Grants for Nonprofit Organizations

The Community Foundation has two competitive grant programs made possible by contributions to the Better Together Fund: Leadership Grants and Capacity Building Grants.

Watch a recorded webinar outlining the 2021 grantmaking priorities for these two programs.  Interested applicants are encouraged to reach out to the Community Impact team to discuss project goals and alignment prior to applying. Please contact Bridgett Robinson 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. Contact givedsm@desmoinesfoundation.org for organizational credentials. 

Leadership Grants

The Community Foundation plays a key role in providing significant funding to projects that improve quality of life in Greater Des Moines. As our community continues to contend with the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, we have intentionally evolved our grantmaking priorities and cycles to provide more nimble funding, center grant awards around equity, and serve populations disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. We draw our grantmaking focus areas and priorities from more than a dozen key community plans, collected here. 

Leadership Grant Details & Cycle: 

  • Review 2021 Leadership Grant Guidelines and Instructions.
  • Grant Cycle 1: Letter of Intent due February 25 at noon, finalists notified March 4, full applications due March 22 at 4 p.m., grants approved April 15
  • Grant Cycle 2: Letter of Intent due April 14 at noon, finalists notified April 23, full applications due May 17 at 4 p.m., grants approved June 17
  • Grant Cycle 3: Letter of Intent due October 13 at noon, finalists notified October 22, full applications due November 10 at 4 p.m., grants approved December 9 
 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 and coalition development/strategic alignments around a community issue or priority.  

Capacity Building Grant Details & Cycle: