CORALVILLE, IA — The Iowa Women’s Foundation (IWF) awarded $400,000 in grant funding to 15 organizations working across Iowa to remove barriers to economic prosperity for women and girls.
The awards were announced during IWF’s 32nd Annual Luncheon on October 20 at the Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel & Conference Center, and support programs expanding access to childcare, shelter, career exposure and advancement, STEM education, youth leadership, workforce readiness and economic mobility.
2027 Grant Recipients:
- American Home Finding Child Care Center, Ottumwa (Childcare) — $8,500
- Carroll Children’s Museum, Carroll (Childcare) — $8,000
- Catherine McAuley Center, Cedar Rapids (Housing) — $19,400
- Dress for Success Des Moines, Urbandale (Mentorship) — $28,000
- Dubuque Area Labor Management Council, Dubuque (Education/Training) — $15,000
- Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, Cedar Rapids (Mentorship) — $10,000
- Her Voice Media, Davenport (Mentorship) — $35,100
- Jewels Academy, Des Moines (Employment) — $20,000
- Linking Families and Communities, Fort Dodge (Childcare) — $50,000
- Lutheran Services in Iowa, Des Moines (Childcare) — $50,000
- Micah House, Council Bluffs (Housing) — $40,000
- Science Center of Iowa, Des Moines (Education/Training) — $10,000
- The Beacon, Des Moines (Housing) — $50,000
- Try Pie Bakery, Waterloo (Employment) — $21,000
Learn more about each program: 2027 Grantee Slide Deck
Every one of these grants represents an investment in what becomes possible when women and girls have greater access to opportunity,” said Claudia Schabel, President/CEO of the Iowa Women’s Foundation. “These organizations are doing the on-the-ground work to address immediate barriers, while IWF and our partners continue working toward the larger systems-level changes necessary for lasting economic prosperity. Continued support from donors makes both possible.”
Grantmaking is just one part of IWF’s framework for sustainable change, alongside research, education, advocacy and collaboration, and serves the Foundation’s longstanding mission to improve the lives of Iowa women and girls. Together, all five strategies enable IWF to support programs that meet immediate needs while also addressing the systems and conditions that create barriers in the first place.
At this year’s luncheon, themed “Rooted in Prosperity: Women Growing Stronger Together,” IWF awarded $116,500 for childcare initiatives, $109,400 for housing, $73,100 for mentorship, $60,000 for education and training, and $41,000 for employment programs. To date, the Iowa Women’s Foundation has granted $2.7 million to 249 organizations across the state serving Iowa’s women and girls.
IWF’s signature fundraising event brings together donors, community leaders, advocates and supporters from across the state. This year, attendees heard from Josie Cox, a renowned journalist, broadcaster, speaker, and author of Women, Money, Power: The Rise and Fall of Economic Equality. During a fireside chat with Liz Mathis, Cox explored the history of women’s financial freedom, the cultural and systemic barriers that continue to shape women’s economic opportunities and the work still ahead.
Investment makes this work possible. Donations fund grantmaking and IWF’s broader initiatives in research, education, advocacy and collaboration to advance economic prosperity for women and girls across the state.
To support the Iowa Women’s Foundation and help continue this work, visit: https://iawf.org/donate/.
About the Iowa Women’s Foundation
The Iowa Women’s Foundation is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of Iowa’s women and girls through a diversified mix of funding and action: research, grant-making, advocacy, education, and collaboration. To achieve its goals and make the most significant impact, IWF brings together and invests in organizations across Iowa that make women and girls more successful. IWF is the only statewide organization working to enhance and improve women’s economic prosperity.