Foundations & Grantmakers in Iowa
2,000 grantmakers in Iowa reported grants on their latest 990s. The 679 that made at least 5 grants gave $605.5M. The largest by giving are Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines F/K/a Greater Des Moines Community Fdn, Charles E Lakin Foundation Inc and Mercy Hospitalcedar Rapidsia Endowment Foundation Inc. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Iowa grants
Foundation giving in Iowa at a glance
Active grantmakers
2,000
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$605.5M
from the 679 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$19K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$65K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Iowa by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines F/K/a Greater Des Moines Community Fdn | Des Moines | $55.7M | 1,259 |
| 2 | Charles E Lakin Foundation Inc | Council Bluffs | $26.6M | 73 |
| 3 | Mercy Hospitalcedar Rapidsia Endowment Foundation Inc | Cedar Rapids | $22.1M | 8 |
| 4 | The Geisler-Penquite Foundation | Newton | $16.7M | 17 |
| 5 | Roy J Carver Charitable Trust | Muscatine | $16.5M | 87 |
| 6 | Iowa West Foundation | Council Bluffs | $15.9M | 134 |
| 7 | Hawkeye Area Community Action Program Inc | Hiawatha | $14.7M | 95 |
| 8 | Iowa Health Foundation | Des Moines | $12.7M | 6 |
| 9 | United Way of Central Iowa | Des Moines | $12.4M | 111 |
| 10 | The HWS Charitable Foundation Inc | Cedar Rapids | $10.9M | 91 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 14 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 108 · 29%
- Health 51 · 14%
- Human Services 46 · 12%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 33 · 9%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 27 · 7%
- Environment & Animals 16 · 4%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (35% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Iowa
- Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation $9.4M · 209 grants
- Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque $8.0M · 211 grants
- Quad Cities Community Foundation $7.5M · 263 grants
- Community Foundation for Western Iowa $3.5M · 39 grants
- Versova Community Foundation $1.1M · 79 grants
- Keokuk Area Community Foundation $869K · 30 grants
- The Greater Jefferson County Foundation $428K · 18 grants
- South Central Iowa Community Foundation $386K · 26 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 11 with at least 10 grants.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Most open to new grantees in Iowa
Foundations based in Iowa whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Look to the Stars Cancer Foundation | 89% (25) | 28 in 2025 | $1K |
| 2 | Telligen Community Initiative | 79% (33) | 42 in 2025 | $50K |
| 3 | Greenstate Foundation | 78% (25) | 32 in 2024 | $26K |
| 4 | Interstates Foundation | 69% (49) | 71 in 2024 | $3K |
| 5 | Community Foundation for Western Iowa | 62% (24) | 39 in 2024 | $116K |
| 6 | Food Bank of Siouxland Inc | 60% (35) | 58 in 2025 | $91K |
| 7 | The Merchants Bonding Company Foundation | 59% (110) | 186 in 2025 | $1K |
| 8 | Mary K and Daniel M Kelly Family | 59% (55) | 94 in 2025 | $3K |
| 9 | The Braun Family Foundation | 58% (25) | 43 in 2025 | $2K |
| 10 | The Cambridge Foundation Inc | 58% (34) | 59 in 2025 | $1K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 679 grantmakers in Iowa with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines F/K/a Greater Des Moines Community Fdn
Des Moines, IA
Assets
$918.7M
Grants
1,259
Total Given
$55.7M
Charles E Lakin Foundation Inc
Council Bluffs, IA
Assets
$134.9M
Grants
73
Total Given
$26.6M
Mercy Hospitalcedar Rapidsia Endowment Foundation Inc
Cedar Rapids, IA
Assets
$140.9M
Grants
8
Total Given
$22.1M
The Geisler-Penquite Foundation
Newton, IA
Assets
—
Grants
17
Total Given
$16.7M
Roy J Carver Charitable Trust
Muscatine, IA
Assets
$241.5M
Grants
87
Total Given
$16.5M
Iowa West Foundation
Council Bluffs, IA
Assets
$495.7M
Grants
134
Total Given
$15.9M
Hawkeye Area Community Action Program Inc
Hiawatha, IA
Assets
$14.8M
Grants
95
Total Given
$14.7M
Iowa Health Foundation
Des Moines, IA
Assets
$223.4M
Grants
6
Total Given
$12.7M
United Way of Central Iowa
Des Moines, IA
Assets
$37.5M
Grants
111
Total Given
$12.4M
The HWS Charitable Foundation Inc
Cedar Rapids, IA
Assets
$7.5M
Grants
91
Total Given
$10.9M
Golf Charitable Foundation of Greater Des Moines
Des Moines, IA
Assets
$2.8M
Grants
81
Total Given
$9.9M
Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation
Cedar Rapids, IA
Assets
$229.3M
Grants
209
Total Given
$9.4M
Iowa Corn Grower's Association
Johnston, IA
Assets
$27.1M
Grants
33
Total Given
$8.9M
Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque
Dubuque, IA
Assets
$165.4M
Grants
211
Total Given
$8.0M
Quad Cities Community Foundation
Bettendorf, IA
Assets
$209.7M
Grants
263
Total Given
$7.5M
Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Davenport
Davenport, IA
Assets
$24.9M
Grants
11
Total Given
$7.4M
The Gerdin Charitable Foundation
North Liberty, IA
Assets
$64.0M
Grants
9
Total Given
$6.9M
Donald F &Charlene K Lamberti Foundation
Ankeny, IA
Assets
$9.0M
Grants
34
Total Given
$6.7M
Casey's Charities Inc
Ankeny, IA
Assets
—
Grants
70
Total Given
$6.3M
Bravo Greater Des Moines Inc
Des Moines, IA
Assets
$11.3M
Grants
72
Total Given
$6.2M
The Hall-Perrine Foundation
Cedar Rapids, IA
Assets
$143.8M
Grants
21
Total Given
$5.6M
RSM US Foundation
Davenport, IA
Assets
$17.5M
Grants
165
Total Given
$5.5M
Thomas & Linda Koehn Foundation
Des Moines, IA
Assets
$63.1M
Grants
23
Total Given
$5.4M
Wallace Research Foundation
Cedar Rapids, IA
Assets
$84.2M
Grants
34
Total Given
$5.1M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in Iowa
What are the largest foundations in Iowa?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines F/K/a Greater Des Moines Community Fdn ($55.7M across 1,259 grants), Charles E Lakin Foundation Inc ($26.6M) and Mercy Hospitalcedar Rapidsia Endowment Foundation Inc ($22.1M). Together the top 10 account for 34% of the $605.5M given by the 679 grantmakers in Iowa that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in Iowa?
The typical grant is about $19K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $65K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in Iowa?
Yes. We found 11 community foundations in Iowa with grant activity. The largest by giving are Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque and Quad Cities Community Foundation. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Iowa foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in Iowa from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.