Grants for Nonprofit Organizations

The Community Foundation has announced three competitive nonprofit grant programs made possible by contributions to the Better Together Fund: Leadership Grants, Capacity Building Grants and Strategic Collaboration Grants.

  • Leadership Grants are centered around equity and support opportunities that create “tidal waves” of impact around community needs, challenges and opportunities.
  • Capacity Building Grants seek to strengthen an organization’s effectiveness. Funding is provided for strategic initiatives in areas related to governance or management. 

  • Strategic Collaboration Grants provide funding for coalition development/strategic alignments around a community issue or priority. They are available for organizations interested in exploring the implementation of strategic alignment and mergers between organizations.

Interested applicants are encouraged to reach out to the Community Impact team to discuss project goals and alignment prior to applying. Please contact Trisha Hayes to schedule a conversation.

Funding needs not aligned with our competitive grant programs that meet our focus on creating impact for Greater Des Moines may be a fit for our GIVEdsm portal. Visit GIVEdsm to get started.

Leadership Grants

The Community Foundation plays a key role in providing significant funding to projects that improve quality of life in Greater Des Moines. We have intentionally evolved our grantmaking priorities and cycles to center grant awards around equity and support opportunities that create “tidal waves” of impact around community needs, challenges and opportunities. We draw our grantmaking focus areas and priorities from more than a dozen key community plans, collected here.

Leadership Grant Details & Cycle: 

  • Review 2022 Leadership Grant Guidelines and Instructions.
  • Grant Cycle 1: Letter of Intent due (March 24 at 4pm), Finalists notified (approximately April 6); Full application due (April 28 at noon); Grants approved (May 18)
  • Grant Cycle 2: Letter of Intent due (October 3 at 4pm), Finalists notified (approximately October 14); Full application due (November 7 at noon); Grants approved (December 8)

Capacity Building Grants

Capacity Building Grants seek to strengthen an organization’s effectiveness. We provide funding for strategic initiatives in areas related to governance or management.  

Capacity Building Grant Details & Cycle: 

Strategic Collaboration Grant

Strategic Collaboration Grants provide funding for coalition development/strategic alignments around a community issue or priority. They are available for organizations interested in exploring the implementation of strategic alignment and mergers between organizations.

Strategic Collaboration Grant Details & Cycle: