Community Foundation Grants $300,000 to Support Community Projects
Jul. 31, 2023
The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines has awarded Leadership Grants totaling $300,000 to support three community projects: the Ballet Des Moines Campus for Arts and Education, the Oakridge Teen Tech Center, and the YSS Ember Recovery Campus. Leadership Grants are made possible by the Better Together Fund.
Leadership Grants are centered around equity and support projects with the potential to create significant impact on community issues and opportunities. Donors to the Better Together Fund give to support community needs now and into the future as identified through the Community Foundation’s grantmaking process facilitated by the organization’s expert staff, Grantmaking Committee and board of directors.
Ballet Des Moines Campus for Arts and Education
A $100,000 Leadership Grant will support the creation of the Ballet Des Moines Campus for Arts and Education in downtown Des Moines. The campus will establish a new permanent home for arts and education programming, performances and serve as a shared resource for organizations from across the region, including Ballet Des Moines. The facility will expand participation in educational programs that build understanding and empathy, make programs more accessible and attract and retain a diverse and vibrant community of young professionals, artists and families.
Oakridge Teen Tech Center
A $100,000 Leadership Grant to Oakridge Neighborhood Services will support an innovative new Teen Tech Center, the first of its kind in Iowa. Support through the Community Foundation’s Leadership Grant will leverage an investment in the multifaceted Tech Center. Oakridge was selected to host the Tech Center through a competitive process facilitated by Best Buy and will use this opportunity to help address the digital and cultural divide that is amplified by socio-economic barriers. Students will have increased access to technology in fun and engaging ways, including applications of science, engineering, math and creative exploration through innovative technology.
YSS Ember Recovery Campus
A $100,000 Leadership Grant will contribute to the creation of the YSS Ember Recovery Campus, Iowa’s first trauma-informed, nature-based behavioral health campus that will support youth through addiction recovery. The facility will include retreat style cabins with 70 youth beds, wellness and recreation areas, nature trails and therapy spaces. YSS expects to serve 300 youth annually and expand treatment to individuals ages 18-24, making it the only transition-age specific residential substance abuse program in Iowa.