Getting Started

Getting Started

If you have an idea that you believe can make life better in our region, you’re in good company. Iowa West Foundation grant recipients have leveraged more than $500 million in grants to improve the quality of life in more than 100 communities in southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska since the inception of our grants program in 1996.

We accept Letters of Inquiry throughout the year through our online grants portal – Cybergrants. We know your time is a limited resource. Because of this, we encourage new applicants as well as past grantees to reach out to the grants team staff when you have questions about our grants program. We believe it’s important to work in collaboration.

In the pages that follow, you’ll learn more about the types of grants we do and do not fund as well as the process to apply for a grant. We will point you towards helpful resources, and if you have a question, the grants team staff can help you find the answer. Once you are familiar with our grants criteria, you may begin a letter of inquiry. If you are a government entity or a nonprofit organization based outside our funding area, you will need to request a code to access our online system.