Search Through Workforce Grants in Iowa in the U.S.

Making community possible

At U.S. Bank, we are dedicated to supporting our communities through responsive and humbled actions focused on addressing racial and economic inequities and creating lasting change in our communities. Through our Community Possible Grant Program, we are partnering with organizations that focus on economic and workforce advancement, safe and affordable housing and communities connected through arts and culture.

The U.S. Bank Foundation is committed to making Community Possible through Work, Home and Play. We advance this work through collaborative grant making to bring equitable and lasting change through our focus on sustainable, high-impact funding with 501c3 nonprofit partners.

How we partner with nonprofits

We focus on collaborative grantmaking and sustainable, high-impact funding with 501(c)(3) nonprofit partners. We partner with organizations that support:

• Economic and workforce advancement
• Safe and affordable housing
• Community arts and culture

Our strategy

Our community affairs and foundation team work closely with U.S. Bank regional leadership, business resource groups and our National Community Advisory Committee to ensure that prevailing needs are addressed in all the communities we serve.

To make the most meaningful impact, we prioritize organizations that:

• Focus on economic development issues related to work, home and play
• Address more than one of the grant pillars (work, home and play)
• Are based in and serve designated U.S. Bank communities
• Advance diversity, equity and inclusion

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

Mission

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

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

Beliefs

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

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

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

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

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

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Mission

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

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

Culture Grant

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

Funding Priorities in Culture

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

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

Types of Support

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

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation collaborate with a wide range of nonprofit organizations that align with our strategic funding priorities. We prioritize our funding to activities and programs that have a broad reach and support the needs of underserved communities. We aspire to have a positive impact on the communities we serve by using our financial and volunteer resources and business expertise in collaboration with community organizations to help solve complex societal problems.

• Financial health
• Housing affordability
• Small business growth
• Sustainability

We may also support other local needs in eligible communities such as disaster relief, arts and culture, civic engagement, education, human and social services, and workforce development. However, opportunities are limited as our intent is to direct the majority of our giving within our major focus areas.

Black Hawk County Grants

Community Impact Grants are awarded throughout Black Hawk County from the unrestricted funds designated to improving the county. The CFNEIA distribution committee awards grants to create impact that addresses community and county needs.

Areas of Focus

The Community Foundation provides eligible agencies one-year discretionary grants on a competitive basis to improve life for residents of Black Hawk County, Iowa. Requests can be for operations, programming, materials, equipment, and capital projects. Areas of support are in the following program areas:

• Art & culture
• Community betterment
• Environment & Animal Welfare
• Education & Youth Development
• Health
• Human service

Grant Amounts

The majority of our competitive grants range from $5,000 to $25,000. Applicants interested in applying for more than the range are encouraged to contact Program Director prior to applying.

Alliant Energy Foundation

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

Focus Areas

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

Hunger and Housing

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

Workforce Readiness

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

Environmental Stewardship

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

Community Safety and Engagement

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

Community Investment Fund - Ft. Madison (IA)

Freeport-McMoRan's group-wide guiding philosophy for its community development activities is Transforming Tomorrow Together. This philosophy drives implementation of a social impact framework that includes priorities, strategies and goals that allow us to work collaboratively with communities to make transformative change and increase overall individual/ community opportunity, wellbeing and capacity.

We are driven to partner to build long-term resiliency and support the community’s ability to successfully navigate commodity market downturns, end of mine life and other economic/social disruptors or shocks. Our framework or approach for delivering on our guiding philosophy of Transforming Tomorrow Together is based on three main priority areas that we believe help deliver on our commitment:

