Community Foundation for Western Iowa awards $67,500 in impact grants

(Council Bluffs, IA) – After a thorough evaluation process, the Community Foundation for Western Iowa and its Impact Grants Committee – a group of county residents and board members – are pleased to announce this year’s grant award recipients. The Community Foundation elected to award 38 Community Impact Grants totaling $67,535.00 to nonprofit and city organizations throughout Pottawattamie County.

The Community Foundation received 53 grant proposals totaling $214,067.70 in project requests, with combined total project budgets exceeding $9 million, signifying the work being done in the communities throughout Pottawattamie County.

Individual grant awards for this year’s funding cycle ranged from $500 to $5,000 to benefit innovative and meaningful projects that align with the foundation’s mission to improve the lives of all county residents. Annually, Community Impact Grants funding is eligible to any tax-exempt, nonprofit organization or governmental entity for creative or impactful projects that meet a clear, identifiable need in Pottawattamie County. Grants are allocated to projects in a variety of focus areas, such as arts and culture, community betterment, community engagement, education, environment, health, human services, and youth.

Donna Dostal, CEO of the Community Foundation for Western Iowa, states: “On behalf of the Board of Directors, Impact Grants Committee, and staff at the Community Foundation for Western Iowa, we are honored to support the transformative work of our nonprofit and city partners. Pottawattamie County and southwest Iowa are strengthened every day by the work of these mission-driven organizations to build stronger, healthier, and vibrant communities. This hard work is illustrated by the more than $9 million in projects currently underway in our region. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to each of these outstanding organizations and look forward to the lasting change these grants will help bring to our communities.”

The majority of the Community Foundation’s grant-making is directed by donors who have established funds to purposefully impact charities located within the community and throughout western Iowa. The Community Impact Grants are given from the discretionary funds of the Community Foundation. Dostal added that individuals and businesses can create their own fund through the Community Foundation to “give back,” and contributions can receive tax benefits. In 2025, investors at the Community Foundation awarded 195 grants totaling nearly $4.6 million to a variety of nonprofit organizations. For information on creating a fund, please call 712-256-7007 or visit www.givewesterniowa.org for details. The Community Foundation for Western Iowa is nationally accredited by the Council on Foundations (www.cfstandards.org).

2026 Community Grants Award Recipients

• American Midwest Ballet – AMB Season 17 Education & Community Engagement – $2,000.00
• Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands Inc. – Readers to Leaders – $2,500.00
• Carson Business Club – Carson Jubilee/Car Show – $1,500.00
• Carson Community Rodeo – Carson Rodeo Arena Improvements – $4,000.00
• Carter Lake City Hall dba Carter Lake Village Winter Fest Fund – Carter Lake Village 8th Annual Winter Festival – $1,000.00
• Charles E. Lakin Human Services Campus – Back to School Extravaganza – $2,500.00
• Child Saving Institute, Inc. – Herbert J. Lavigne Learning Center – $2,000.00
• City of Avoca – Entertainment and Customer Engagement on Avoca Main Street – $750.00
• City of Avoca – Avoca Holidays on Main 2026 – $1,000.00
• City of Minden – Minden 150: Celebrating Our Past, Building Our Future – $2,000.00
• City of Walnut – Walnut Farmers Market Initiative – $1,000.00
• Eckels Memorial Library – ImagiNation STEM Lab - Learning through Imagination – $5,000.00
• Family Housing Advisory Services – The CB Housing Navigation and Stabilization Project – $3,000.00
• Firefly – Firefly Community Advisory Coalition – $500.00
• Focusing Philanthropy – Increasing Vision Care Access for Students in Pottawattamie County – $1,000.00
• Horses Help SWI, Inc. – Education with Equines and "Horse Powered Reading" – $700.00
• Impact Hill – STEM Camps - Summer 2026 – $1,500.00
• Inter-Faith Response, Inc. – Program Fund – $5,000.00
• Iowa Legal Aid – Legal Assistance for Low-Income Individuals and Families in Pottawattamie County – $1,500.00
• Iowa School for the Deaf – Paws & Hooves Pantry – $1,451.06
• Jennie Edmundson Memorial Hospital Foundation – Caring for Our Communities – $2,000.00
• MidAmerica Council, Boy Scouts of America – Summer Camp Scholarships – $2,000.00
• Oakland Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department – Project Heartsaver – $3,475.00
• Omaha Bridges Out of Poverty – Southwest Iowa Poverty Alleviation Initiative – $1,500.00
• Omaha Performing Arts – Southwest Iowa Music & Arts Education Programs – $1,500.00
• Omaha Symphony – 2027 Mission Imagination Education Program at Iowa Western Community College – $1,500.00
• Omaha Theater Company – Creative Heroes: Building Resilience – $1,000.00
• Partnership 4 Hope – Primed for Housing – $1,000.00
• Reach Out and Read, Inc. – Investing in Pottawattamie County's Youngest Children – $1,000.00
• Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Inc. – No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town! NE-Omaha – $1,000.00
• Southwest Iowa Art Tour – 13th Annual Southwest Iowa Art Tour – $1,500.00
• SWI Leadership Academy – Southwest Iowa Leadership Academy Camp 2026 – $1,000.00
• The Salvation Army of Council Bluffs – Personal Pantry – $1,500.00
• Thriving Titans – Thriving Titans Clothing Closet – $2,000.00
• Treynor's Tomorrow – White Building Mural – $1,500.00
• Trivium Life Services – Fresh Start Kits: Supporting Independent Living for Adults with Disabilities – $2,000.00
• Union Pacific Museum Association – Celebrate America Spectacular – $1,000.00
• Wings of Hope Cancer Support Center – The Family Room – $1,158.94

About Community Foundation for Western Iowa

Community Foundation for Western Iowa serves 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.