The Iowa Women’s Foundation is proud of its partnerships with over 100 state-based organizations since its founding in 1994. To date $1.306 Million has been awarded to 274 programs benefitting thousands of women and girls in all 99 Iowa counties. Learn more about the projects we have funded by year, issue, or location in Iowa.
…Women’s foundations work … to help guarantee that (women and girls) can achieve economic (and social) balance.
Stephanie Clohesy, Founder & Donor
Search IWF-funded grant projects:
Girls Inc. of Sioux City
Toolbox: Giving Girls Tools for Life
Location: Northeast Iowa (10 counties)Barrier: Education/Training
Year: 2023
Program Summary: Toolbox: Giving Tools for Life provides girls ages 8-18 with hands-on instruction and experience in skilled trades. Toolbox will be the only program in Siouxland and one of the few in the country dedicated exclusively to providing girls with an opportunity to discover, experience, and learn skilled trades from professionals and trained educators. The program includes four different skilled trades including Construction/Carpentry, Electrical, HVAC, and Plumbing. This will be a regular part of Girls Inc.’s afterschool programs providing skilled trade exposure and exploration, hands-on learning, mentoring by tech school faculty and female students, and job site tours.
Social Change: Perceptions that the trades are not viable career choices for females will be challenged, and local employers will be encouraged to build their future workforce with this previously untapped demographic.
Hawkeye Community College Foundation
Hawkeye Responsive Child Care
Location: Northeast Iowa (10 counties)Barrier: Child Care
Year: 2023
Program Summary: The Hawkeye Responsive Child Care program will provide access to culturally sensitive child care options benefitting both HCC’s most vulnerable students who are also parents, and the students who provide child care services. By providing safe, free, and flexible child care that serves low-income women and girls of immigrant and refugee families, the program will improve retention and graduation rates for moms while they attend classes part-time and focus on their studies. In turn, experience serving families from different cultures will aid student employees in developing a global perspective and cultural sensitivities needed to serve Northeast Iowa’s increasingly diverse population.
Social Change: Providing safe, flexible child care at no cost to parents is expected to increase the number of students— especially low-income and/or minority mothers—who persist with their educational pursuits to gain the skills needed to enter high-demand jobs with life-sustaining wages.
Iowa City Sober Living (ICSL)
Year 01 Operating Expenses
Location: Statewide (facility located in Iowa City)Barrier: Housing
Year: 2023
Program Summary: Iowa City Sober Living (ICSL) is a new residential program supporting women in recovery from drugs and alcohol, providing 3-6 months of support designed to decrease recidivism and increase opportunities for healing the mind, body, and spirit. ICSL will provide a safe, sober housing environment for building courage, trust, and relationships with peers.
Social Change: The establishment of a recovery residence specifically for women will help shift the commonly held definition of addiction as being a primarily male disease. The presence of a sober living home will help to engage the community with the need for public space to support recovery and raise awareness of necessary health care policy changes for sober living arrangements.
Iowa’s Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG)
Engaging Girls in Career Exploration of the Trades
Location: Statewide (40 counties)Barrier: Employment
Year: 2023
Program Summary: This grant will enhance iJAG’s trades and commercial construction pathway for young women in school districts across the state. Industry professionals will discuss workplace culture, wages, skills required, and available training. A customizable Project Based Learning (PBL) unit will support hands- on skill building that empowers young women to explore specific trades with confidence.
Social Change: This program focuses on changing young women’s understanding of their potential and helps build relationships between female students and female tradespeople, filling the gender gap in trade careers.
NewBo City Market
Entrepreneurship Equity for Women / The Hatchery
Location: East Central Iowa (8 counties)Barrier: Mentoring
Year: 2023
Program Summary: NewBo City Market is an incubator for businesses in Eastern Iowa. The Market provides space for entrepreneurs to build businesses from the ground up before brick-and-mortar investments are made. The Hatchery serves female entrepreneurs who have remained systematically excluded from the resources needed to grow into successful business owners. Funding will support a full-time Director for Equitable Business Development. Supports provided by this position will include targeted mentoring, free business consulting, rent discounts, micro-grants, child care stipends, and financial literacy education.
Social Change: Through resources designed for and utilized by women and girls, this program is positioning women for long-term success, helping to balance out a history of inequity for female entrepreneurs.
Oakridge Neighborhoods
Wheels of Hope
Location: Des Moines (Central Iowa)Barrier: Transportation
Year: 2023
Program Summary: This program enables women to obtain quality vehicles from vetted and reputable car dealers. Oakridge will provide access to secured bank loans allowing participants with limited or poor credit to apply for a low-interest car loan through a lending partner. Vehicles priced from $8,000-$10,000 will be available with a 36-month loan. Iowa Women’s Foundation funding will allow up to 10 additional clients to purchase vehicles in 2023.
Social Change: The Wheels of Hope program is designed to help women obtain financial stability through reliable transportation to get or keep a job. Money management training, upon which future financial stability can be built, will also be a component of qualifying for this program.
Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands
SMART Girls Program at Council Bluffs and Carter Lake Boys & Girls Clubs
Location: Pottawattamie CountyBarrier: Education/Training
Year: 2022
The SMART Girls program provides the space, support and tools needed to navigate adolescence and grow into self-sufficient women. SMART Girls addresses the physical, emotional and social changes that girls experience from 8 to 18 years of age. SMART Girls educates girls about mental health and self-esteem, physical wellness and healthy relationships. The program provides gender- and age-specific information to assist girls in developing skills needed to lead long, healthy and prosperous lives. The girls participate in enrichment activities, open conversations, hands-on games, take-home challenges and extracurricular fun. The program provides the right information and the right support to girls at the right time in their lives to increase their choices and expand their opportunities.
Catherine McAuley Center
Building Self-Sufficiency through Supportive Housing Services
Location: Linn CountyBarrier: Housing
Year: 2022
The goal of this project is to provide women with the skills, tools and support to enable them to thrive while living in the Catherine McAuley Center’s Supportive Housing, and continue to build toward a future of self-sufficiency and empowerment. Supportive Housing was added to CMC’s programming in February of 2020 (and expanded by an additional housing unit in 2021). This program was started in response to the need for women to have a “next step” to take upon completing the Transitional Housing program yet still in need of some skill-building and support. Within a communal home, they continue strengthening group and individual decision making skills, learn to manage a budget, gain an understanding of their rights and responsibilities as renters and through monthly rental payments they are required to pay, they are rebuilding (or building) their credit history. Case management is available throughout this next step.
Community Early Childhood Center
CECC Expansion – CCSF Grant
Location: Counties: Webster, Hamilton, Humboldt, Calhoun, Wright, and PocahontasBarrier: Center Expansion
Year: 2022
The Community Early Childhood Center in Fort Dodge will add 4,908 sq. ft. to the north side of its accessible, one-level facility. The expansion will add four classrooms, an office, an adult bathroom, and several more feet of storage space.
This project will allow CECC to increase its capacity by 37%. The additional 56 child care slots will help several families needing care and create jobs for 14-18 people in the community. It will also further expand CECC’s transportation services.
Funds from IWF’s CCSF Grant will be used to help cover construction costs.
Easterseals Iowa
Employment Services for Women and Girls with Disabilities
Location: StatewideBarrier: Employment
Year: 2022
The barriers that women face for pay and employment equity are exponentially higher for women and girls in Iowa with a disability. Many women and girls come to Easterseals Iowa (ESI) with multiple barriers so an individualized approach is the best way to meet each individual where they are. Having support to gain meaningful employment leads to a more productive and higher level of self-sufficiency. ESI provides employment programs for young girls in high school all the way through the span of life through six different program lines:
- TEAM-Transitioning to Employment and Advocating for Myself: a collaboration between Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Des Moines Public Schools and ESI;
- Project SEARCH- internship program with Mercy ONE Medical Center;
- AIM-Achieving Independent Methods- a wrap-around program for clients to learn and grow with employment;
- Supported Employment- assists clients in both obtaining and maintaining community-based employment;
- Rural Solutions- work site assistance for those from rural communities who have a disability;
- Supportive Education- program designed to give individuals with disabilities support and guidance as they develop marketable skills through post-secondary education.
This grant will provide job exploration, quality job placements, and support with internships, job shadowing, barrier removal, assistive technology, and education on state assistance programs.
Girls on The Run of Eastern Iowa (GOTREI)
Retention & Expansion in Black Hawk County
Location: Black Hawk CountyBarrier: Mentoring
Year: 2022
Girls on the Run uses running and other physical activities as a platform for teaching life skills and promoting holistic health outcomes for girls in grades 3-8. The 10-week curriculum provides lessons relevant for 8- to 13-year-old girls and includes lessons that specifically target helping girls improve in competence, confidence, caring, character, connection, and contribution. Girls learn critical life skills such as how to manage emotions, help others, make intentional decisions, and resolve conflict that they use at home, at school, and with friends. The program inspires girls to build lives of purpose and to make a meaningful contribution to community and society. A key element of the program is to create and execute a community service project. The season concludes with a celebratory 5K event. Funding will help provide scholarships to serve girls of all backgrounds and remove any financial barriers for families to ensure that all girls who want to participate in GOTR can. Funding will re-establish the GOTR program in Black Hawk County that was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hawkeye Community College
Hawkeye Child Care Director Credential – CCSF Grant
Location: StatewideBarrier: Availability (Online Child Care Director Training)
Year: 2022
Black Hawk County child care workers make $10.55/hour on average—in contrast, in the same geographical area, preschool teachers make an average of $17.85/hour, while administrators of preschools and child care centers earn an average of $20.19/hour.
Completing credentialed training through Hawkeye Community College’s Online Child Care Director Training has the potential to significantly increase the lifetime earnings of child care workers in Black Hawk County. The initial response to the program’s offering was overwhelming, with all 30 available participant slots filled before the start of the first session. Ten participants have already completed the training; two plan to establish new child care operations, with one of them since opening a new center.
Funds from IWF’s CCSF Grant will allow Hawkeye to continue offering the program at a reduced cost to eligible women.
www.hawkeyecollege.edu/foundation/about
Hawkeye Community College Foundation
Hawkeye Childcare Disparity Scholarships
Location: Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Fayette, Floyd Grundy, and TamaBarrier: Child Care
Year: 2022
Hawkeye serves many students who face greater than normal obstacles in pursuing and achieving their educational goals. For many low-income students, the cost of child care poses an insurmountable obstacle to completing their education. Hawkeye Community College strives to carefully balance the expense of providing quality child care with the need for affordable access. One key strategy to meet student child care needs has been to leverage scholarships to mitigate the disparity between cost of service and students’ ability to pay. Degreed staff provide high quality care using developmentally appropriate practices for the way children progress and learn. Enrolled children receive significant benefits from research-based early education curriculum and interventions. Hawkeye’s disparity scholarships benefit both generations, giving women access to higher education to improve their earning power and their children a solid educational foundation for continued learning and growth. A sliding fee scale based on EFC, which is a measure of a family’s financial strength, determines child care fees. Disparity scholarships pay the rest.
Homes of Oakridge Human Services
Prepared to Care (P2C)
Location: Polk CountyBarrier: Child Care
Year: 2022
Child care is essential to a woman’s ability to participate in the workforce. While center care is preferred by some families, in-home childcare has emerged for families who need care in non-traditional hours or prefer smaller child care settings. Prepared To Care (P2C) was developed to support in-home based child care businesses being operated out of Oakridge owned apartment units. The necessity for P2C is the result of recent changes in DHS regulations requiring child care providers living in rental units to receive authorization from landlords for this business venture. To mitigate organizational and client risk, P2C focuses on creating the conditions needed to maintain quality and safe home-based child care and a viable and profitable business.
P2C will support individuals who are operating in home child care businesses in the rental units owned and managed by the Oakridge organization. The P2C is intended to support quality child care and sustained business operations and includes the following:
1) In-home, onsite early childhood coaching and consultation
2) Access to learning resources and materials
3) Support for creating safe environments that comply with local and state regulation and general safety protocols
4) Assistance with risk mitigation and access to insurance resources
5) Business management and financial reporting support P2C is designed to increase the quality, safety and financial viability of home-based child care operations that support women who provide and/or seek these critical child care services.
Little Knights Learning Center
Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s Dysart – CCSF Grant
Location: Tama and BentonBarrier: Availability (Furnishings for New Center)
Year: 2022
When Union Community School District (UCSD) saw increased enrollment, Little Knights Learning Center (LKLC) was forced to quickly relocate. Because of this, LKLC continues to raise money to help pay off the large debt against the center.
In less than 12 months, LKLC acquired land from UCSD and designed, constructed, and moved into a new building. The City of Dysart, community members, and businesses have stepped up to help make this building a reality. A capital campaign is well underway with a goal of raising $1.4 million. To date, LKLC has received more than $900,000 in private, in-kind donations and grants.
Funds from IWF’s CCSF Grant will be used to purchase playground equipment.
www.littleknightslearningcenter.com
Lutheran Services in Iowa
Refugee Child Care Business Development Program
Location: Polk County with technical assistance to other counties as neededBarrier: Child Care
Year: 2022
LSI’s Child Care Business Development program has worked to build bridges within the child care system for prospective and existing child care providers from various ethnic groups. This program does the following:
* Helps refugee women increase their families’ financial stability by becoming registered in-home child care providers through the Iowa Department of Human Services (IDHS);
* Improves the number of quality culturally and linguistically appropriate child care spots available for refugee parents who are seeking to go to work or school;
* Increases retention of registered child care providers who have limited English and American business backgrounds, to keep the pool of available culturally-competent child care slots at a reasonable level;
* Offers support to other refugee populations and their advocates who want to increase registered child care homes in their area of Iowa.
LSI provides interpreted DHS-approved training, registration support, literacy and business development home visits, walk-in technical assistance, and connection to child care professional development networks. LSI has worked with over 170 women from 16 language groups to take steps to become registered child care providers since 2012. In 2021, LSI worked with nearly 50 active providers caring for over 200 children, representing more than 73 refugee families. In addition to offering training to providers in Central Iowa, LSI provides assistance to other communities interested in starting similar childcare training programs. Until 2018, LSI was the only organization in Iowa offering culturally and linguistically appropriate childcare training to the refugee population. LSI also shares best practices with the Catherine McAuley Center in Cedar Rapids, and is exploring ways to support a child care training program to meet Waterloo community needs in collaboration with the local childcare task force.