• Education and Workforce Development:
  • The following are examples of the types of programs we seek in support of the Education & Workforce Development priority and goals.
    • PK-12:
      • Professional development programs for teachers and/or school administrators
      • Student preparation, incentive or other programs that drive achievement /performance and matriculation (including early childhood)
      • Classroom equipment or supplies that are proven to drive achievement /performance and are tied to a program or training/professional development
      • Programs that remove barriers or address problems related to lack of performance
      • Programs that engage parents in supporting their student’s achievement in reading, math or the pursuit of graduation and/or enrollment in higher education
      • Research studies, surveys or other activities to identify gaps and needs
    • Higher Education:
      • Student counseling or advising services that help students navigate the process of enrollment in a higher ed program
      • Programs that increase access / remove barriers to enrollment or the pursuit of higher ed
      • Teacher/school administrator or counselor training needed to fully understand the higher education landscape, what is available to students and how to access it
      • Student preparation, awareness, incentive or other campaigns or efforts that drive enrollment and attainment
      • Research studies, surveys or other activities to identify gaps and needs
  • Economic Opportunity:
    • The following are examples of the types of programs we seek in support of the Economic Opportunity priority and goals.
      • Small Business Development:
        • Programs that provide training or skill-building to entrepreneurs on start-up or growth
        • Access to capital programs
        • Other support services that drive start-up, expansion or retention
        • Research studies, surveys or other activities to identify gaps and needs among small business owners
      • Affordable Housing:
        • Loan funds or other resource programs that help families access housing options or make housing more affordable for them
        • Housing improvement programs that allow families to stay in safe, quality housing
        • Research studies, surveys or other activities to identify gaps, needs or viable models
      • Other Economic Opportunity:
        • Programs that provide transportation to health, education, recreation or other critical activities
        • Programs that increase the availability of and access to quality healthcare facilities and services
        • Projects that create or improve parks or other recreational activities
        • Projects that improve or eliminate blight or beautify high traffic areas in the community
        • Restoration of lands for habitat or public use
        • Projects that improve river or waterway health
  • Capacity and Leadership:
    • The following are examples of the types of programs we seek in support of the Resiliency, Capacity and Leadership priority and goals.
      • Programs that provide leadership or other skills for staff, board, volunteers or other community constituents to improve organizational or community performance.
      • Organizational self-assessment or diagnoses activities to determine gaps and needs.
      • Efforts to develop leadership succession plans that protect and prolong organizational effectiveness.
      • Planning initiatives to evaluate, identify and/or consider supports needed to weather future economic disruptions (commodities market or global economy downturns, health pandemics, technological disruptors to the future of jobs/economies, etc.)
      • Programs, training or other efforts that aid organizations in understanding the broader social context of which they are part and how they can collectively mobilize to address community needs and create resiliency.
      • The development of leadership networks as a tool for transformative social change and amplifying impact across social systems or issues.
      • Projects to increase citizen engagement in solving or addressing community challenges or opportunities.

This philosophy includes securing and maintaining our social license to operate and delivering transformation through robust stakeholder engagement and consultation, social investment, and impact evaluation. 

Funding

Your program or project must directly benefit those living in the communities outlined below. Requests should be for more than $20,000.  Requests for less than $20,000 may be eligible for funding from one of our site operations. Typically, awards are between $500 and $5,000.

Requests between $10,000 - $20,000 should be discussed with the respective site contact to determine if criteria are met to qualify for a submittal towards Freeport-McMoRan Foundation’s Community Investment Fund or potentially eligible for a site investment.

Old National Bank Foundation

The Old National Bank Foundation makes contributions to nonprofit organizations to fund widespread community impact programs and/or projects. The Foundation is part of Old National's overall charitable giving initiative, which enables us to support programs that improve quality of life in areas of Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. We believe in supporting where our clients, team members and shareholders live and work.

Funding Priorities

Our funding targets innovative programs that enhance the quality of life within our communities in support of the following four strategic initiatives: Affordable Housing, Workforce Development, Economic Development, and Financial Empowerment. We prioritize programs that serve underrepresented communities and low- to moderate-income people. 

Examples of funding priorities with measurable outcome focus areas include:

Affordable Housing

• Increase Homeownership Opportunities: We seek initiatives that enable individuals and families to purchase homes through accessible financing, down payment assistance, and homeowner education.
• Support Critical Home Repairs and Revitalization: We fund programs that ensure safe, habitable housing by assisting with essential repairs for homes
• Promote Multi-Family Housing Developments: We prioritize programs that develop or sustain affordable rental units

Economic Development

• Small Business Development and Growth: We aim to support programs that help small businesses scale, access resources, and build sustainable growth plans.
• Capacity Building for Technical Support: We encourage projects that enhance the capability of organizations offering technical support to small businesses and nonprofits.
• Entrepreneurship and Business Coaching: We support programs that offer entrepreneurship education, business coaching, and professional development for new or aspiring business owners.

