Creating Great Places
Creating Great Places is a non-rofit organization in west central Iowa to support the ongoing vitality and sustainability of rural communities and rural cultures.
Creating Great Places at a glance
- Total assets
- $627,818
- +0.2% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $24,176
- +74.8% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $3,068
- -42.8% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $27,291
- -30.0% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
Who Creating Great Places funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
6 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 5 grants of 6 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
How Creating Great Places gives
- Giving fell 39% from 2020 to 2023. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2K (2024) to $84K (2022). In 2024 it reported $2K in grants paid, as a total without an itemized list.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Coon Rapids Fire Department Coon Rapids, IA | Support Fire Department | $12,281 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $627,818 | $24,176 | $27,291 | — | — | $3,068 |
| 2024 | $626,648 | $13,827 | $38,966 | $2,000 | Total only | $5,366 |
| 2023 | $651,287 | $23,678 | $22,830 | $12,281 | 1 | $2,814 |
| 2022 | $651,774 | $-31,138 | $94,464 | $84,000 | 2 | $-103,492 |
| 2021 | $778,863 | $16,727 | $21,405 | $12,200 | 3 | $897 |
| 2020 | $779,332 | $27,960 | $37,486 | $20,000 | 2 | $-810 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
About Creating Great Places
Based on IRS filings
Creating Great Places is a public charity focused on Community Improvement & Capacity Building, based in Coon Rapids, IA. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $628K in total assets. Net investment income was $3K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Creating Great Places is led by Jesica Leighty, President on every filing since 2022; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jesica Leighty
President
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joel Roetman
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Dorpinghaus
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Schwaller
Treasurer
Secretary & Treasurer → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nathan Muench
Vice President
V President → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: J Leighty (2020–2021) — President
- Former: K Dorpinghaus (2020–2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Creating Great Places
How large is Creating Great Places?
Creating Great Places reported $628K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $24K.
What is Creating Great Places?
Creating Great Places is a public charity focused on Community Improvement & Capacity Building, based in Coon Rapids, IA. It holds $628K in total assets as of 2025.
Where does Creating Great Places operate?
Creating Great Places has awarded grants in Iowa.
What is Creating Great Places's EIN?
Creating Great Places's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1827029. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 4, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Creating Great Places funds
Community Improvement & Capacity Building Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Leveling-Up Award $1,000 · Due October 25, 2026
- Arnold F. Keller, Jr. Grant for New Initiatives/Program Expansion $25,000 · Due October 27, 2026
- Wausau Marathon County Impact Grants (Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin) $1,000 to $100,000 depending on the scope of the project · Due October 27, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Creating Great Places's focus areas in our free grants database
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Figures come from Creating Great Places'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.
Creating Great Places down — hundreds of funders to go?