Wild Prairie Showdown Awards
Funding Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Grant Type
foundation
Overview
Wild Prairie Showdown Awards
Status: Nominations open (annual program)
Overview: Annual awards celebrating contributions to conservation and recreation from community members involved with the Great Outdoors Foundation and ICON Water Trails, aligned with organizational values and priorities.
Geographic Scope: Central Iowa
Partners: Great Outdoors Foundation and ICON Water Trails
Focus Areas:
Event Details:
The Wild Prairie Showdown is also an eight-week peer-to-peer fundraising campaign that culminates in a celebration event (most recently held October 16 at Val Air Ballroom). The 2025 event raised nearly $190,000 to support conservation and recreation initiatives.
Contact Information:
About the Organization:
The Great Outdoors Foundation exists to advance conservation through innovation, collaboration, and stewardship.
What Great Outdoors Foundation actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2021 — the most recent filing with itemized grants
- Grants in 2021
- 5
- Total given
- $19.89M
- Median grant
- $100K
- Range
- $27K–$19.57M
- By dollars: Iowa 100%. Top recipient cities: Des Moines, IA; Granger, IA; Johnston, IA.
- 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
Example grants
Iowa Confluence Water Trails (Icon) · Des Moines, IA
Grant distribution
$19.57M
Polk County Conservation · Granger, IA
Jester park nature center & easter lake north shore development
$167K
City of Johnston · Johnston, IA
Grant distribution
$100K
Clive Community Foundation · Clive, IA
Clive greenbelt reinvestment fund
$29K
Iowa Wildlife Federation · Des Moines, IA
Grant distribution
$27K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
Categories
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