Financial Education

• Old National Bank’s Real-Life Finance e-learning curriculum provides robust financial education training for community partners

Workforce Development

• Access to Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning: We support workforce readiness through initiatives offering hands-on training, particularly in trades and high-demand fields.
• Job Creation, Employment Entry, and Retention: We support projects that connect individuals to stable employment and increasing levels of income. This can include higher education with dual credentialing, leadership and professional development

Financial Empowerment

• Financial Wellness: We fund long-term initiatives that reduce barriers to banking and credit access, especially for underbanked groups. This can include culturally relevant and multilingual outreach, foreclosure prevention, and credit counseling with the goal of financial independence
• Community Lending Access: We support organizations that provide access to affordable microloans, emergency loans, and community cooperative lending as safe and sustainable alternatives to predatory loans

Our Mission

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

The Founder

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

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

Mission

The mission of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) is to advance the progress of medicine and improve the public's health by providing U.S. researchers, health professionals, the public health workforce, educators, and the public with equal access to biomedical and health information resources and data. NNLM’s main goals are to work through libraries and other members to support a highly trained workforce for biomedical and health information resources and data, improve health literacy, and increase health equity through information.

Purpose

The NNLM Regional Medical Libraries (RMLs) and Offices rely upon partnerships. The award’s primary aims are to widen access to and awareness of health information resources, with a focus on those resources provided by the NLM. The programs are intended to help a variety of users:

• With a focus on minority and other underrepresented populations and the healthcare professionals who serve them
• Make the most effective use of information and decision-support resources to promote healthy behaviors
• Prevent costly and debilitating illness
• Improve health outcomes when disease occurs

Potential Project Ideas

Potential projects might include but are not limited to this list:

• Training underrepresented healthcare professionals or professionals that work with underrepresented populations in the effective use of electronic health information resources for evidence-based practice with an emphasis on NLM databases and NNLM resources.
• Placing web-accessible devices in locations where they can be used to research health information needs by unaffiliated healthcare professionals such as free clinics, community health centers, etc.
• Improving access to health information and technology for those groups without adequate access to information services.
• Exhibiting or presenting at local meetings or organizational events to share completed outreach projects and promote NLM products and services.
• Evaluating health information and training needs of a target audience and implementing a training plan for that audience.
• Programs on locating and evaluating authoritative consumer health information.
• Incorporating NLM health and science information resources into new or existing health programs. See National Health Observances for some ideas.
• Development of supplemental educational materials using NLM resources.  
• Train-the-Trainer projects that enhance the skills of the service-providing staff and other consumer health information intermediaries to train participants on locating and evaluating health information.

Telligen Community Initiative (TCI) will continue to provide community-based funding support in 2025. This document outlines our funding approach and application process. Our Board of Directors has elected to move TCI’s resources largely to a more focused Strengthening Families and Communities funding opportunity. Moving forward, our Social Determinants of Health approach will be significantly different and more condensed, based on the last two years of applicant and funding experience. We will focus solely on those philanthropic resources at the intersection of Social Determinants of Health and within the context of work to build resiliency of youth and families. This intentionality will provide a greater focus of our support and narrow the applicant pool. Based on ongoing applicant survey feedback and TCI’s belief that the issues we want to resource need more intense and consistent funding support, TCI is transitioning to two-year funding periods in this call for applicants. We are also tabling our Health Workforce Development funding interest for the time being. We will have two grant deadlines again in 2025, with deadlines for two-state groupings staggered during the year

About the Foundation

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

Annual Grant Focus

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

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

Community Ties Giving Program

As part of the Community Ties Giving Program, Local Grants help us achieve our mission by providing small and medium-sized grants within our priority cause areas to local organizations spread widely across Union Pacific's footprint.

Funding Priorities & Objectives

Throughout its existence, the success of Union Pacific's business has been inextricably linked to the economic and community wellbeing of cities and towns across the nation. We take pride in the role we have played in helping communities thrive and believe the impact we can have on local communities is greatest when it is authentic to our history and reflective of the diverse company we are today.

As such, we have carefully aligned our Local Grants cause areas to our company's unique heritage, strengths, and assets. Specifically, we prioritize funding for direct services and efforts that build the capacity of organizations focused on the following causes within our local operating communities. Within each focus area, we aim to support programs and organizations working to advance the diversity, equity and inclusion of underrepresented populations within the local context and issue areas addressed. Find more information about our commitment to DEI in our FAQs.

