(Southwest Iowa) – The Community Foundation for Western Iowa announced today that the Women’s Fund of Southwest Iowa’s latest grant cycle has awarded $100,000 in project funding to 12 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. Folks know that when we invest in women and their families, our communities thrive. We are so honored to be able to support and execute 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.
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 that provide services within the geographic area and can demonstrate a need and the ability to create change for 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 devoted individuals committed to raising awareness of critical needs in Southwest Iowa, where poverty, lack of childcare, and issues related to women’s safety and health are at a crisis point. The Community Foundation and its Board are thankful for the efforts of the Women’s Fund of Southwest Iowa and its Steering Committee each and every day, and are proud to share that, to date, the Fund has awarded over $575,000 in grant dollars across Southwest Iowa. Additional information about the fund and granting guidelines can be found at https://givewesterniowa.org/strategic-initiatives/
