Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc
Bravo Greater Des Moines is a public charity based in Des Moines, Iowa, that funds and supports arts, culture, heritage, and interpretive science organizations and programs in Greater Des Moines. Formed in 2004, it describes itself as the region’s arts council and says it uses community resources to advance regional priorities.
Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc at a glance
In short: Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc gave $6.2M across 72 grants in 2025 (avg $86K), mostly in Iowa. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $6,174,291
- +19.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 72
- +5.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $85,754
- +12.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $31,413
- Total assets
- $11,321,738
- +40.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (7 of 72, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc
- How to Apply
-
Bravo requires an application to consider an organization for funding. Its website lists the GC27 operating grant application as closed.
- Review Cycle
- The GC27 operating grant application is listed as closed; the website gives September 25 as the application closing date. The 2026 Capital Project Grant and 2026 Bravo/ICON Public Art Grant cycles are also closed.
- Deadline
- The GC27 operating grant application is listed as closed; the website gives September 25 as the application closing…
- Contact
Mailing address: 801 Grand Avenue 250, Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: (515) 243-0388
Website: https://bravogreaterdesmoines.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc
Bravo Greater Des Moines: Capital Project Grant
Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc
Amount
US $15,000 - US $125,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Bravo Greater Des Moines: Operating Grants
Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc
Amount
Up to US $500,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Bravo Greater Des Moines: Public Art Grant
Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc
Amount
Up to US $50,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Des Moines Performing Arts ($550K). Together the top 10 received $3.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
308 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 191 grants of 308 (62%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Bravo’s stated service area is Greater Des Moines. Its website names these local government partners as contributors to its grant funding: Ankeny, Bondurant, Carlisle, Clive, Des Moines, Grimes, Indianola, Johnston, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, Polk County, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines, and Windsor Heights. In 2025, all reported grant dollars went to Iowa recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 72 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 72 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $33K; repeat grants $91K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $34K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.7M (2021) to $6.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 72 grants totaling $6.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Performing Arts Des Moines, IA | Operating Grant | $550,000 |
| Edmundson Art Foundation Inc DBA Des Moines Art Center Des Moines, IA | Operating Grant | $500,000 |
| Blank Park Zoo Foundation Inc Des Moines, IA | Operating Grant | $375,000 |
| Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation Des Moines, IA | Operating Grant, Capital Project Grant | $332,075 |
| Science Center of Iowa Des Moines, IA | Operating Grant | $305,200 |
| Ballet Des Moines West Des Moines, IA | Operating Grant, Capital Project Grant | $289,580 |
| Des Moines Metro Opera Inc Indianola, IA | Operating Grant | $286,425 |
| Des Moines Film Society Des Moines, IA | Operating Grant, Capital Project Grant | $246,283 |
| Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden Des Moines, IA | Operating Grant | $245,000 |
| Des Moines Community Playhouse Des Moines, IA | Operating Grant, Capital Project Grant | $240,179 |
Ready to take the next step with Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $11,321,738 | $8,870,478 | $7,440,776 | $6,174,291 | 72 | $251,996 |
| 2024 | $8,040,294 | $7,552,939 | $6,425,141 | $5,180,585 | 68 | $181,321 |
| 2023 | $7,903,041 | $7,284,497 | $5,172,145 | $4,294,425 | 59 | $105,643 |
| 2022 | $3,545,703 | $5,885,208 | $5,167,116 | $4,476,525 | 62 | $10,487 |
| 2021 | $3,075,940 | $3,502,900 | $3,327,743 | $2,727,580 | 47 | $10,496 |
| 2020 | $4,156,279 | $4,334,661 | $4,738,240 | $4,185,000 | 80 | $39,043 |
| 2019 | $5,309,385 | $5,164,932 | $4,793,460 | $4,289,350 | 75 | $48,565 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Bravo’s mission is to leverage community resources to maximize the impact of arts, culture, heritage, and interpretive science to advance regional priorities. Its grantmaking supports organization operations, capital projects, and public art, while its community impact work extends beyond grantmaking.
The supported organizations span several cultural and educational fields. For example, Des Moines Performing Arts says its mission is to provide performing arts experiences that educate, inspire, and challenge. The Des Moines Art Center describes its work as connecting people with art through its museum, school, collections, and programs. Science Center of Iowa says it engages and inspires Iowans in lifelong science learning; Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden says it explores, explains, and celebrates the world of plants.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Bravo reported 72 grants totaling $6,174,291. Grants ranged from $5,225 to $550,000, with a median of $31,412. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Iowa. The largest awards included:
Bravo’s operating grants provide general support for eligible organizations’ administrative expenses and day-to-day costs. Applicants must generally be tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations with at least three consecutive years of active programming, headquartered in and conducting most of their activities within a partner local government, and primarily focused on arts, culture, heritage, or interpretive science. Eligibility does not guarantee funding. Bravo says applicants must complete an application for consideration; recipients must submit a grant report affirming that funds were spent as outlined.