Safety

In order for communities to thrive, all residents must feel safe. Just as the safety of our employees and community members is paramount to how we operate, Union Pacific is committed to helping communities prevent and prepare for incidents and emergencies, and helping residents get home safely at the end of each day. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to: 

• Encourage safe behaviors and prevent incidents through education and awareness, particularly projects which focus on rail, driver, bike, and pedestrian safety, and ensure outreach efforts reach underserved populations.
• Eliminate risks and improve safe and equitable access to community spaces through infrastructure improvements, such as signage, proper lighting, and public trail improvements.
• Prepare and equip residents and emergency responders* to effectively respond to incidents and emergencies if or when they occur.
  • *Union Pacific supports publicly funded emergency responders through a variety of corporate programs; only independent nonprofit, 501(c)(3) emergency response organizations, such as volunteer departments, are eligible for funding through this grant program
• Prevent crime and violent incidents and support survivors of domestic violence through efforts that address the root causes of these issues and seek to mitigate their occurrence.
• Build the capacity of safety-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Workforce Development

For more than 160 years, Union Pacific has helped stimulate economic growth in cities and towns throughout the nation by training and providing employment to millions of workers. More than ever, we are committed to helping underrepresented residents in our communities achieve family-supporting careers like those offered by Union Pacific. As such, we prioritize funding for programs that seek to:

• Put youth on the right track by creating awareness of and pathways toward employment opportunities; building foundational skills, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); establishing necessary technical skills and life skills; and providing mentorship and positive role models for the future.
• Raise awareness of, educate and prepare young adults for middle skills jobs like those Union Pacific offers, for instance through community colleges, vocational and career training programs, workforce readiness initiatives, and programs that assist with job placement and/or on-the-job experience.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas relevant to Union Pacific operations such as welding, electrical work, machine operations, and civil and electrical engineering are given priority.
• "Up-skill" the existing workforce by providing training and resources that enable them to reach the next level of their career.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas of relevance to Union Pacific operations are given priority.
• Resolve barriers to employment such as transportation, childcare, acquiring necessary equipment for work, and second chance employment programs.
• Build the capacity of workforce development-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Community Vitality

Union Pacific Railroad is committed to establishing vibrant, healthy and inclusive communities for employees, customers and residents to work, visit and call home. Just as the railroad opened avenues for economic development and opportunity more than 160 years ago, we maintain this tradition by cultivating unique cultural and recreational experiences and equipping community members with opportunities to live healthy, vital lives. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Create, sustain or expand artistic and cultural experiences offered to a broad and diverse audience (e.g., museums, theaters, zoos, cultural and local heritage, visual and performing arts, etc.)
• Provide recreational opportunities that foster wellbeing, enrichment and/or an appreciation for our natural environment (e.g., parks, libraries, senior centers, recreation centers, learning centers, etc.).
• Revive neighborhoods and main street areas, especially in historically underinvested neighborhoods, to improve livability, promote commerce and attract more residents, businesses and visitors to town.
• Ensure residents’ basic needs are met and barriers are overcome (e.g., safe shelter and homelessness prevention, hunger relief, mental health and community health needs, etc.).
• Offer youth development and educational opportunities to ensure young people can thrive into healthy and productive community members (e.g., mentoring, leadership development, tutoring, services for youth in foster care, etc.).
• Build the capacity of community vitality-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Environmental Sustainability

The future of our business, communities and planet depends on bold, collective action to reduce and slow the impacts of climate change while building a more sustainable economy for the next generation. Union Pacific is taking deliberate steps to reduce our environmental impact and helping our partners improve their own. Extending this commitment to our community investments, we seek to support leading environmental nonprofits and community-based organizations to advance the health of our environment. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Preserve and restore nature, including programs focused on natural habitats, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
• Protect and enhance water, soil and air quality through innovative and proactive solutions such as water conservation, carbon sequestration and emission reduction programs.
• Reduce waste through initiatives focused on promoting recycling and circularity throughout the community, including recycling and composting programs and other efforts that reduce waste.
• Develop environmental stewards through youth programs focused on fostering environmental appreciation, responsibility, and leadership.
• Advance a sustainable economy by helping communities accelerate their transition to environmental jobs and renewable energy, as well as helping nonprofits and small businesses build their own capacity to operate more sustainably.
• Promote environmental justice through initiatives that ensure access to clean air, water, and land and protect underserved populations from disproportionate and adverse environmental effects.
• Build the capacity of sustainability-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience.