Mount Pleasant Child Care Center
MPCC After-School Program and MPCC Scholarship Program – CCSF Grant
Location: Henry residents and residents of adjacent counties employed in Henry (Des Moines, Lee, Jefferson, and Washington)Barrier: Affordability (Scholarships and Extended After-School Programming)
Year: 2022
Of primary concern for families in Henry County are the hours of availability for child care. 87% of working mothers say they are most concerned about their children’s safety during the hours after school. Research consistently shows that parents worry less and are more productive when their children are in after-school programs—a benefit to both local businesses and families.
In 2016, the United Way conducted a study in Iowa called ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). The report challenges the assumption that to be working means your household is able to meet all its basic expenses. The study showed that, in 2016, 30 percent of Henry County households were unable to meet basic household budget needs on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis. These are the families this project seeks to target. There are currently no child care scholarship opportunities available.
Funds from IWF’s CCSF Grant will address both needs outlined above in Henry County by establishing an after-school program, as well as an income-based scholarship program for families, particularly for working mothers who are considered ALICE.
https://www.facebook.com/mpchildcarecenter/
Opening Doors
First Step Toward Self-Sufficiency
Location: Dubuque and surrounding Iowa countiesBarrier: Housing
Year: 2022
Opening Doors serves women and children who are experiencing homelessness. All of the women served start their journey to self-sufficiency at Teresa Shelter, their largest program and the ONLY shelter in the area that provides safe housing with services for women WITH children. This shelter is staffed 24/7 with three full- and 11 part-time staff. Staff is our most vital resource for the women and children that we serve. Upon entry, women and children are immediately welcomed in a supportive environment and are provided with basic needs such as food, clothing, and medical needs along with safe housing. Clients meet with a case manager and receive referrals to collaborating resources for treatment, child care and family intervention. Emergency shelter is available for up to 30 days with an opportunity for an extended stay of up to one year in supportive and permanent housing. The goal of the individualized case management is to provide residents with the support they need to gain knowledge and skills that will allow them to live independently and be self-sufficient. Opening Doors recognizes that every woman is facing different barriers and strives to provide individualized guidance and advocacy. This grant will provide basic supplies for emergency shelter, financial literacy workbooks, case manager support, and transportation needs for the residents.
Ringgold County Child Care Center
Re-Design: Programming, Building, and Outdoor Play – CCSF Grant
Location: Ringgold, Taylor, Union, and DecaturBarrier: Availability (Expansion of Current Facility)
Year: 2022
Over the past 24 years, an estimated 1,700 children have walked through the doors at the Ringgold Community Child Care Center (RCCCC)—the only daycare in Mount Ayr serving all families who apply. The RCCCC Board of Directors evaluated community need and identified a high need for daycare slots for children ages 0 – 3.
This project will equip an aged building to meet the daycare needs for more children ages 0-3 in Mount Ayr and surrounding communities. It provides a new infrastructure throughout, along with newly designed playgrounds. During this project, a local church will allow RCCCC the use of their basement, so services will not be disrupted.
Funds from IWF’s CCSF Grant will be used for construction costs.
State University of Iowa Labor Center
Iowa Women in Trades: Apprenticeship Opportunity Network
Location: Benton, Cedar, Dubuque, Johnson, Linn, Jones, Muscatine, Scott, Polk, MarshallBarrier: Employment
Year: 2022
The Iowa Women in Trades Network (IWIT) links unemployed or underemployed Iowa women with opportunities to prepare for and enroll in registered apprentice programs in construction trades. This project builds on work done in the past two years to pilot a new “preapprentice” program to prepare women and other underrepresented candidates for apprenticeships in high-demand, livable wage jobs, to expand the number of women enrolled in the program, and to establish a new peer mentoring network of Iowa women in the trades. In addition to skills-based preparation to increase women’s qualifications, this project connects participants with apprenticeship coordinators, leadership development programming, and peer networking to support the success of women who enter apprentice programs and begin work on male-dominated job sites. The ultimate goal of this project is a sustainable system for bridging significant gaps between apprenticeship training opportunities and Iowa women who are underrepresented in the construction trades, resulting in a pipeline to high-quality jobs in these fields. This grant will also focus on harassment training programs with at least 100 Iowa construction industry leaders to build respectful and inclusive work cultures.
Waypoint, Cedar Rapids
Increasing Access to Educational Child Care at KidsPoint – CCSF Grant
Location: LinnBarrier: Affordability (Scholarship Assistance)
Year: 2022
KidsPoint is a leading provider of early education. It is one of the only local licensed child care services that accepts financial assistance through the State of Iowa or through Waypoint’s sliding scale-fee scholarships.
Waypoint’s sliding scale-fee scholarships are designed to support households that make more than the state income guidelines but can’t afford full-pay child care. These scholarships are vital for bridging the gap so families can keep moving forward in their careers or schooling. Waypoint also helps families address concerns inside and outside the classroom, including developmental delays, food insecurity, and help accessing community resources.
Funds from IWF’s CCSF Grant will allow KidsPoint to award more scholarships to meet the community’s increasing demand for child care, especially for low-income families.
www.waypointservices.org www.kidspointchildcare.org
Women Food & Agriculture Network (WFAN)
Harvesting Our Potential: Growing Skills, Confidence and Sustainability with Women Farmers
Location: StatewideBarrier: Mentoring
Year: 2022
Participants in Harvesting Our Potential: Growing Skills, Confidence and Sustainability with Women Farmers provides opportunities for increased confidence in economic self-sufficiency through agricultural careers while also building connections with other women in this field. This is vital for sustaining and growing businesses as well as local food economies. The project will offer continued mentorship support, a flagship part of this program, for aspiring, beginning and seasoned women farmers. It will also provide more opportunities to support mentee learning and growth in confidence through a mentee retreat at a designated mentor farm, travel to other mentor farms through a “farm swap” program component to increase their support network and exposure to a variety of farm methods and enterprise possibilities, and through farm-sitting – a unique one-of-a-kind program that allows for a trained individual to care for a farmer’s operations while they leave for additional training.
This project will also support mentor farms in marketing and outreach, through offering recording equipment, media outreach training, and editing services. We believe that farmers are always learning, no matter the number of years of experience.
YWCA Clinton
Women Workforce Ready
Location: Clinton and Jackson CountiesBarrier: Housing
Year: 2022
The Women Workforce Ready (WWR) program is a holistic suite of services offered through our Empowerment Center designed to address the major barriers of housing and education/training women face in achieving self-sufficiency, especially women who are experiencing homelessness or on the verge of homelessness. The goals of this program are threefold: to get women in safe and affordable housing through our Rapid Rehousing and Homelessness Prevention Program (RRHP), to address their emergent needs such clothing, doctor visits, and mental health needs to achieve personal stability through case management and referrals to appropriate agencies, and to connect WWR participants to education and training opportunities in Clinton and Jackson Counties. Our Empowerment Center understands that to successfully help women move towards self-sufficiency, a wrap-around approach to services must be utilized. This program aims to build upon the foundation of our RRHP to ensure that once women are housed, they are equipped to keep their homes and experience financial and personal stability. By working with case managers bi-weekly for up to one year, WWR participants will receive continuous support, advocacy on their behalf, and guidance in learning how to navigate systems necessary to secure education and training so that they can gain the skills they need to become Workforce Ready. This grant will support the housing arm of the program and industry specific job fairs for women to learn about different employment opportunities, specific training requirements for those positions, and training programs provided by businesses and community organizations to support their career success.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa
Smart Girls - Core Grant
Location: Polk CountyBarrier: Education/Training
Year: 2021
The SMART Girls program strategically focuses on providing academic and emotional support for girls to fill the gap in female-specific programming. SMART Girls gives female members ages 8-18 the space, support, and tools to navigate adolescence and emerge as strong, healthy young adults. This includes tackling issues ranging from family troubles, struggles with body image and self-esteem, to the impact of school stress and bullying. The focus of the program is on closing the achievement gaps for female members, and creating high expectations so they can go on to obtain employment, attain financial independence, and reach their full potential. The program allows for a network of support as participants grow, learn, and work towards success and independence. Adult mentoring is integrated throughout the program, along with guest speakers, hands-on activities, and field trips which help build independent, confident young women who are prepared for future education, careers, and economic self-sufficiency.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands
SMART Girls Program at Council Bluffs and Carter Lake Boys & Girls Clubs – CORE Grant
Location: Pottawattamie CountyBarrier: Mentorship
Year: 2021
SMART Girls is a program designed to meet the developmental needs of Club girls through curriculum that address topics related to health, fitness and self-esteem enhancement. The program offers dynamic instructional sessions, highly participatory activities, field trips and mentoring opportunities with adult women. Club girls explore their own attitudes and values as they build skills to care for their changing bodies, learn to understand their ongoing emotional growth and develop positive relationships with peers and adults. The goal of SMART Girls is to develop healthy and positive understandings and attitudes related to the transition to adulthood in female Club members.
Catherine McAuley Center
Expanding Supportive Housing for Women – CORE Grant
Location: Linn CountyBarrier: Housing
Year: 2021
The goal of this project is to expand support to women in need of housing and services as they heal from trauma and regain stability in their lives. While it specifically focuses on housing, there is a tight interconnectedness with employment, childcare and education related barriers. Recognizing the need for a “next step” for women who are making progress in the program but not yet ready to live a fully independent life, CMC recently introduced its Supportive Housing Program. It fills that need by providing an environment where women are living together in a home, making decisions as a collective and holding each other accountable for how they’ve agreed to live together, while continuing to rebuild their lives. Services they received as residents in the Transitional Housing Program are still part of their care and delivered in the same way, using a trauma-informed, female responsive approach. This includes ongoing case management, skill-building, and group learning along with having access to community resources. Women in Supportive Housing are also gaining experience with managing a housing budget and rebuilding their credit history through monthly rent payments they are required to make.
This grant was awarded with support from the Helen Frye Memorial Fund
Cedar Valley Kids – BCCSF Grant
Cedar Valley Kids design project
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa serving Black Hawk CountyBarrier: Child Care
Year: 2021
Cedar Valley Kids (CVK) will provide high-quality childcare to infants through school age children. Over the last decade, the need for childcare that is affordable and accessible gained attention from several businesses in the Cedar Valley. In April 2020, CVK formed a 501(c)3 corporation. Ideally, CVK will build two or more sites, each serving about 100 children, in Waterloo. What makes CVK unique is the business partnerships that are being formed. If work progresses well this winter, we would like to begin Cedar Falls construction in the summer of 2021.
The primary goals for this project are providing affordable childcare for all employees, including those receiving government assistance and who fall in the gap between receiving assistance and earning enough to cover child care expenses; improving recruitment and retention efforts for businesses and industries across the Cedar Valley through employee benefits, innovation and community partnerships, and providing high-quality, safe and supportive childcare to serve and grow future leaders in the Cedar Valley.
Funding will be used for initial design expenses which can then be replicated for additional sites and not duplicated saving funds for construction and startup costs.
https://www.westernhomecommunities.org/
Community Early Childhood Center – BCCSF Grant
CECC Expansion
Location: Fort Dodge, IA serving Webster, Hamilton, Humboldt, Calhoun, Wright and Pocahontas CountiesBarrier: Child Care
Year: 2021
The Community Early Childhood Center (CECC) expansion project will add a 4,908 square foot addition on to the north side of the current one level facility, maintaining handicapped accessibility throughout the building. The addition will add 4 much needed classrooms including two (2) infant rooms, one (1) room for toddlers and one (1) room for school aged children. This project will allow CECC to increase the number of children to whom we can provide child care services from 151 children to 207, a 37% increase. The expansion will provide necessary child care to families in need. CECC will need to hire 14-20 additional employees and expand the transportation services we already provide as a result of this expansion.
Crittenton Center
Growing Beyond Barriers – CORE Grant
Location: Woodbury CountyBarrier: Child Care
Year: 2021
The Sioux City Community School District developed a program in August, 2006 to provide support to high school parents and assist them in completing their educations. West High School has an infant care center located within their building. In collaboration with the school district, students have the opportunity to have transportation to and from school along with their infant. Full time high school or college students may be eligible for the state block grant, however, many of the students are not able to make payments for childcare prior to getting tuition assistance which may delay the start of classes. Often times there is 30 day delay from application to approval for the state block grant which impacts their ability to start classes as soon as possible. This can be the difference of graduating on schedule or delaying indefinitely. This project is designed to get student parents into the classroom with as little disruption as possible. Quality childcare is a community priority and families with barriers such as financial or educational need that access. The mission is to advocate for those who need an extra voice to reach their potential. Providing funding to those student parents upon enrollment covers 30 days of cost of care so a student in high school or college can secure childcare to start school on time.
Crittenton Center – BCCSF Grant
Expansion of Quality & Affordable Early Learning
Location: Sioux City, Iowa serving Woodbury CountyBarrier: Child Care
Year: 2021
In Woodbury County, there has been a 40% decrease in childcare providers over the last five years. According to Iowa Child Care and Resource Referral, 80% of requests for childcare are for kids ages 0 to 5. Crittenton Center specializes in early learning for children ages 0 through 5. As one of the area’s only NAEYC accredited child development programs, the center offers high quality, affordable early learning care for families in all socio-economic levels. The project goal is to expand our current program from the north and west sides of Sioux City to the city’s east side by partnering with Sanford Center, another local nonprofit, serving school age children and Morningside Bible Church, who currently has existing classroom spaces in their facility available for this expansion project. Our goal is open the new facility by January 4, 2021.
The project will expand childcare access to families in the most rapidly growing yet underserved area of Siouxland. It will also increase the accessibility of quality early learning and before and after school age care, adding 36 additional childcare slots for ages 2-5 years in two classrooms to start, with additional slots for school age children through our partnership with Sanford Center. In addition, the facility will allow Crittenton Center to offer extended childcare hours to families with essential workers including those in healthcare, food service, transportation and education. Crittenton Center has had conversations with local employers about launching the area’s first corporate early learning program, partnering with local businesses to offer childcare as a benefit to employees once the new facility is opened. Once it is opened, the new facility will serve 50+ families through expanded childcare services, serve 20+ families with essential workers and partner with 3+ businesses to offer corporate childcare as a benefit to employees.
Grin & Grow Child Care Ltd.
Removing Child Care As A Barrier To Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency – CORE Grant
Location: Black Hawk CountyBarrier: Child Care
Year: 2021
This program works to remove the barrier of accessing affordable, quality child care to obtain/maintain work or training and decrease the work force gap while increasing women’s economic security for female-head of households based on poverty guidelines under 200%. This program provides children with a quality, nurturing early childhood environment that embraces and promotes all diversities working and learning together.
This Scholarship will allow ALL women-headed households to receive the equal value of scholarships as those households receiving Child Care Assistance from the state. The program will also work to alleviate some stress for single-parent mothers by offering one two-hour parent meeting with a light snack, a speaker, and the opportunity to have parents connect.
Hawkeye Community College Foundation
Hawkeye Childcare Disparity Scholarships – CORE Grant
Location: Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Fayette, Floyd, Grundy, and Tama CountiesBarrier: Child Care
Year: 2021
Hawkeye students are at-risk, defined as anyone who faces greater than normal obstacles in pursuing, achieving, and succeeding in educational goals. The childcare obstacle is insurmountable for low-income students. Hawkeye tries to carefully balance the expense of providing quality childcare with the need for affordable access. One solution is to leverage scholarships to mitigate the disparity between cost of service and ability to pay. High quality comes from degreed staff using developmentally appropriate practices for the way children progress and learn. The Center staffs two lead teachers in each of four classrooms: infants (6 weeks-18 months), young toddlers (18 months –2 years), older toddlers (18 months–3 years), and preschoolers (3-5 years). Enrolled children receive significant benefits from research-based early education curriculum and interventions. Hawkeye’s disparity scholarships benefit both generations, giving women access to higher education to improve their earning power and their children a solid educational foundation for continued learning.
Hawkeye Community College Foundation – BCCSF Grant
Hawkeye Childcare Director Credential
Location: Waterloo, Iowa serving Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Fayette, Floyd, Grundy and Tama with availability statewideBarrier: Child Care
Year: 2021
Hawkeye Community College Foundation seeks to provide licensed childcare directors (or individuals nearing completion of Iowa licensure requirements) an opportunity to explore the entrepreneurial intricacies of opening their own centers. Additional centers expand both the number of employment opportunities and available childcare spaces. This credential has the potential to significantly increase the lifetime earnings of childcare workers in Black Hawk County, 94% of whom identified as female according to EMSI Data (2017-2019).
Current director training in Iowa is not as comprehensive or business development based. The proposed training will focus on the director’s roles and responsibilities including as a leader, manager, teacher and business owner. Participants will complete QuickBooks Level 1 as an introduction to accounting and billing. Supports provided by UNI Center for Business Growth & Innovation, which serves small business owners, will also be covered to ensure participants’ long-term success. Encouraging the development of additional childcare options will benefit women in the workforce who need dependable childcare. The project is also anticipated to help increase the number of qualified childcare workers in Black Hawk County and Iowa by demonstrating the early childhood educational pathway can culminate in a financially sustainable career.
www.hawkeyecollege.edu/foundation/about
Horizons, A Family Service Alliance
Creating Economic Mobility for Women – CORE Grant
Location: Linn CountyBarrier: Transportation
Year: 2021
“Creating Economic Mobility for Women” program covers the ridership fees of women dropping their children off to daycare for work shifts and the subsequent transportation to work. The goal is to increase the accessibility of women to nontraditional working hours (outside 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday), increase access to equitable and safe child care, and develop a network of support for women to experience economic mobility. During the last rider survey, 75% of clients reported an increase in income after using Neighborhood Transportation Service (NTS) through Horizons. Funding will provide rides to work and school for at least 180 women, 75% of which are anticipated to report an increase of income after receiving services.
LeadHer
Strike-A-Match – CORE Grant
Location: Scott CountyBarrier: Mentorship
Year: 2021
LeadHer has identified a gap in local professional development for women, particularly development that would be accessible to every woman in the community, regardless of employment status or ability to pay for the service. To meet that need, the organization developed the Strike-A-Match mentoring program which connects applicants with a mentor who is individually recruited to meet each applicant’s needs. Not only does this provide one-on-one professional development, but in most cases, it also means that the applicant gains access to a new professional network in the community. The benefit of an expansive professional network cannot be overstated. The women who come through the program consistently report an increase in confidence from these new connections and this confidence translates directly into more tangible outcomes like willingness to negotiate salary and likelihood of applying for promotion thus increasing their economic self-sufficiency. The Strike-A-Match program participants are provided with structured networking events, skill-building sessions, and volunteer opportunities in addition to an assigned mentor or mentee.
Lil’ Wildcat Education Center – BCCSF Grant
Lil’ Wildcat Education Center Playground
Location: Glidden, Iowa serving Carroll, Greene, and Calhoun CountiesBarrier: Child Care
Year: 2021
The Glidden Community Core Vision Committee has created the Lil’ Wildcat Education Center (LWEC) and LWEC Board of Directors to spearhead the construction and establishment of a daycare center within the Glidden, Iowa, community. This daycare facility will accommodate up to 60 children, ages two-weeks-old to 11 years-old, and offer care five days a week, 12 hours a day. LWEC will offer a before and after-school program as well as 3-year-old preschool.
A lack of quality childcare options has forced parents to choose between staying home with their children rather than working or leaving children unsupervised and on their own while they maintain their employment. The construction of an education center within Glidden supports our local school and community growth, encouraging young families to reside here and offering the supports they need to be successful.
One of the clear goals of our education center will be to promote outside play and activity of the center’s children. The role and importance of play for children’s healthy development is grounded in a strong body of research, and promotes cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being, offering the necessary conditions for children to thrive and learn.
https://sites/google/com/view/lilwildcateducation/home
Lutheran Services in Iowa
Refugee Child Care Business Development Program – CORE Grant
Location: Polk County with technical assistance to other countiesBarrier: Child Care
Year: 2021
LSI’s Child Care Business Development program has worked to build bridges within the child care system for prospective and existing child care providers from various ethnic groups since 2012. The program helps refugee women increase their families’ financial stability by becoming registered in-home child care providers through the Iowa Department of Human Services (IDHS); it improves the number of quality culturally and linguistically appropriate child care spots available for refugee parents who are seeking to go to work or school; it Increases retention of registered child care providers who have limited English and American business backgrounds, to keep the pool of available culturally-competent child care slots at a reasonable level; and it offers support to other refugee populations and their advocates who may want to increase registered child care homes in their area of Iowa.
LSI provides interpreted DHS-approved training, registration support, literacy and business development home visits, walk-in technical assistance, and connection to childcare professional development networks. In addition to offering training to providers in Central Iowa, LSI is also committed to providing technical assistance and training to other communities and organizations interested in starting a refugee childcare training program.
St. Mark Youth Enrichment
Social Emotional Learning: Expanding Model for Greater Impact – CORE Grant
Location: DubuqueBarrier: Education/Training
Year: 2021
St. Mark’s is expanding its social emotional learning model to have direct programming for girls throughout the school year and summer, family engagement and education efforts targeted for single mothers to gain skills to foster healthy parenting practices at home, and adding training and consulting for other organizations in effective implementation of social emotional strategies. Implementation of social emotional learning is reflected at every level of St. Mark, from the purposeful training the staff receive to the physical tools utilized daily on site. The aim of these efforts is for students to build 5 cognitive and behavioral competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Family events provide education on effective and healthy discipline practices focusing on composure and positive approaches to working with behavior challenges.
