Important Grant Application Guidelines and Considerations

Please note that the Iowa West Foundation takes the following factors into consideration when reviewing applications:

Research-based proposals

The proposed program should be research-based and strongly aligned with our strategic priorities.

Support outside of the Foundation

Sufficient local and other financial support exists to ensure the project or program will be implemented and will continue after the grant period. Our goal is to help excellent nonprofits achieve a high level of effectiveness and impact. Our objective is not to sustain any individual nonprofit indefinitely. A grant award should not be perceived as any indication of future or recurring funding.

Organizational effectiveness

For full consideration, an organization must demonstrate strong leadership, financial health, and establish that staff possess an appropriate level of knowledge and understanding to effectively implement a program or service for which the organization seeks funding.

Impact and evaluation

Grant applications must demonstrate impact and a clear evaluation plan with measurable outcomes that will be reported at the end of the grant period.

Leveraging funds

The Foundation strongly encourages applicants to leverage its grant awards. Grant requests to the Foundation may not exceed 50% of total program or project costs. Applicants must secure, at a minimum, a dollar-for-dollar match for their grant requests. Though organizations are able to request as much as 50% of a program or project, a lower ask is viewed more favorably.

In-kind support may be part of the match, but it cannot exceed 15% of total program or project costs.

Number of grant applications in a year

Organizations may submit applications a maximum of two (2) grant cycles per calendar year.