(August 2025) The Community Foundation for Western Iowa announced today that the Women’s Fund of Southwest Iowa’s latest grant cycle has awarded $95,000 in project funding to thirteen 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. We know from experience that when we invest in women and their families, our communities thrive. We are truly honored to support and facilitate this important work.”

The Women’s Fund of Southwest Iowa – an initiative of the Community Foundation for Western Iowa – was created to bring awareness and active solutions to the forefront of conversations happening in our western Iowa communities, schools, and workplaces. It is designed to address and support four key focus issues facing women and their families: Access to affordable, quality childcare; aging in place and in community; education for women of all ages; and women’s safety and well-being, focusing on human trafficking, domestic violence, and overall wellness.

• All Care Health Center - $5,000: All Care will direct funding from the Women’s Fund for Southwest Iowa to provide free cervical cancer screenings, for low-income uninsured women. By removing financial barriers, the project ensures women at or below 200% of the federal poverty level can access vital preventive care at no cost.

• CAM Cubs Childcare - $5,000: Grant funding to Cam Cubs Childcare will support a new camera system at their Anita location.

• Family Crisis Centers - $6,000: Family Crisis Centers’ (FCC) Homicide & Other Violent Crimes (HOVC)  program provides free, confidential support to victims of human trafficking, homicide, assault, and other violent crimes in 29 counties. Family Crisis Centers (FCC) will use the Women’s Fund grant to sustain the vital work of our Homicide and Other Violent Crimes (HOVC) program in Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby Counties.

• Iowa Legal Aid - $5,000: Iowa Legal Aid (ILA) provides civil legal services to low-income women at no cost to them, including legal representation and education to help them stabilize their lives. Iowa Legal Aid is a direct-service organization, and grant funds from the Women’s Fund of Southwest Iowa will support attorneys, paralegals, and non-legal staff serving women in the targeted counties.

• Iowa State University Extension – West Pottawattamie County - $5,000:  By training, staff will raise their own awareness and then teach adolescents and teens in two 45-minute lessons about personal safety skills, peer support strategies, and how to prevent and deal with the important issue of online exploitation, including sextortion. The funding will be used to train the facilitators who will be presenting the program in the schools, as well as gathering data. 

• Jennie Edmundson Memorial Hospital Foundation - $10,000: Grant funding will support the Caring for Our Communities program. Caring for Our Communities (CFOC) is a community-based program serving women, men and families in Pottawattamie and Mills Counties. CFOC supports those facing poverty, housing instability, food insecurity, and other barriers to health and well-being. Through trusted Community Health Coaches and flexible financial assistance, the program provides personalized, relationship-based support to help women access care, meet urgent needs, and build long-term stability. CFOC bridges the gap between medical and social care, empowering women to move from crisis to thriving.

• Kids in the Village - $10,000: Grant funds will be used for tuition assistance, materials, wages and training resources. As women gain confidence, leadership skills, and credentials, they become better equipped to implement best practices, support child development, and contribute to a thriving, stable childcare system. This program creates long-term benefits for families, educators, and the broader community by promoting equity, economic opportunity, and high-quality early learning environments.

• MICAH House Corporation - $5,000: Funding from this grant will directly support full childcare tuition scholarships for families experiencing homelessness who are unable to pay. These scholarships cover the difference between Child Care Assistance (CCA) and standard tuition rates ensuring that no child is turned away due to financial hardship. While many traditional childcare centers have limits on the number of children with CCA, MICAH House doesn’t have these restrictions. 

• New Visions Homeless Services - $10,000: Funds from this grant will offer financial assistance to women who are currently homeless or are working toward stable housing. Through the Women First Initiative the Street Outreach Program will enroll 175 women into the program offering Housing-Based Case Management and supportive services. The Women's First Initiative will allow the NVHS Street Outreach Program to primarily focus on women experiencing homelessness, providing opportunities to assist with rental application fees, first month's rent and deposits, vital records such as birth certificates, license, State ID's, and Social Security cards required for employment and housing, bus tickets, gas vouchers, and hotel vouchers for short term safe placement as they await safe shelter or housing opportunities.

• Omaha Bridges Out of Poverty - $5,000: Grant funding will support 

• Play Haven Child Care - $12,500: Funding from the Women's Fund will go towards the cost of the playground construction. Play Haven Child Care will be located in Wing 7 of Peace Haven Senior Living. The child care facility will have the ability to serve 50 children, ranging from 0-5 years old. Parents who bring their children to Play Haven will know their children are receiving quality child care through age specific rooms and indoor and outdoor play spaces, as well as opportunities to engage with senior residents from Peace Haven. 

• Southwest Iowa Families, Inc. - $6,500: Grant funding will support breastfeeding classes that are designed to provide expecting & new parents with the knowledge, skills, & confidence needed to successfully breastfeed their babies. Led by Certified Lactation Consultants, these classes offer guidance & practical support. This program will focus on the importance of breastfeeding & overall health benefits for Mom & baby. 

• YMCA of Greater Omaha - $10,000: Grant funding will support programs at the Healthy Living Center. The YMCA Healthy Living Center (HLC) in Council Bluffs is the only wellness facility in the metro area designed specifically for older adults. More than 65% of our 2,000+ members are women. The HLC plays an important role in helping women age in place through safe, senior-focused fitness programs and robust social engagement opportunities. 

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 over $475,000 in grant dollars across southwest Iowa. Additional information about the fund and granting guidelines can be found at www.givewesterniowa.org/funds/womens-fund