Welcome to the Iowa West Foundation. The purpose of this website is to share ideas as we work together to transform our community. Through this blog I’ll share my thoughts and ideas and invite your feedback. Please check back frequently. Your thoughts are important to me, and to creating the community we all envision.
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In the recent City Council election forums there has routinely been a question focused on the Iowa West Foundation. The implication of the question is that some City Council members have voted for projects because they are controlled by the Iowa West Foundation. The tone and the accusation in this question is offensive and difficult […]
The end of the year is a good time to reflect on all the successes of the previous 12 months. Several Iowa West Foundation initiatives were launched and expanded upon, a number of impactful grants were awarded, and major milestones or anniversaries were marked by partnering organizations in 2018. Here are the highlights month by […]
In case you missed it, the National Center for Arts Research recently ranked Council Bluffs-Omaha in the top 10 of all mid-sized US cities for arts vibrancy. The metro was awarded the number six spot for the overall strength of its arts community. While the report notes that Omaha “is home to an abundance of […]
Each grantee who applies to the Iowa West Foundation for funding goes through the same process. It starts with submitting a letter of inquiry (LOI) which is like a pre-application. This LOI ensures that the applicant is an eligible 501 c3 or government entity and qualifies for funding based on parameters set by our Board […]
One year ago this month, Hunter Pearce cut the red ribbon at the Iowa West Field House, signaling the grand opening of the facility. The then 12-year-old spoke in favor of the sports complex at a prior city council meeting, noting that he and his basketball teammates would benefit greatly from a place of such […]
Nine nonprofit executives recently published a widely-circulated letter about how to strengthen philanthropy. Titled “We are in this together: a letter to philanthropy” has created quite the discussion in the Foundation community. On behalf of the Iowa West Foundation, I like to share my thoughts on the letter in hopes it will continue to foster […]
UNO Professor Tara Bryan conducted a survey earlier this year on the evaluation practices of metro nonprofits. The survey asked nonprofit leaders to reflect on their practices related to understanding the impact of their work. As I read through the summary of what nonprofits reported, there were a few things that stood out to me: […]
The following letter was sent to the Council Bluffs City Council on March 22, 2017. On November 15, 2016, the Iowa West Foundation approved a $9 million grant initiative for streetscape improvements as part of the redesign and reconstruction of West Broadway. The City of Council Bluffs Planning Department had engaged professional architects and landscape […]
As you may have seen in the news lately, the Iowa West Field House is officially open for league and tournament play! Opening weekend Jan. 13-15th was a huge success, with both youth volleyball and basketball teams taking to the brand-new hard courts for games. Nearly every court was in use and families packed the […]
Before we look ahead to 2017, the end of the year is a good time to reflect on all that happened in the previous 12 months. Several Iowa West Foundation initiatives were launched and expanded upon while a number of large grants with potential for significant impact were awarded in 2016. Let’s take a look […]