Capital Project Grants support facility improvements and major equipment projects of at least $15,000 for eligible organizations holding a current Bravo operating grant. Awards may be no more than 30% of project cost or $125,000. The 2026 cycle closed April 3, 2026. The Bravo/ICON Public Art Grant supports public-art projects in eligible government-partner communities; its 2026 cycle closed September 26, 2025, and the program is expected to sunset after that cycle.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Matthew McKinney as chair, Todd Ross as treasurer, and Mike McCoy as past chair. Directors listed are Emily Abbas, Scott Haugh, Phil Hall, Bryan Burkhardt, Robert Brownell, Lauren Campbell, and Shannon Cofield.
Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc is led by Sally Dix, President & Secretary since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 36 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sally Dix
President & Secretary
Executive Director & Secretary E → Executive Director & Secretary Ex-Officio, 2024
Executive Director & Secretary Ex-Officio → President & Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$121K (2019) → $212K (2025)
Matthew McKinney
Chair
Director → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bob Kling
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Brownell
Director
President → Past President, 2024
Past President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Judkins
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ardis Kelley
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kuuku Saah
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anna Bergman Pierce
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bryan Burkhardt
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chad Driscoll
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cheryl Heid
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Emily Abbas
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Perry
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kurt Gibson
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lauren Campbell
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Bolton King
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Angie Stepsis
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Blaire Massa
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mandy Vogel
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Harris
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shannon Cofield
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tej Dhawan
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ed Kuhl
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Greg Lin
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Stewart
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Liz Lidgett
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark True
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Simonson
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Blake Rozendaal
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kim Perez
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Konnor Hodges
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Morain
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phil Hall
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Haugh
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike McCoy
Past Chair
Director → President, 2024
President → Past Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Todd Ross
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (51)
- Former: Michael Egel (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Annette Adams (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Caleb Brus (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Ross Grooters (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Larry McBurney (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Kenia Calderon Ceron (2024) — Director
- Former: Connie Boesen (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Kate Hightshoe (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Kathryn Kunert (2019–2023) — Past President
- Former: Paul Schlueter (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Ruth Randleman (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Burns-Thompson (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Kevin Macfee (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Stephanie Riva (2023) — Director
- Former: Charley Campbell (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: David Lester (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Jim Sandager (2019–2022) — Past President
- Former: Kerry Walter-Ashby (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Proctor Lureman (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Robert Miller (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Stephanie Jutila (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Tiffany Tauscheck (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Matt Blake (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Robert Warren (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Georgia Van Gundy (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Jill Altringer (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Lauren Burt (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Sean Vicente (2019–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Stephen King (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Mike Jones (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Christine Crone (2021) — Director
- Former: J. Benjamin Champ (2021) — Director
- Former: Tom Cope (2021) — Director
- Former: Wes Enos (2021) — Director
- Former: Emily Kessinger (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Holley Bzdega (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Jeff Fleming (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Sara Kurovski (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Susan Voss (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Tara Deering-Hansen (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Ben Sinclair (2020) — Director
- Former: Jessica Synder (2020) — Director
- Former: Scott Syroka (2020) — Director
- Former: Anna Bergman (2019) — Director
- Former: Bob Andeweg (2019) — Director
- Former: Jessica Clark (2019) — Director
- Former: Joseph Jones (2019) — Director
- Former: Katie Patterson (2019) — Director
- Former: Michael Hamilton (2019) — Director
- Former: Paula Dierenfeld (2019) — Director
- Former: Scott Duer (2019) — 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 $212K, to Sally DIX (President & Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc
How much does Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc give each year?
Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc gave $6.2M across 72 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $5.2M across 68 grants.
What is Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc's typical grant size?
Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc's median grant in 2025 was $31,413, and its average grant was $85,754, across 72 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc that year got $33K on average.
Where does Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc give grants?
Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc gives mostly in Iowa: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Des Moines, IA (42 grants), West Des Moines, IA (7 grants), Ankeny, IA (4 grants) and Urbandale, IA (3 grants).
Does Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 90% of Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (65 of 72) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Public Art Grant" (7 grants).
Who are Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc's largest grantees?
Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Des Moines Performing Arts ($550,000), Edmundson Art Foundation Inc DBA Des Moines Art Center ($500,000) and Blank Park Zoo Foundation Inc ($375,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc?
Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc reported $11.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $8.9M.
What does Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc fund?
Bravo’s mission is to leverage community resources to maximize the impact of arts, culture, heritage, and interpretive science to advance regional priorities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc?
Bravo requires an application to consider an organization for funding. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc's EIN?
Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3598346. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 21, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 19, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Funders that support many of the same organizations
Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines F/K/a Greater Des Moines Community Fdn
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John Ruan Foundation Trust
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Total Given
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bravo-greater-des-moines-inc-morg_207cd0fa32bb42f5b24a619978bc6971
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203598346_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bravo-greater-des-moines-inc-morg_207cd0fa32bb42f5b24a619978bc6971},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?