Sunflower Child Development – BCCSF Grant
Northeast Iowa Child Care & Discovery Center
Location: Decorah, Iowa serving Winneshiek, Allamakee, Howard and Fayette CountiesBarrier: Child Care
Year: 2021
The Sunflower Child Development Center Board of Directors, with assistance from Winneshiek County Development will oversee the construction of a new facility in Decorah, Iowa and will serve the needs of families in Winneshiek, Allamakee, Fayette, and Howard counties in Iowa, and Fillmore County, MN. Sunflower, one of the largest child care facilities in the region, owns an aging building with major structural issues. It cannot be remodeled and faces closure within 3-5 years. Several counties they serve have “child care deserts” and several child cares have closed because of low profit margin and high costs. This is a barrier for individuals who want to enter the workforce and impacts worker productivity, particularly women. The most progressive child care businesses in the nation incorporate innovative learning opportunities and learning-focused-play into their business models, including STEAM learning, but there is a gap in STEAM learning for younger children in the region. The IWF grant will pay for Design Development Phase II Architectural Services for a new child care “Discovery Center” increasing child care capacity from 135 children to 200 – 300 children. It will incorporate high-quality STEAM learning and play areas for the childcare attendees and other children on evenings and weekends.
United Way of the Quad Cities
Girls Mentoring Project – CORE Grant
Location: Scott CountyBarrier: Mentorship
Year: 2021
United Way of the Quad Cities’ African American Leadership Society (AALS) formed to address the opportunity gap in our community. African-American students in the Quad Cities lag behind their peers at every educational benchmark: school readiness (13% gap), reading proficiency (30% gap), middle school attendance (9% gap), and high school completion (7% gap). To address these gaps, AALS has selected a single school – Madison Elementary in Davenport – for a pilot project that coordinates an array of community services on behalf of the school’s African-American students and their families. The ultimate goal is to provide stability in the students’ lives so they can benefit more from the education they receive. This new program is based on a successful mentoring program for 4th and 5th grade boys and will provide these elementary aged girls with an adult African-American female mentor. The mentors serve as role models of what it means to be an educated, successful, African-American woman.
The program will feature presentations and discussions about various topics, including self-image, personal responsibility, and the media’s portrayal of women. This group will take field trips to sites throughout the Quad Cities in order to broaden these students’ knowledge of the world and the variety of career options open to them.
University of Iowa Labor Center
Iowa Women in Trades: Apprenticeship Opportunity Network – CORE Grant
Location: Benton, Cedar, Dubuque, Johnson, Linn, Jones, Muscatine, Scott, and Polk CountiesBarrier: Employment
Year: 2021
The Iowa Women in Trades: Apprenticeship Opportunity Network links unemployed or underemployed Iowa women with opportunities to prepare for and enroll in Iowa Registered Apprentice programs in construction trades. This project builds on work done in the past two years to pilot a new preparatory skills-based “pre-apprentice” program intended to prepare women and other underrepresented candidates for enrollment in registered apprenticeships in high-demand, livable wage jobs, to expand the number of women enrolled in the new program, and to establish an Iowa Women in Trades network to facilitate ongoing mentoring and support to program graduates. In addition to skills-based preparation designed to increase women’s qualifications to enter an apprentice program, this project directly connects participants with eastern Iowa apprentice program training coordinators, leadership development programming, and peer networking to support the success of women who enter registered apprentice programs and begin work on male-dominated job sites. The ultimate goal of this project is a sustainable system for bridging significant gaps between apprenticeship training opportunities and Iowa women who are underrepresented in the construction trades, resulting in a clear pipeline to high-quality jobs in these fields.
Women Food & Agriculture Network
Harvesting Our Potential: Growing Skills, Confidence and Sustainability – CORE Grant
Location: Statewide program available to women in all Iowa countiesBarrier: Mentorship
Year: 2021
For 20 years the WFAN’s Harvesting Our Potential (HOP) program has been inspiring and growing women farmers and advocates by empowering them to become active farmers, mentors, and advocates. This mentoring program is expanding to provide opportunities for women farmers of all stages in their careers not only as they begin their farm enterprise, but as they grow and seek to diversify and/or expand their farm business. New opportunities for existing women farmers who seek additional training on topics such as how to add new enterprises, operate a tractor, or improve their marketing skills. On-line meetings with previous program participants to share their “where I am now” stories with current participants, will also serve as evaluatory information for WFAN. Additionally, this project will pilot a farm-sitting component by providing funding for a trained farm-sitter to care for a farmer’s operations while they leave for additional training. This will provide both parties opportunities to grow skills and provide experience for the farm-sitter to use in future farm employment opportunities.
Catherine McAuley Center
Refugee Child Care Business Development Program - BCCCSF Grant
Location: Linn CountyBarrier: Childcare: Refugee Childcare Entrepreneurs
Year: 2020
There is a critical lack of child care for refugee families. In response the Catherine McAuley Center is partnering with local agencies to support refugee women in establishing registered in-home child care businesses. Federal funding has been secured to support the program. However, this funding is restricted to refugees who have been in the US for less then 5 years, excluding a significant number of refugee women who are interested, qualified, and have the capacity to operate quality child care businesses in their homes. Through initial outreach, CMC has identified at least 1-15 women who fall into this category but are currently ineligible. Funding from IWF will be used to enroll 4-5 of these women, creating approximately 15-20 new child care slots in Cedar Rapids and contributing to participants‘ household income.
Christian Community Development DBA House of Hope
House of Hope Case Management - Core Grant
Location: Black Hawk CountyBarrier: Housing; Employment
Year: 2020
House of Hope has 15 furnished apartments for single mothers with children plus five dorm-style apartments for young women aging out of foster care. While living at HOH, the residents work or attend school and life skills classes. HOH provides the support system and staff/resident relationships designed to empower the women to overcome barriers while attaining skills and habits to move toward a financially independent future. Now in its third year of IWF funding, this program’s long-term success rate of 86% is attributed to the strong case management support system provided by House of Hope.
For more information on House of Hope, click here.
Community Action of Eastern Iowa
Clinton Early Head Start - BCCCSF Grant
Location: Clinton CountyBarrier: Childcare: Center Expansion for Infants
Year: 2020
Community Action of Eastern Iowa is the Head Start and Early Head Center provider in Clinton, Scott, Cedar, and Muscatine counties. Head Start/Early Head Start is a comprehensive program providing education, family, health, mental health and nutrition services to children from income eligible programs. The Early Head Start in Clinton county is adding a classroom to serve 8 more infants and their families. Early Head Start is an evidence-based program specifically for children ages birth to 36 months. They currently have over 100 families on the wait list of Early Head Start. The children will attend five days a week, 6 hours per day, for 12 months. IWF funds will be used to help purchase the needed equipment for the classroom.
Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque
Opportunity Dubuque - BCCCSF Grant
Location: Dubuque CountyBarrier: Childcare: Childcare Entrepreneurs
Year: 2020
Opportunity Dubuque builds career pathways for students to enter the workforce and continue their education and training, while filling employers’ demand for talent. There is a child care workforce shortage in Dubuque County. The Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Opportunity Dubuque program has created an Early Childhood Care Certificate training. IWF funding will help pay the tuition for six students to participate in the Opportunity Dubuque Early Childhood certificate program.
Domestic Violence Intervention Program
DVIP Prevention Education Program - Core Grant
Location: Johnson, Iowa, Cedar, Washington, Henry, Van Buren, Lee, and Des Moines CountiesBarrier: Education/training; Mentorship
Year: 2020
DVIP has a longstanding history of serving women facing trauma-based, domestic violence crises in southeast Iowa. With this third year of support from IWF, DVIP is expanding prevention education by presenting the Healthy Relationships 101 curriculum to youth professionals, teachers, administrators and students in all 7th-12th grade schools in their eight-county service area. This program aims to educate youth on healthy relationship basics, types of abuse, bystander intervention, and resources for help.
For more information about DVIP, click here.
Friends of St. Mary’s DBA Steeple Square
Marita Theisen Child Care Center - BCCCSF
Location: Dubuque CountyBarrier: Childcare: New Center
Year: 2020
The Marita Theisen Child Care Center at Steeple Square was established in response to urgent calls from the community for affordable quality child care. The center opened in August 2019 in the heart of Dubuque’s most disconnected neighborhood in downtown Dubuque. The Center currently has enrolled more than 40 children, 70% of whom are from low-income families. Many private child care providers have wait lists of up to 100 families. IWF funds will be used to support the salary of a new licensed staff person to provide evening care for 12 children whose parents are participating in Opportunity Dubuque. Opportunity Dubuque provides free child care to individuals earning job certificates and continued assistance during their first year of employment.
Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa
Expansion & Scholarship Support in Black Hawk County - Core Grant
Location: Black Hawk CountyBarrier: Mentorship; Childcare
Year: 2020
Girls on the Run uses running and other physical activities as a platform for teaching life skills and promoting holistic health outcomes for girls in grades 3-8. The curriculum includes lessons that target helping girls learn critical life skills such as how to manage emotions, help others, make intentional decisions, and resolve conflict that they use at home, at school, and with friends. Completing a 5K gives a girl a tangible sense of achievement as well as a framework for setting and realizing life goals. This fourth year of IWF funding will support expansion of the program to three new sites in Black Hawk County for a total of 200 girls participating from grades 3-8 at 12 sites.
For more information about Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa, click here.
Grin & Grow Ltd.
Removing Child Care as a Barrier to Women's Economic Self-Sufficiency - Core Grant
Location: Black Hawk CountyBarrier: Childcare; Employment
Year: 2020
Founded by the Junior League of Waterloo-Cedar Falls 76 years ago, this child care program, with a second year of support from IWF, will assure availability of up to 20 full-time, year-round slots for infant or preschool children of single mothers who are seeking work, working, or in training; and whose incomes are under 200% of household poverty levels. Moreover, their children are provided with a nurturing environment and opportunities to acquire developmental skill levels necessary for school-readiness and future successes.
For more information about Grin & Grow, click here.
Heartland Family Service
Workforce Managers - Core Grant
Location: Pottawattamie CountyBarrier: Employment
Year: 2020
People who are employed when they leave treatment for substance abuse and mental health disorders are two to three times more likely to retain a healthy lifestyle than those who are unemployed. With a second year of IWF funding, Heartland will continue its comprehensive, wraparound service support for women in the Iowa Family Works program to obtain and maintain gainful employment that can support themselves and their families.
For more information about Heartland Family Service, click here.
LINK Grinnell
Sliding Fee Scale for Professional Development Day Services - BCCCSF Grant
Location: Poweshiek CountyBarrier: Childcare: New Before and After School Program
Year: 2020
LINK Grinnell is a newly established after-school program serving children in kindergarten through 7th grade in the Grinnell area since September 3, 2019. LINK Grinnell was created in response to a gap of 437 spaces for after-school care in the community. The program is currently offering care on regular school days from 3 pm to 6:30 pm. During the 2019-2020 school year, he Grinnell-Newburg School District list five Mondays that are no-school days as well as four irregular-schedule days for teacher professional development and parent-teacher conferences. These days pose a challenge for working parents. Often a parent must take a day off work, patch together family, friend or neighbor care, or leave their children in less-desirable care conditions. Funds from IWF will be used to provide full-day care on no-school Mondays via a sliding fee scale in the second semester of this school year and continue in the 2020-21 school year.
Lutheran Services in Iowa
Refugee Child Care Business Development Program - Core Grant
Location: Polk County with technical assistance in other counties as requestedBarrier: Childcare; Employment
Year: 2020
Committed to supporting programs which have proven to be an example of best practices, IWF is proud to invest in this outstanding program for a sixth year. LSI helps refugee women to increase their families’ financial stability by becoming registered in-home child care providers through the Iowa DHS; thereby also improving the number of quality culturally and linguistically appropriate childcare spots available for refugee parents who are seeking to go to work or school. Support from IWF has enabled LSI to not only expand this program in central Iowa but to also offer technical assistance and training to other communities and organizations, e.g., in Cedar Rapids, interested in starting a refugee childcare training program.
For more information about Lutheran Services in Iowa, click here.
Mason City Family YMCA
GLOW (Girls Leading Others Wisely) Program - Core Grant
Location: Cerro Gordo and Worth CountiesBarrier: Mentorship; Childcare
Year: 2020
There are a number of youth programs in the Clear Lake and Mason City area, but none focus primarily on preteen girls. GLOW is an 8-week mentoring program for girls aged 7-12 of various cultural and socio-economic backgrounds to connect with one another, engaging in discussions and activities that help them build towards future success. These include all girls setting personal and fitness goals as well as participating in a project in which they can connect with the community.
For more information about the Mason City Family YMCA, click here.
Montgomery County Child Development Association
Montgomery County Child Development Center - BCCCSF Grant
Location: Montgomery, Mills, Page, Adams, Cass, Fremont, Pottawattamie and Taylor CountiesBarrier: Childcare: New Center
Year: 2020
The Montgomery County Child Development Association (MCCDA) was formed after a group of community leaders learned about the lack of quality affordable child care in Montgomery County. In partnership with the Red Oak Community School District (ROCSD), the MCCDA will open the Montgomery County Child Development Center on January 2, 2020. The Center will initially operate four rooms: one infant room (6 weeks to 12 months), one transition infant room (12-24 months), one 2-3 year old room and one 4-6 year old room. The total cost to furnish the rooms is $20,000. IWF funds will be used to help furnish these four rooms with safe, age appropriate furniture
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Inc.
Pregnancy Prevention Education - Core Grant
Location: Dallas, Des Moines, Jasper, Johnson, Linn, Lee Polk, Pottawattamie, Story and Woobury CountiesBarrier: Education/training; Employment
Year: 2020
With a third year of support from IWF, Planned Parenthood will provide 1,600 comprehensive sexuality education programs to youth in middle schools and high schools in Iowa. Access to medically accurate information about contraception, pregnancy, sexuality, preventive reproductive health, and healthy behaviors and relationships empowers young women to avoid unintended pregnancy, complete their education and take advantage of career and other life opportunities.
For more information about Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, click here.
