As southwest Iowa students prepare to head back to school this fall, they can do so knowing a multitude of unique enrichment opportunities await, thanks in part to numerous Iowa West Foundation grants to local nonprofits. The Iowa West Foundation board of directors recently approved more than $4 million in grants and initiatives to more than 40 local organizations, many of which will benefit Pottawattamie County’s youngest residents.
“We’re proud to support programs that help students thrive in the classroom and outside of it,” said Brenda Mainwaring, President and CEO of the Iowa West Foundation. “These grants reflect our commitment to building strong communities by investing in opportunities for our young people to learn, grow, and connect beyond academics.”
Significant investments include a $1.35 million grant to Green Hills AEA for full day 4-year-old preschool and $330,000 to Firefly’s Early Head Start program for birth to 3-year-olds. In addition, several grants were awarded to provide literacy options, arts experiences, mentoring partnerships, nature encounters, and more through field trips, school visits, and other interactive learning opportunities.
“We are grateful for the Iowa West Foundation’s grants to our dedicated partner organizations,” said Council Bluffs Community School District Superintendent Dr. Vickie Murillo. “These partnerships allow our students to gain so much, providing a variety of opportunities to prepare for the future, and for learning and enrichment beyond traditional classroom settings. From STEM and arts exposure to mentoring and essential health and well-being support, these programs truly make a positive difference for our children and families.”
“The Rose Theater is thrilled to partner with the Council Bluffs Community School District to launch a brand-new program called Creative Heroes: Building Resilience for 3rd graders during the 25/26 school year,” said Julie Walker, Managing Director of the Omaha Theater Company. “With funding from the Iowa West Foundation, students will receive eight workshops that support academic standards while developing tools for emotional regulation, building self-confidence, making friends, problem-solving, and persisting in the face of challenges.”
The Iowa West Foundation also continues to address the need for quality housing by awarding grants toward repairing existing homes. The Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund received $150,000 to preserve housing for older adults and low-income homeowners, while Project Houseworks received $50,000 for the preservation of quality affordable housing in the area. This is in addition to previous grants to Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs that supported revitalization of current aging housing stock.
Matt Henkes, Vice President of Grants and Initiatives, explained why these grants are so important. “Preserving our current housing is a key strategy to ensuring we can meet the growing demand in our area. Organizations like the Southwest Housing Trust Fund ensure that our existing homeowners are not left behind as we look to grow new homeowners.”
“The Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund has been repairing low-income residents’ homes for 20 years. Unfortunately, the cost of repairs continues to climb,” according to John McCurdy, Executive Director of the Southwest Iowa Planning Council and administrator of the Housing Trust Fund. “The funds from the Iowa West Foundation help us to reach more of our neighbors in need and ensure that we can complete essential repairs. Without these funds we would in some cases have to make the decision between whether a person has working plumbing or working electrical system, which is not a choice any of us would want to make.”
American Midwest Ballet
Operating funding
$125,000
Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Midlands
Expanding after-school mentoring in Council Bluffs
$60,000
Carson Volunteer Fire Department
Personal protective gear and firefighting equipment.
$10,000
Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement
Immigrant legal services
$85,000
Child Saving Institute
Council Bluffs programming
$1,000,000 pledge
City of Tabor
Splash pad at Tabor City Park
$46,000
Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce
Workforce programming
$65,000
Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce/712 Initiative
Capacity building
$100,000
Council Bluffs Schools Foundation
STARS Scholarship Program
$320,000
DIBS for Kids
Expansion to Bloomer Elementary
$10,000
Family Crisis Centers
Iowa Victim Service Call Center for SW Iowa
$8,500
Firefly
Early Head Start expansion
$330,000
Food Bank of Iowa
Fighting childhood hunger in SW Iowa
$30,000
Golden Hills RC & D
Pottawattamie County Trails Coordinator
$40,000
Green Hills AEA
Pottawattamie County all day, 4-year-old, preschool
$1,350,000
Historic General Dodge House
Roof replacement
$25,000
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
School of the Wild programming in SW Iowa
$23,747
Iowa West Foundation ‘Belonging’ Initiative
Seed grants for rural Pottawattamie communities and Council Bluffs
$30,000
Iowa Western Arts Center
2025-26 National Series and Youth Series
$34,000
Iowa Western Community College Foundation
Skills for Success program (formerly Earn While You Learn)
$35,000
ISU Extension & Outreach
Speak Up Be Safe abuse prevention programming
$15,000
Kiewit Luminarium
Field trips, CB Library passes, no cost memberships
$25,000
Lutheran Family Services
Building English language and computer literacy skills
$45,000
Micah House
Emergency shelter services
$80,000
Montgomery County Conservation Foundation
Hacklebarney Wood Playground
$17,899
NAMI Southwest Iowa (National Alliance on Mental Health)
Peer-led mental health and substance abuse services in rural SWI
$30,000
Nebraska Diaper Bank
Diaper distribution in Pottawattamie County
$10,000
NeighborWorks Home Solutions
Operating funding
$50,000
Lauritzen Gardens, (Omaha Botanical Center, Inc)
Summer camps and field trips for SWI students
$25,000
Omaha Symphony Association
Music education programs in SW Iowa
$21,000
The Rose Theater
Creative Heroes program
$24,530
The Rose Theater
1st grade field trips
$10,477
Wilson Performing Arts Center, Red Oak
Handicap accessibility improvements
$13,500
Pottawattamie County Conservation Foundation
New exhibits at Hitchcock Nature Center
$150,000
Project Houseworks
Home repairs for older adults in SW Iowa
$50,000
RESPECT
Theater-based youth workshops on safe and healthy relationships
$10,000
Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund
Housing Repair Program
$150,000
Treynor Volunteer Fire Department
Personal protective gear
$10,000
Together, Inc.
Council Bluffs housing stabilization fund
$150,000
Veterans Memorial Museum, Shenandoah
Lighting Upgrades
$5,000
ASPIRE
Avenue Scholars SWI
Rural Pottawattamie County Program
$200,500
AHSTW Community School District
Work-based learning
$25,000
Council Bluffs Community School District
Plus One Pathways Program
$325,000
Iowa Western Community College
Career and College Transition Counselors
$126,000
Lewis Central Community School District
College and Career Readiness Coordinator
$100,000
Riverside Community School District
iJAG Program (Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates)
$25,000
Treynor Community School District
Academic Success Advisor
$25,000
Tri-Center Community School District
iJAG Program (Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates)
$25,000
Nicole Lindquist
Director of Communications
w: 712-309-3004
c: 402-981-2289
nlindquist@iowawestfoundation.org
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