(October 2024, Southwest Iowa) – The Community Foundation for Western Iowa has announced that the Women’s Fund of Southwest Iowa’s latest grant cycle has awarded $100,000 in project funding to nine organizations. Grants to these organizations will support programming and projects that are focused on improving the quality of life and well-being of women and children in southwest Iowa.

“The Women’s Fund of Southwest Iowa continues to create impact that will benefit the lives of women in our region for generations to come,” said Donna Dostal, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Western Iowa. “These opportunities for impact are only possible because of the generosity of our community members. Folks know that when we invest in women and their families, our communities thrive. We are so honored to be able to support and execute this important work.”

• East Mills Child Care Solutions received a $10,000 grant to support their Building Fund for the Lakin Foundation Child Development Center of East Mills. The Lakin Foundation Child Development Center of East Mills will be a state-of-the-art facility with optimal teacher-to-child ratios and the highest level of care possible. The current design includes twelve standard classrooms, outdoor classrooms, and a multipurpose play area which will serve up to 150 children.

• Family Crisis Centers received a $10,000 grant to support Family Crisis Centers Homicide and Other Violent Crimes Program. Family Crisis Centers Homicide and Other Violent Crimes (HOVC) advocates offer emotional support and comprehensive wrap-around services. They attend law enforcement interviews, court hearings, trials, and parole hearings with victims and their families, preparing them by explaining what to expect and providing emotional support through their physical presence. Advocates also act as liaisons between victims, law enforcement, and prosecution, easing communication for everyone involved. Believing in the power of a supportive network, HOVC advocates refer victims to additional supportive services such as housing assistance, counseling, and legal services. Without HOVC advocates, the program would not be able to effectively assist families impacted by violence in the community. In fiscal year 2023, the HOVC program served 172 individuals in nine southwest Iowa counties.

• Kids Place Community Childcare received a $20,000 grant to support construction costs of their Kids Place Child Care Champions project. Glenwood Community School District, in partnership with Kids Place Childcare Champions, will utilize the funds raised for the construction of a dedicated childcare space within the District Offices building, with completion scheduled for 2025. The construction of this new facility is a proactive response to the pressing childcare shortage in Mills County. By securing the necessary funding and leveraging community partnerships, Glenwood Community School District and Kids Place Childcare Champions are working to ensure that families have access to reliable, high-quality childcare, which is essential for the economic stability and well-being of the region.

• MICAH House Corporation received a $10,000 grant to support Childcare for Women in Shelter. The Child Development Center opened on July 8th, 2024. Two-thirds of the 70 spaces are set aside for children of families within our Emergency Shelter. The other one-third will be available for residents as space allows. The need for a local childcare center is intertwined with MICAH House's mission of providing a safe and nurturing environment for families and individuals experiencing the crisis of homelessness. The opening of the Child Development Center will not only offer quality childcare for kids experiencing homelessness but also essential peace of mind for parents and caregivers as they work to obtain stable housing.

• New Visions Homeless Services received a $10,000 grant to support their Women First Initiative. The goal of all New Visions Homeless Services programming is to move individuals into stable and sustainable housing while working to reduce or prevent incidents of homelessness in our community. Funds from this grant offer financial assistance to women who are currently homeless or are working toward stable housing. The New Visions Homeless Services Street Outreach Program will provide Housing-Based Case Management and supportive services that help break down barriers for women, providing avenues for safe and positive housing outcomes.

• Southwest Iowa Technical Career Hub (SWITCH) received a $10,000 grant for their SWITCH and Soulful Synergy STEM Women’s Project. SWITCH is partnering with Soulful Synergy to design and deliver a unique STEM program created specifically for Southwest Iowa community members and students. Utilizing Soulful Synergy’s experience recruiting, designing, and delivering clean energy programs, they will create a STEM program focusing on the technology that will be used today and in the future - including solar, wind, energy storage (batteries), HVAC, and electric vehicles. These topics all focus on decarbonization and electrification, preparing individuals for immediate and future opportunities. Training will involve classroom lessons paired with interactive, hands-on ‘Learning Labs’ that allow participants to demonstrate the material they just learned.

• Stanton Child Resource Center received a $10,000 grant for their Educational/Developmental Play project. To elevate the standard of classrooms and toys, Stanton Child Resource Center aims to offer options that actively foster cognitive development, social-emotional awareness, and motor skill advancement. These educational aspects hold immense significance for the center, as they have a lasting impact on the children even after they've left their care. Equipping staff with higher-quality toys and supplies will enable teachers to ensure these crucial developmental milestones are being achieved effectively.

• Vision Atlantic received a $10,000 grant for the Lakin Foundation Child Development Center of Atlantic. The goal for the Vision Atlantic childcare initiative is to build a new child development center that will accommodate up to three hundred children and address the shortfall of childcare in the area. The new childcare facility will be co-located with the Jack and Jill Preschool and situated adjacent to the new Camblin Hills Housing Development currently under development in Atlantic, IA.

• YMCA of Greater Omaha was awarded a $10,000 grant for their Healthy Living Center: Preventative Health and Social Connections for Women Aging in Place. Loneliness and social isolation in older adults are gaining greater recognition for the serious public health risks they pose, affecting a significant number of people in our community and putting them at risk for serious medical conditions. Due to differences in life expectancy, women are more likely to experience widowhood and the accompanying isolation and financial hardships. The YMCA Healthy Living Center serves primarily seniors over age 55, many of whom are retired, veterans, living with physical limitations or mental acuity challenges that come with age, or are living on a fixed income in Pottawattamie County, IA.

ABOUT THE WOMEN’S FUND OF SOUTHWEST IOWA

In 2018, and after purposeful planning, strategic insight, and a collaborative needs-assessment within the communities that make up southwest Iowa, the Community Foundation for Western Iowa created the Women’s Fund of Southwest Iowa – an endowed fund to support nonprofit organizations with a goal to improve the quality of life and well-being of women and their families in an eight-county region: Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby. 

The goal of the fund is to reach out and work closely with organizations to identify needs and design tangible solutions. Four focus areas include: 

• Education Initiatives for Women of all ages– Increased focus on STEM initiatives, health and safety, personal finance, leadership, equity, and community engagement; 

• Accessible and Affordable Childcare – Accessible and affordable childcare and early learning programming, and access to safe and affordable transportation related to childcare;  

• Women’s Health, Safety, and Well-being – Services focused on women’s health, safety, education, workforce equity, and well-being. Programs promoting dignity and equity for women and their children; and 

• Aging in Place – Programs and services designed to help women age gracefully in their communities, including access to quality and affordable healthcare, healthy foods, exercise, place-making, family resources, and volunteer services for women aging in place.  

The Women’s Fund of Southwest Iowa awards grants to nonprofit organizations who provide services within the geographic area and can demonstrate need and ability to create change to the benefit, growth, education, and welfare of women and their families. 

The ongoing work to lead the strategy, provide community-based insights and fund development is managed by a steering committee of 19 devoted individuals who are committed to bringing awareness to critical needs in southwest Iowa where poverty, lack of childcare, and issues around women’s safety and health are at a stage of crisis. 

The Community Foundation and its Board are thankful for the efforts the Women’s Fund of Southwest Iowa and its Steering Committee puts forth each and every day and are proud to share that the Fund to-date has awarded nearly $380,000 in grant dollars across southwest Iowa. Additional information about the fund and granting guidelines can be found at www.givewesterniowa.org/funds/womens-fund