Iowa West Foundation

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA EIN: 42-1391990 Website

Iowa West Foundation is a private foundation based in Council Bluffs, Iowa, established in 1994. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to improving lives and strengthening communities for current and future generations. The foundation employs 8 staff members and serves as a major philanthropic force in the region.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$15.9M

-4.7% YoY

Grant Count

134

-12.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$118K

+8.8% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation seeks to help communities achieve their dreams through strategic grantmaking aligned with three core priority areas:

Housing for All – Supporting housing development and related initiatives
Education with Purpose – Funding educational programs and opportunities
Recreation for Wellbeing – Supporting recreational and wellness activities

The foundation also maintains program areas including City of Council Bluffs streetscape maintenance, belonging mini-grants and contingency funding, and Southwest Iowa COVID-19 relief efforts.

Grantmaking

Iowa West Foundation offers multiple grant types to support its priority areas:

Grant Types

to support its priority areas:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation focuses its grantmaking on:

Council Bluffs, Iowa
Pottawattamie County
Southwest Iowa
Iowa and Nebraska regions

Grant Distribution by State

Iowa $42.8M (90%)

Nebraska $4.8M (10%)

States

Iowa Nebraska

Cities

ASHLANDATLANTICAUDUBONAVOCACARROLLCARSONCARTER LAKECLARINDACOUNCIL BLUFFSCRESCENTDENISONDES MOINESDUNLAPELK HORNEXIRAGLENWOODGLIDDENGRISWOLDHANCOCKHARLAN

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year Ending December 2023:

Total Assets: $492,648,687–$495,744,138
Total Revenues: $25,911,626
Total Expenses: $23,185,583
Annual Grants Made: $12,743,204
Total Liabilities: $32,000,000

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	—	—	—
Revenue	—	—	—
Expenses	—	—	—
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	—	—	—
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from Iowa West Foundation

Foundation

Iowa West Foundation Grant

IOWA WEST FOUNDATION

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include City of Council Bluffs and Sinc ($3,166,667), City of Council Bluffs ($2,350,614), Green Hills Area Education Agency ($1,350,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
712 INITIATIVE COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA	OPERATING SUPPORT	$91,407
712 INITIATIVE COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA	OPERATING SUPPORT	$125,000
ADVANCED SOUTHWEST IOWA CORPORATION COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA	OPERATING SUPPORT	$225,000
AHSTW COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AVOCA, IA	ASPIRE 2024 WORK BASED LEARNING	$25,000
AMERICAN MIDWEST BALLET OMAHA, NE	OPERATING SUPPORT	$125,000
ANAWIM HOUSING DES MOINES, IA	SUPPORTIVE HOUSING GAP	$360,000
AVENUE SCHOLARS SOUTHWEST IOWA COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA	ASPIRE RURAL POTTAWATTAMIE CAREEER PREPAREDNESS	$60,000
AVENUE SCHOLARS SOUTHWEST IOWA COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA	ASPIRE RURAL POTTAWATTAMIE CAREEER PREPAREDNESS	$211,000
AVOCA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT AVOCA, IA	SCBA	$10,000
AVOCA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT AVOCA, IA	DISASTER RESPONSE INITIATIVE	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Todd Graham – President

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
TARA SLEVIN	CHAIR	1	—
TAMMY PAVICH	VICE CHAIR	1	—
AMY CRAWFORD	BOARD MEMBER	1	—
RON DICKINSON	BOARD MEMBER	1	—
STEVE BAUMERT	BOARD MEMBER	1	—
JASON JAMES	BOARD MEMBER	1	—
KIRK MADSEN	BOARD MEMBER	1	—
JACK RUESCH	BOARD MEMBER	1	—
VERGARIE SANFORD	BOARD MEMBER	1	—
BRENDA MAINWARING	PRESIDENT & CEO	40	$303,526

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation has announced significant grant distributions in recent periods, including awards of $2.7 million and $4.3 million in grants and initiatives, demonstrating active and substantial grantmaking activity in support of its priority areas across the region.

Iowa West Foundation Awards $2.7 Million in Grants & Initiatives

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Iowa West Foundation fund?

The foundation seeks to help communities achieve their dreams through strategic grantmaking aligned with three core priority areas: • **Housing for All** – Supporting housing development and related initiatives • **Education with Purpose** – Funding educational programs and opportunities • **Recreation for Wellbeing** – Supporting recreational and wellness activities The foundation also maintains program areas including City of Council Bluffs streetscape maintenance, belonging mini-grants and c…

How do I apply for a grant from Iowa West Foundation?

Iowa West Foundation offers multiple grant types to support its priority areas: **Grant Types:** • **Program Grants** – Support for defined projects or activities tied to specific outcomes. Typical award range: $34,000–$360,000 • **Operating Grants** – Unrestricted support for an organization's overall activities, including administrative functions. Typically awarded to organizations with established relationships with the foundation • **Launch Grants** – Capacity and start-up grants designed t…