Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey
Better Health Foundation is a private foundation based in Davenport, Iowa, that seeks to improve community health outcomes across the greater Quad Cities region through funding and partnerships. It was established on March 1, 2023, and its website reports that it has awarded $6.2 million since organizing in 2023.
Key facts about Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey
In short: Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey gave $1.9M across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $87K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 46-2452851
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,903,981
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- Average grant
- $86,545
- Median grant
- $70,000
- Total assets
- $49,578,986
- Primary geography
- Illinois (55% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Deadline
- The website listed the Fall 2026 Capacity Building and Service Strengthening cycles as opening August 14, 2026; that…
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$49.6M
+8.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.9M
-6.3% YoY
Grant Count
22
+10.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$87K
-14.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey reported a distributable amount of $2.3M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey gives
- 36% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 871% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation describes its aim as improving community health. It offers capacity-building, service-strengthening, innovation, and discretionary grants. Capacity-building and service-strengthening awards can support stronger nonprofit operations, expanded or improved services, and better access for underserved communities. Innovation grants are intended to test new approaches, partnerships, or methods addressing community health priorities.
Examples from 2025 recipients illustrate the range of organizations it has supported. Community Health Care Inc. describes its mission as providing patient-centered medical, dental, and behavioral health care. EveryChild says it works to eliminate child abuse and neglect by strengthening children and families through treatment, education, and prevention. NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley describes its work as offering education and support to people living with mental illness and their families. Other 2025 recipients include STEAM on Wheels, whose stated mission centers on hands-on experiences and emerging technologies; Tapestry Farms, which describes its work as supporting refugees through social services and farming; Christian Care, which provides services including meals, counseling, and shelter; and Augustana College, which describes its mission as providing a liberal arts and sciences education.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $1,903,981. Grants ranged from $8,000 to $255,000, with a median award of $70,000. The largest reported awards included $255,000 to MercyOne Genesis Foundation for improving community health; $225,000 to Martin Luther King Jr Community for innovation and capacity building; $200,000 to Community Health Care Inc. for innovation; $195,000 to Palomares Social Justice Center for innovation; and $157,616 to Rediscover Recovery Community Center for innovation and capacity building. Other notable awards included $140,000 to STEAM on Wheels and $75,000 each to EveryChild, Transitions Mental Health Services, Youth Services Bureau of Rock Island, YWCA of Clinton, and SAL Community Services.
Review Cycle
. Government agencies and public schools must partner with a 501(c)(3) service provider, with a signed MOU specifying roles and resource transfers.
How to Apply
beginning with an online Letter of Inquiry, followed by a proposal process. It says proposals should present evidence of the problem being addressed, explain community engagement, and address sustainability. Grants are generally for one year; proposals may request up to three years of support if they specify milestones. A nonprofit may not submit multiple applications in one grant cycle. Government agencies and public schools must partner with a 501(c)(3) service provider, with a signed MOU specifying roles and resource transfers.
Ready to take the next step with Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated service area is the greater Quad Cities region: Cedar, Clinton, Louisa, Muscatine, and Scott counties in Iowa, and Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, and Whiteside counties in Illinois. Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) organizations providing community-health services in that nine-county region. Regional affiliates of national organizations may apply if their services and grant funds are wholly focused on the region.
For 2025, 55% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 45% to recipients in Iowa.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $196K (2022) to $2.0M (2024). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Mercyone Genesis Foundation ($255K). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 30 grants of 65 (46%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mercyone Genesis Foundation Davenport, IA | Improve Community Health | $255,000 |
| Martin Luther King Jr Community Center Rock Island, IL | Innovation/Capacity Building | $225,000 |
| Community Health Care Inc Davenport, IA | Innovation | $200,000 |
| Palomares Social Justice Center Rock Island, IL | Innovation | $195,000 |
| Rediscover Recovery Community Cente Clinton, IA | Innovation/Capacity Building | $157,616 |
| STEAM on Wheels Rock Island, IL | Innovation/Capacity Building | $140,000 |
| Everychild Moline, IL | Capacity Building & Service | $75,000 |
| Transitions Mental Health Services Rock Island, IL | Capacity Building & Service | $75,000 |
| Youth Services Bureau of Rock Islan Rock Island, IL | Capacity Building & Service | $75,000 |
| YWCA of Clinton Clinton, IA | Capacity Building & Service | $75,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,578,986 | $2,805,752 | $2,528,061 | $1,903,981 (22 grants) |
| 2024 | $45,695,613 | $2,156,892 | $2,512,886 | $2,032,251 (20 grants) |
| 2023 | $41,168,958 | $40,865,850 | $647,331 | $435,291 (8 grants) |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $49,578,986 | $45,695,613 | $41,168,958 |
| Revenue | $2,805,752 | $2,156,892 | $40,865,850 |
| Expenses | $2,528,061 | $2,512,886 | $647,331 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,112,639 | $2,222,070 | — |
| Net Investment Income | $2,535,084 | $1,870,124 | $668,227 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,323,314 | $2,114,186 | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 17, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 19, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 3, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 18, 2021)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Melinda M. Gowey as CEO; William Langley, MD, as board president; Robert Woodall as vice president; and Sandra Deke as secretary/treasurer. It also lists Mark Bawden, Nicholas Brandt, Edmund H. Carroll, Jennifer Feeney, David Gellerman, and Dave Heller as directors.
Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey is led by Melinda M. Gowey, CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 18 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Melinda M. Gowey
CEO
Executive Director → CEO, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$40K (2019) → $172K (2025)
William Langley MD
Board President
Director → President, 2021
President → Board President, 2024
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Gellerman
Director
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Edmund H. Carroll
Director
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Hetrick
Director
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark D. Bawden
Director
Vice President → Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vicki Palmer
Director
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Feeney
Director
On filings since 2022
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Wickwire PhD
Director
On filings since 2022
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Namrata Mallik MD
Director
On filings since 2022
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Claire Motto-Steil
Director
On filings since 2023
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nicholas Brandt
Director
On filings since 2023
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Wahlig
Director
On filings since 2024
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dave Heller
Director
On filings since 2024
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Verletta Saxon Ph D.
Director
On filings since 2024
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Avery Pearl II
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Woodall
Vice President
Director → Secretary & Treasurer, 2021
Secretary & Treasurer → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sandra Deke
Secretary
Secretary & Treasurer → Vice President, 2021
Vice President → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (15)
- Former: Douglas P. Cropper (2019–2023) — Former Director
- Former: Thomas Jr Melchert (2019–2023) — Former Director
- Former: Verletta Saxon (2023) — Director
- Former: Ellen Freese (2019–2022) — Former Director
- Former: Geeta A. Mahadevia (2019–2022) — Former Director
- Former: Howard M. Cornfield (2019–2022) — Former Director
- Former: Ally Engle (2021–2022) — Former Director
- Former: Amir Arbisser (2019–2021) — Former Director
- Former: Gregory Schermer (2019–2021) — Former Director
- Former: Mark E. Witte (2019–2021) — Former Director
- Former: Donald L. Johnson (2019) — Former Director
- Former: John H. Anderson (2019) — Former Director
- Former: Mary Froeschle (2019) — Former Director
- Former: Nana Meriwether (2019) — Former Director
- Former: Richard C. John Jr. (2019) — Former Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $172K, to Melinda M Gowey (CEO).
Contact
Mailing address: 2805 Eastern Ave, Davenport, IA 52803
Phone: (563) 383-6066
Website: HTTPS://WWW.THEBETTERHEALTHFOUNDATION.ORG/
Frequently asked questions about Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey
How much does Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey give each year?
Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey gave $1.9M across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 20 grants.
What is Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey's typical grant size?
Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey's median grant in 2025 was $70,000, and its average grant was $86,545, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey give grants?
Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey gives mostly in Illinois: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Iowa (45%). The most frequent recipient cities were Rock Island, IL (12 grants), Davenport, IA (6 grants), Clinton, IA (2 grants) and Moline, IL (2 grants).
Does Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Capacity Building & Service" (14 grants) and "Innovation/Capacity Building" (3 grants).
Who are Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey's largest grantees?
Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey's largest 2025 grantees include Mercyone Genesis Foundation ($255,000), Martin Luther King Jr Community Center ($225,000) and Community Health Care Inc ($200,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey?
Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey reported $49.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey fund?
The foundation describes its aim as improving community health. It offers capacity-building, service-strengthening, innovation, and discretionary grants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey?
Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines. Check thebetterhealthfoundation.org for any change to that policy.
What is Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey's EIN?
Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-2452851. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Better Health Foundation Melinda Gowey accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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