Community Foundation Grants $500,000 to Advance Community Priorities
Jan 22, 2026
The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines recently supported local initiatives that help students prepare for college and careers and assist families with housing during financial emergencies. Leadership Grants totaling $500,000 have been awarded to By Degrees Foundation for strategic expansion of their K-12 feeder pattern model, Moving the Needle on Student Success; and the Central Iowa Emergency Rental Assistance Study (CIERAS) being convened by the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation.
“As families navigate rising housing costs and students prepare for an evolving workforce, these grants represent meaningful investments in the long-term health and resilience of our community. They strengthen pathways for the next generation and help individuals and families maintain stable housing.” said Kristi Knous, president of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. “The projects awarded reflect the deep commitment of our local nonprofits to creating lasting opportunities and build a community where everyone can thrive.”
Leadership Grants are rooted in regional and community plan alignment. They support requests that drive change and challenge existing systems to address the root causes of community issues through key, targeted strategies. Leadership Grants are made possible by the Better Together Fund.
Donor support of the Better Together Fund provides for 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.
Moving the Needle on Student Success - By Degrees Foundation ($250,000)
Funding support will strategically expand the organization’s whole-school K–12 feeder pattern model in north Des Moines. The program emphasizes long-term student success by pairing sustained educational programming with tangible financial investments, designed to close opportunity gaps and promote generational wealth-building.
The initiative increases By Degrees programming, adding new elementary schools and tripling elementary student participation to 1,100 annually. It also prioritizes caregiver engagement through financial literacy family nights, whole-school events and other supports that meet immediate family needs.
"Funding from the Community Foundation strengthens our community by helping students and families build more stable financial futures through education. By expanding By Degrees’ K-12 school partnerships, we are making postsecondary and career exploration, along with early financial investment, a deliberate part of each student’s journey from kindergarten through graduation,” said Emily Westergaard, CEO of By Degrees Foundation. “With research-backed investments in students, we can break cycles of poverty and create lasting educational and economic mobility across Greater Des Moines.”
Central Iowa Emergency Rental Assistance Study (CIERAS) - Mid-Iowa Health Foundation ($250,000)
Funding will support a local research study that activates approximately $1.7 million in emergency rental assistance over the next two years for individuals and families experiencing a housing crisis in Polk, Dallas or Warren Counties by leveraging an existing provider network. The study will generate evidence which could help guide municipalities and nonprofits in optimizing the delivery and effectiveness of emergency rental assistance.
The outcome of this project aims to provide clear policy guidelines and practical program modifications on emergency rental assistance initiatives that could be used in Greater Des Moines for years to come.
“As evidenced through the 2025 Blueprint to Address Homelessness, our community has identified the need for better solutions to prevent homelessness,” said Dr. Nalo Johnson, president & CEO of Mid-Iowa Health Foundation. “The Central Iowa Emergency Rental Assistance Study is an opportunity to improve our current systems by investing in research to provide recommendations to design, augment and implement emergency rental assistance programs to more effectively produce the desired outcomes of keeping community members experiencing a crisis stably housed.”
Investments from the Leadership Grant program prioritize and foster inclusive engagement and impact to improve quality of life for all in our community. The Community Foundation Spring Leadership Grant Cycle will be announced in February. To learn more about Leadership Grant guidelines and instructions, click here.
To learn more about these Leadership Grant recipients and others from 2025, the Community Foundation is hosting a virtual, Better Together Fund Spotlight which will be held on Friday, January 30 from 12-12:45 p.m. Full details and registration are available here.