for special-needs populations, has represented an important area of Trust charitable giving around the state.

In addition, grants to help communities establish safe and affordable recreation opportunities are also part of the youth-directed programming. The Trust offers strategic funding for the development of public recreation facilities and related activities for children, with priority given to projects in the Iowa counties of Muscatine, Cedar, Louisa and Scott, as well as Rock Island and Mercer Counties in Illinois. More information on the youth recreation program area may be found under Trust Initiated Programming & Guidelines.

Miscellaneous

Grants listed under this designation are those that, for various reasons, do not fall within the Trust’s primary program classifications. Many grants classified as miscellaneous are for projects receiving special consideration for their direct impact on the local Muscatine region.

Awards in this category of Trust giving may, for example, provide support to organizations mobilizing to help area residents following a natural disaster or emergency, such as flooding or storm damage. Other assistance of this type has been directed to local first-responder and law enforcement agencies, which have received occasional support for specialized medical, firefighting and policing equipment, as well as situations whereby certain area nonprofits are seeking one-time support for urgent capital or programming needs.

Still other miscellaneous grants celebrate special events and aspects of Muscatine and its history, as well as organizations and projects that share a unique connection to the life and interests of Roy Carver. Additionally, occasional grants in this program area may serve to emphasize important natural resources throughout the local area and the upper Mississippi River region, with a focus on projects that help to guide children and youth toward a deeper understanding of, and respect for, the ecosystem and surrounding environment.

Iowa Great Places seeks to cultivate the local character and authentic qualities of Iowa neighborhoods, districts, communities and regions. At its core, the program embraces ‘creative placemaking’, or the approach of building upon local creative and cultural assets to build more livable communities and vibrant public places.

The program provides a ten-year designation as an Iowa Great Place, professional development and technical assistance resources, and competitive funding opportunities for new and existing infrastructure projects included in a vision plan and supported by a mix of partners and strategies.

Designation & Re-Designation Guidelines

The Iowa Great Places program seeks to advance the State of Iowa's goals for growth and economic prosperity by cultivating the unique and authentic qualities of Iowa neighborhoods, districts, communities and regions to make them great places to live, work and visit.

Through a ten-year designation and competitive funding opportunities, the program recognizes communities and regions that have developed vision plans, partnerships and strategies around the development of creative and cultural assets.

Iowa Great Places may use their designation as a point of civic pride. Additionally, designated communities are eligible to apply for program grant funding; may seek technical assistance from the department and other state resources; and have access to professional development and learning opportunities through a network of experienced community leaders.

Competitive applicants at the designation stage will demonstrate a commitment to developing local assets across these core program areas:

• Arts and Culture
• Architecture
• Diversity
• Entrepreneurial incentive for business development
• Historic Fabric
• Housing Options
• Natural Environment
• Amenities

The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs program, defined in Iowa Code 303.3C, is administered by the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Iowa Great Places Citizens Advisory Board.

NOTE: All applicants must be invited to apply for a grant from Bayer Fund. Invitation codes can be requested from the Bayer site in your community or through the Contact Us page.

We support high-quality educational programming by schools and nonprofit organizations that enable access to knowledge and information and empower students and teachers in communities around the nation, with a focus on furthering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) education. Priority is given to programs that take place during the school day, but also includes after school and summer programs, technical training programs, and academic programs that enrich or supplement school programs.

The in-school educational programs we support target grades K-12 and under-served students (50%+ students qualify for free/reduced lunch) and take place during the school day. The after school and summer programs we support include those offered by youth development organizations that take place outside of the regular school day and provide students in grades K-12 with opportunities to enhance their skills and interests through exposure to STEM fields.

All funding requests and budgets must be for program activities and expenses that start after funding decisions are made. All programs must be completed within one year of the start date, except in limited situations where longer term programs have been agreed upon. Grant award amounts vary, depending on the size of the community, the type of programming, and the reach/impact of the organization.

General Guidelines

The Historical Resource Development Program (HRDP) is established in the Code of Iowa, Chapter 303.16. Administrative rules for the program are found in Iowa Administrative Code 223—49. The following items apply to all projects funded through the Historical Resource Development Program.

The Resource Enhancement and Protection/Historical Resource Development Program (REAP/HRDP) is funded by the Resource Enhancement and Protection Act (REAP). The purpose of the grants programs is to provide funds to preserve, conserve, interpret, enhance, and educate the public about the historical resources of Iowa.

• All projects must involve Iowa’s historical resources. Non-residents may apply if the project resource is located in Iowa.
• All projects involving personal property must, upon request, document a legal relationship to the property and/or owner agreement to the project.
• Funded projects will encourage and support the economic and cultural health and development of the state and the communities in which the resources are located.

Project Types

The following broad project types can be funded with Historical Resource Development Program grants:

• Acquisition and development of historical resources
• Preservation and conservation of historical resources
• Interpretation of historical resources
• Professional training and educational programs on the acquisition, development, preservation, conservation and interpretation of historical resources

Grant Categories

All funded projects must fall within one of the following grant categories. Instructions for each category are linked below:

• Documentary Collections
• Historic Preservation
• Museums

Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs

The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs empowers Iowa to build and sustain culturally vibrant communities by connecting Iowans to the people, places and points of pride that define our state.

Art Project Grant

Art Project Grants create opportunities for the arts to flourish in Iowa by investing in projects that positively impact the vitality of the arts in the state, demonstrate public value and support Iowa Arts Council funding priorities. Eligible art projects must include excellent and innovative arts activities, involve collaboration and provide access to Iowans.

Funding for the Art Project Grant program is made possible by an annual appropriation from the Iowa Legislature to the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Applicants must adhere to the funding policies of the Iowa Arts Council. 

Apply for funding to support the creation and presentation of new artwork, development of an arts experience or formation of an arts education program. Project grants provide you support to positively impact the vitality of the arts in Iowa by creating arts opportunities that are accessible to all Iowans.

Match Requirement

Applicants are required to demonstrate investment in a project by providing cash matching funds in an amount that is one half (50%) the total grant amount requested from the Iowa Arts Council. For example, an applicant that requests $10,000 in grant funds must have at least $5,000 in cash match for a minimum project budget of $15,000.

The required cash match must be dedicated to one-time project expenses that are legitimate parts of the proposed project. Expenses identified in the match should be based on competitive, current market pricing. Applicants will be required to identify all anticipated cash match expenses and in-kind contributions beyond the grant request in the project budget as well as the anticipated revenue sources that will cover them. The cash match does not have to be secured at the time of application but must be secured and identified in the final report at the end of the funding period.

• Cash match is actual cash contributed to direct project expenses by the applicant or other funding sources
• In-kind match is donated goods or services contributed to the project by the applicant or other sources
• Funding from the state government cannot be used to meet the match requirement
• Funding from the federal government cannot be used to meet the match requirement

Our Mission

The 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.

Core Grant

• Focus on People Attraction: Population growth, retention, and tourism
• Coaching opportunities provided by the DRA and community partners throughout the grant cycle

Focus for Grant Applications

Applications 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. 

Capacity Building vs Material Purchases

Historically, the DRA has funded mostly material items, in 2022 we shifted this model and funding preference will be given to applications with capacity building alongside of material purchases.

What is Capacity Building?

Capacity building is the process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, processes and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt and thrive in a fast-changing world.

Examples of capacity building activities and potential projects:

• Planning Activities: Organizational assessments, strategic planning, creating a development plan/strategy.
• Donor Development: Marketing/communications, online donor portals, improvements to the donor experience.
• Strategic Relationships: Strengthening relationships with professional advisors and/or nonprofit partners.
• Internal Operations: Improvements to donor database/financial management system, volunteer management, organization website.
• Professional Development: Staff, contractor, or affiliate volunteer(s) attendance at regional/national conferences, local or online trainings.
• Financial Audits: First time audits which can open additional funding opportunities for the organization.
• Organization Marketing: Website creation/design, marketing materials, materials to help promote the organization externally.

About the Illinois Arts Council Agency

The Illinois Arts Council Agency was created as a state agency by the Illinois General Assembly in 1965 through legislation sponsored by Senators Paul Simon, Thomas McGloon, and Alan Dixon. The agency is governed by up to twenty-one private citizens chosen for their demonstrated commitment to the arts and appointed by the Governor. Council members serve in a voluntary, non-paid capacity and are charged with developing the state’s public arts policy, fostering quality culturally diverse programs, and approving grants expenditures. A small professional staff with in-depth knowledge of the arts develops and administers the agency’s programs, provides technical assistance, and ensures the responsible and impactful distribution of all funds. Resources to support the Illinois Arts Council Agency are provided by the Governor and General Assembly of Illinois and the National Endowment for the Arts.

About GIG Fund

The GIG Fund provides flexible grants for nonprofit organizations to support programs and activities featuring professional artists. GIG Fund grants help cover fees for touring or local artists. Funds may also be used for project costs such as accessibility accommodations and marketing. We work with a panel to help us review applications and distribute grants annually.Sample activities include:

• A rural community hosting a short artist residency at a local school.
• An artist hosting a creative writing program with justice-impacted citizens.
• An artist talkback or meet & greet in an exhibition featuring the work of LGBTQ+ photographers.
• Presenting a concert series focused on the music of BIPOC composers.
• Initiating a new partnership to provide art classes with people with disabilities.

Humble Beginnings

Since our humble beginning in 1968 as a general store in Boone, Iowa, Casey’s has steadily grown from the heart of one community to the next. Today, we serve communities across 16 states in more than 2,300 store locations. Yet our focus will never waiver from being the friendly face who brews your first cup of coffee to greeting you with a smile on your last stop after work. While we continuously aim to create innovative services and offerings, we’ll always stay true to making life better for our communities and guests every day.

Our Community

At Casey’s, our purpose is “to make life better for communities and guests every day” — and we make sure it shows. We are passionate about giving back to our communities because we are our communities. We’re your neighbors, your friends, and your family. We take pride in supporting efforts that strengthen our communities because our families also live and work here. We know you by name, and we show up for you when we know we can help. We are here for our communities, which means we’re Here For Good.

Cash for Classrooms Grants

Casey’s Cash for Classrooms Grant Program awards grants to benefit K-12 public and nonprofit, and private schools.

The funding priorities included:

• Physical Improvements:
  • Projects that help update and improve the school through repairs, enhancements or new additions. This can include internal (building, classrooms) or external (playground, fields).
• Material Needs:
  • Needs for supplies, technology, materials or other items that would enrich the learning environment.
• Teacher Support:
  • Programs that seek to grow the skills of teachers, offer professional development or address training resources.
• Community Engagement:
  • Efforts to engage students with the community. Examples include external experiences like student volunteerism programs, camps or field trips.

Grants will range from $3,000 to a maximum of $50,000 with funds used within 12 months of award.

An organization may only submit one application during the current cycle. A school can receive more than one donation if submitted by different organizations.