Iowa West Foundation awards millions

The Iowa West Foundation awarded more than $4.6 million in grants and initiatives, in early August of this year,  that contribute to making area communities a desirable place to call home, as community leaders look to retain talent and attract more residents to Pottawattamie County.
“Area communities have a lot to offer people who want a small-town feel with access to bigger city-amenities,” said Brenda Mainwaring, President and CEO of the Iowa West Foundation. “This effort is not about changing the identity of communities- it’s about building on what already makes the community special while creating new opportunities for the future, like supporting neighborhoods, offering more opportunities to connect, and telling our story more broadly.”
Among the cycle is a grant that focuses on retaining talent by expanding opportunities for local residents to build meaningful careers.
Iowa Western Community College’s Skills for Success received $35,000. The program helps employers upskill and reskill their workforce, enabling employees to advance professionally while their employers meet the evolving needs of their industries.
Grant applications begin with Letters of Inquiry, which are accepted year-round; however, to be considered for the next funding cycle, submissions must be received by Sept 1. To help applicants prepare strong proposals, a grants workshop was held on July 29. More information can be found at iowawestfoundation.org.
Among the other grants included in the cycle include:
• Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement: legal services in Southwest Iowa,$115,000.
• Family Crisis Centers, Inc.: Iowa Victim Service Call Center, $8,500.
• Friends of the Griswold Library: public library reorganization, $30,000.
• Food Bank for the Heartland: Southwest Iowa mobile pantry program, $37,200
• Green Hills Area Education Agency: $1,350,000.
• Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation: “School of the Wild” expansion in western Iowa, $33,045.
• Lauritzen Gardens: school field trips and summer camps for Southwest Iowa students, $25,000.
• Luminarium: school field trips and reduced cost visits/memberships for southwest Iowa families, $25,000.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness – Southwest Iowa: operating funding, $25,000.
• Nebraska Diaper Bank: diapers for southwest Iowa families, $10,000.
• Omaha Symphony: music education programs in southwest Iowa, $23,000.
Rose Theater: field trips for Southwest Iowa students, $9,808
• University of Nebraska Foundation – Samuel Bak Museum: field trips for southwest Iowa students, $24,790.
Carson Volunteer Fire Department: gear and equipment, $10,000.
The Iowa West Foundation has awarded more than $550 million in grants to nonprofits and governmental entities throughout southwest Iowa since the inception of its grant program 30 years ago. Funding for the grants comes from investment earnings and the Iowa West Racing Association, which receives contractual fees from Council Bluffs’ casino operators. The Foundation targets resources into programs and projects that focus on belonging, opportunity, financial stability, and wellbeing.