Community Pilot Grant

The GPCAH is dedicated to protecting the health and safety of farmers, ranchers, farm workers, their families, and agricultural community members in the Midwest and beyond. The GPCAH is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is a unit of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We conduct basic and applied research, offer education, training and outreach, and translate research results into effective ways to prevent work-related injury and illness in agriculture. Our pilot grant program supports research projects that address hazards relevant to farmers and farm workers in our 9-state region (IA, IL, IN, KS, NE, MO, MN, OH, & WI). We especially encourage projects addressing work-related stress and mental health, the prevention of slips/trips/falls and other traumatic injuries, and chemical safety.

Community-track pilot project directors are typically staff members of organizations with established connections to agricultural workforces who propose to develop, implement, and/or evaluate evidence-based agricultural safety and health intervention or outreach/education programs. Recent community-track pilot grant topics include respiratory protection training to prevent COVID-19 among agricultural workers, suicide prevention training within Iowa’s agricultural community, and podcasts focusing on mental health and farm stress.

Funding

The Center funds pilot projects (up to $30,000 per project) intended to promote innovative outreach and research efforts to prevent agricultural injury and illness. The pilot program supports both community-based organizations and academic researchers, especially new investigators and trainees. Projects must target agricultural injury and illness prevention to help improve safety and health among agricultural communities in our Midwest region.

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

Grantmaking

Grantmaking is at the heart of IWF’s work. Since 1997, we have awarded over $2 million to more than 350 programs that expand opportunities for women and girls across Iowa.

IWF provides two grant opportunities to organizations whose work aligns with our mission. Applications are welcome from organizations with 501(c)(3) status, licensed child care centers, and other grassroots organizations serving Iowa’s women and girls.

Core Grants

IWF awards annual Core Grants to organizations that tackle at least one of the six identified barriers to women’s economic self-sufficiency:

• Housing
  • IWF funds initiatives that assist women and children experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Examples may include emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, and life-skills programs to maintain stable housing.
• Transportation
  • IWF funds initiatives that help women obtain safe and quality means of transportation. Examples may include assistance with finding and securing a vehicle, financial-lending and credit-building education, vehicle maintenance skill-building, and financial support for registration and title fees.
• Education & Training
  • IWF funds initiatives that prepares women and girls to enter the workforce or advance within their field. Examples may include job-specific training, apprenticeship programs, financial literacy education, and employment readiness programs.
• Employment
  • IWF funds initiatives that supports women in seeking or maintaining employment. Examples may include resume-writing and job-application assistance, employment retention curriculum, and career advancement programs.
• Childcare
  • IWF funds initiatives that increase access to quality and affordable childcare. Examples may include center expansion, furniture and equipment purchasing, training curricula for new providers, before/after-school programming, and efforts to increase options for second/third-shift workers.
• Mentorship
  • IWF funds initiatives that encourage women to share their talents to inspire a new generation of female leaders. Examples may include professional networking programs, career exploration programs, role model pairing programs, and leadership skills and self-esteem building programs.  

The Community Foundation for Western Iowa was established in 2008 with the help of the Iowa West Foundation and four founding board members: Bobbette Behrens, Dean Fischer, Marie Knedler, and Kelly Summy. The Foundation is a tax-exempt public charity, 501(c)(3), that serves thousands of people who share a common interest in improving the quality of life in western Iowa.

Through the Community Foundation, individuals, families, businesses and organizations can create permanent charitable funds that help their communities meet the challenges of changing times. The foundation invests and administers these charitable funds. The Community Foundation is overseen by a volunteer board of leading citizens and run by professionals with expertise in identifying the needs of their community.

Women's Fund of Southwest Iowa

The Women's Fund of Southwest Iowa is the catalyst for lasting, positive change relative to the challenges facing the women of southwest Iowa. Through purposeful planning, strategic insight, and collaborative needs-assessment within the communities that make up southwest Iowa, this endowed fund supports programming designed to improve the quality of life and well-being of women and their families.

