Iowa West Foundation Awards $3.7 Million In Grants & Initiatives
March 26, 2024
Grants Awarded Through Southwest Iowa COVID-19 Fund Top $300,000
(Council Bluffs-IA) Front line organizations focused on getting food into the hands the most vulnerable were the recipients of the latest round of grant funding from the Southwest Iowa Covid-19 Response fund. Alleviating emergency needs in the local community to ensure southwest Iowans have access to food and shelter are a primary focus for the fund, which has now awarded more than $300,000.
Managed by the Iowa West Foundation and the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation, the Southwest Iowa COVID-19 Response Fund continues to accept applications on a rolling basis as well as accept donations.
The fund supports the following areas, with the highest priorities being emergency assistance and public health infrastructure.
- Emergency Assistance to Vulnerable Populations
- Public Health Expanded Infrastructure
- Continuity of Nonprofit Operations
- Funding to Support Long Term Recovery Relief
The universal application for relief funding can be found at both www.iowawestfoundation.org and www.ourpccf.org.
Individuals, families, corporations, and others who would like to donate to the COVID-19 relief efforts are encouraged to visit www.ourpccf.org or call 712-256-7007. Dostal emphasized that all donations from individuals will receive a 10 percent match through PCCF.
About the Iowa West Foundation
The Iowa West Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the Midwest. It has distributed more than $500 million to nonprofits and governmental agencies through southwest Iowa since the inception of its grant program. Funding for the grants comes from investment earnings and the Iowa West Racing Association, which receives contractual fees from casino operators, Ameristar and Harrah’s. IWRA is the license sponsor for Ameristar and Harrah’s and the license holder for Horseshoe-Bluffs Run. The Foundation targets resources into programs and projects that focus on economic development, education, placemaking and healthy families.
About Pottawattamie County Community Foundation
The Pottawattamie County Community Foundation (PCCF) 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 Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Through PCCF, 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.
| Cass County Health Department | Food Distribution, Rural | $ 8,000.00 |
| Centro Latino | Emergency Relief | $ 30,000.00 |
| City Light Church | Food Distribution, Urban | $ 12,000.00 |
| Crawford County Hunger Fighters | Pantry Services / Food Distribution, Rural | $ 3,400.00 |
| Council Bluffs Pantry Association | Pantry Services, Urban | $ 21,000.00 |
| West Central Community Action | Pantry Services, Rural | $ 24,000.00 |
| Food Bank of Iowa | Food Distribution, Urban / Rural | $ 16,710.00 |
| Food Bank of the Heartland | Food Distribution, Rural | $ 50,000.00 |
| Mills County Health Department | Emergency Relief / Food Distribution, Rural | $ 10,000.00 |
| New Visions Homeless Services | Emergency Shelter | $ 105,000.00 |
| Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless | Emergency Relief / Homelessness Prevention | $ 20,000.00 |
| Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless | PPE | $ 2,000.00 |
| Total | $ 302,110.00 |
Written by Nicole Lindquist, Director of Communications
Media Inquiries:
Nicole Lindquist
Director of Communications
w: 712-309-3004
c: 402-981-2289
nlindquist@iowawestfoundation.org