In our community, many potential partners and organizations are ready to step forward and help create solutions for women across southwest Iowa. We work closely with a variety of organizations to identify needs and design tangible solutions based on community input and granting opportunities.

After the implementation of every project/program supported by the Women’s Fund, we want to be able to say the following impact has been made:

• Women are in a position to be more self-sufficient.
• Women are safe, healthy, supported and have the ability to thrive.
• Women are engaging as strong, productive members of their community.

As a Women's Fund of Southwest Iowa grantee, you will be expected to demonstrate how your project/program will make that impact.

Rural BOOST Grant Program (IA)

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

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

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

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

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

Eligible Funding Examples

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

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

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

Funding

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

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

Gupta Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. Our mission is to support organizations that provide focused intervention in the lives of people who have been disadvantaged in some way to help them become self-reliant. We take a very broad view of “disadvantage” to include anything that holds a person back from realizing their potential, such as poverty, physical or mental disability, social alienation, etc. The foundation also supports relief agencies that serve people affected by emergencies such as natural disasters.

The foundation evaluates and awards annual and multi-year grants ranging from $5,000 to over $250,000 (USD). Our focus is on funding smaller organizations all around the world that are led by individuals with a deep personal commitment to their missions. 

Our selection criteria include:

• Mission alignment
• The organization is run by the founder or, if not, by a successor who embodies the original inspiration, passion and commitment of the founder.
• At least 90% of grant monies reaches the intended beneficiaries.
• The organization is non-sectarian, i.e.,
  • It does not, directly or indirectly, support or condone the proselytization of any religion,
  • It is not supported by or affiliated to a religious organization.

Women's Development Grants Program

We are committed to investing in efforts that increase education and economic opportunities for citizens in our operating communities. In particular, we want to ensure that women have suitable, relevant, functional opportunities to be full participants in economic development and attain greater levels of prosperity. When women gain skills, they gain confidence, increase their productivity, mentor others, raise their income levels and reinvest in their children’s education, their family’s health, and economic activities at the community level.  

The Freeport-McMoRan Women’s Development Grants support organizations providing women and girls with opportunities to:

• Advance attainment, matriculation or graduation via college/career readiness and/or leadership/character development
• Create or expand businesses via small business development training and access to capital programs
• Increase financial capability and employment via education or workforce skills training

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.

Helping Build Better Futures

Our mission is to deliver great value to our customers every day. For over four decades, our deep commitment to the principles of providing value and caring for others has helped define our culture. It extends beyond the walls of our stores, distribution centers, and offices, and into our local communities around the world. The intersection of these principles defines our global community mission:

Deliver great value to our communities by helping vulnerable families and children access the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future.

Our Social Impact Areas

We bring our community relations mission to life around the world by focusing our giving on four social impact areas where we believe we can have the most impact and are critical to helping families and children succeed and thrive.

Basic Needs

We are passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations that help fill critical basic needs such as a warm meal, clean clothing, and a safe place to sleep for vulnerable families.

Education & Training

Our efforts have focused on quality enrichment and extracurricular programs that provide skills, resources, and opportunities to support school and career success for children, teens, and young adults.

Patient Care & Research

We support organizations that deliver services to families and children facing health challenges and life-threatening illnesses.

Empowering Women

We support programs that provide services ranging from help for those fleeing domestic violence, to others that offer education, training, and job placement resources.

Honda Corporate Funding

Honda’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) vision is to help people fulfill their life’s potential. We do this by supporting the communities where we live and work through financial contributions and the volunteer efforts of Honda associates.

Honda offers funding opportunities for programmatic support and community event sponsorships.

Programmatic Support

Honda and the Honda USA Foundation provide funding to nonprofit organizations and schools to support programs that align with our pillar award categories.

Year-over-year certain pillar award categories may not always be open for funding, are subject to change, and in some cases, Honda may extend invitation-only opportunities to select community partners.

Education Pillar Award:

As Honda strives to cultivate a future-ready workforce, we are seeking to support hands-on programs that provide manufacturing industry-relevant workforce pipeline initiatives focused on design, software/data analytics and artificial intelligence/machine learning/automation.

Our overarching goal is to inspire the next generation, fostering a resilient and innovative workforce that will drive our future success and contribute to economic prosperity within our communities where we live and work.

Only programs that strengthen the manufacturing workforce pipeline by preparing individuals for current operations and future innovations will be considered.