St. Mark’s Youth Enrichment
Social Emotional Learning: Breaking Down Barriers to Success - Core Grant
Location: Dubuque CountyBarrier: Education/training; Childcare
Year: 2020
St. Mark’s will be expanding their highly successful before- and after- school and summer programs to rural Eastern Iowa towns. The programs not only address affordable access to care beyond school hours but effectively improve students’ reading, STEM, and social emotional skills. Curriculum, like Conscious Discipline, engage families and community in developing skills to promote social emotional learning. This is the third consecutive year of IWF funding.
For more information on St. Mark’s Youth Enrichment, click here.
Stanton Child Care Resource Center
Stanton Child Care Resource Center Expansion - BCCCSF Grant
Location: Montgomery, Mills, Fremont and Page CountiesBarrier: Childcare: Center Expansion
Year: 2020
The Stanton Child Resource Center has been at capacity with a waiting list for over 4 years. They are working to more than double capacity (80 to 162) through an addition and renovation of the current facility. Funds are currently being raised for the construction. Construction will start by July of 2020 and be completed by May of 2021. IWF funds will be used to support the construction costs.
University of Iowa Labor Center
Iowa Women in Trades Apprenticeship Opportunity Network - Core Grant
Location: Benton, Linn, Jones, Johnson, Cedar, Washington, and Muscatine CountiesBarrier: Employment, Education/training
Year: 2020
Quality employment via a self-supporting job with livable wages and benefits is a major hurdle to women’s self-sufficiency in Iowa. The University of Iowa Labor Center will launch Iowa Women in Trades Network in 2020, setting up a pre-apprentice program and a network to improve access to registered apprenticeships and ensure completion rates and job placement for women in the construction trades.
For more information about the University of Iowa Labor Center, click here.
YWCA Clinton
She Rises
Location: Clinton and Jackson CountiesBarrier: Education/training; Mentorship
Year: 2020
The Clinton YWCA was founded in 1915 by women to serve women and fight for equality and social justice. This third year of funding from IWF will be used to implement a new suite of programs – She Rises – that aim at tackling barriers to success that at-risk women and young girls face in their community. New programs include one-on-one and group mentoring and educational programs focused on building resiliency, while linking women and girls with existing programs and resources they might need such as homelessness and rehousing, job mentoring and shadowing, employment counseling and preparation, childcare, and wellness.
For more information about the Clinton YWCA, click here.
YWCA Clinton
Stronger Together: Supporting Families with High-Quality, Accessible Child Care - BCCCSF Grant
Location: Clinton CountyBarrier: Childcare: Expanded Before and After School Program
Year: 2020
Beginning in the fall of 2019, The YWCA Clinton in partnership with the Clinton Community School District implemented an innovative new program that provides convenient on-site after school child care in their elementary schools. The Stronger Together after school child care program helps working women and families in two ways: it eliminates the need for parents to leave work or secure help picking up students from school and transporting them to child care, and it also maximizes the time the students spend on active, engaging, and safe activities instead of spending valuable time sitting passively on a bus being transported to child care after school. This new program includes homework assistance, healthy snacks, and both outside playing and gym time. Funds from IWF will be used for program costs which include hardware/software, furniture, STEAM activities, and outdoor activities, books, sports equipment and craft supplies.
Amani Community Services
Fast Track to Success for African American Women
Location: Black Hawk & Linn CountiesYear: 2019
Amani’s Fast Track to Success program is specifically designed for African American victim/survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Waterloo and Cedar Rapids. The high rates of poverty, low rates of employment success, and victim/survivor experiences for African American women, refugees in particular, create specific needs. They experience: 1) poor self-image and body image based on negative societal messages; 2) direct experiences of racism from institutions that have limited their options and choices, including employment opportunities; and 3) the need for economic independence as they become safe from abusive partners. The Iowa Women’s Foundation grant provide funding for support groups.
For more information about Amani Community Services click here.
Area Substance Abuse Council (ASAC)
Heart of Iowa Childcare Services Expansion
Location: Linn CountyYear: 2019
The Heart of Iowa (HOI) program is designed for women with substance use disorder who maintain custody of their children while receiving residential treatment services. A childcare center is on-site for the children during the mom’s treatment stay. IWF funding will expand its hours of childcare, using existing staff, from 4:30-7 pm so moms can attend community support groups, continue their education, seek employment, or attend evening treatment groups. These services are important in the mom’s transition toward community based support services and independent living. ASAC will also expand its support services to the kids in the program by providing a support group for girls that have experienced trauma.
For more information about ASAC click here.
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands
SMART Girls Program for Carter Lake and Council Bluffs Clubs
Location: Pottawattamie CountyYear: 2019
While Boys & Girls Clubs of America designed this 10-week, evidence-based curriculum for implementation in Clubs across the nation, it will be customized to meet the unique needs of the members served in these two western Iowa communities. SMART Girls gives girls the space, support and tools to navigate adolescence and to emerge as strong, healthy, young adults. SMART Girls tackles issues that girls deal with every day – from troubles and triumphs with friends and family, to struggles with body image and self-esteem, to the impact of school stress, bullying, and more – in a safe and open environment. Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands is a first-time IWF grantee.
For more information about Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands click here.
Catherine McAuley Center (CMC)
Offering Hope and Opportunity through Transitional Housing
Location: Linn CountyYear: 2019
A current recipient of IWF funding, the Catherine McAuley Center’s Transitional Housing Program is unique in the community as the only transitional housing program for women. The traditional definition of homelessness is primarily a male one, largely disregarding the realities of female homelessness. Unlike men, women tend to make up the “hidden homeless,” using informal strategies, such as “doubling up” or remaining with an abuser to avoid the financial uncertainty or sexual danger associated with living on the streets or in co-ed emergency shelters. The CMC treatment program acknowledges these realities, including the pathways that lead to homelessness and/or criminal offense, the impact of trauma, and the relationships that shape women’s decisions.
For more information about Catherine McAuley Center click here.
Children and Family Urban Movement
Whyld Girls
Location: Polk CountyYear: 2019
The Whyld Girls is a gender specific, out of school program for 5th-12th grade girls who live within the 50314 zip code. The program has multiple components, including four-day a week after school programming, eight-week summer programming that begins with a two-week intensive literacy program, a high school mentor program, volunteer Life Coaches for high school program participants, and an education/scholarship fund (established and sustained in a by the high school mentors’ business, Product with Purpose) that supports their education during high school and in post-secondary education.
For more information about Children and Family Urban Movement click here.
Crisis Intervention Services
Survivors' Economic Self Sufficiency Project
Location: Appanoose, Davis, Jasper, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lucas, Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, Poweshiek, Wapello & Wayne CountiesYear: 2019
Crisis Intervention Services (CIS) serves 12 rural counties in South Central Iowa which are extremely rural and encompasses some of the poorest counties in Iowa. The Survivors’ Economic Self-Sufficiency Project, which IWF is funding for a third year, assists survivors of trauma who are living in their emergency shelter with the skills and resources necessary to regain economic self-sufficiency. This continued funding has given CIS the opportunity to fine-tune their classes on Financial Empowerment, Life Skills, and Career Development.
For more information about Crisis Intervention services click here.
Dress for Success Des Moines
Professional Women's Group
Location: Polk, Dallas & Warren CountiesYear: 2019
This is a continuation of a Professional Women’s Group (PWG) grant from IWF. The PWG membership rate in 2018 has increased 72%. It is often stated, “it is easier to get a job, then to keep one.” Women need support in the “tricks of the trade” on how to be successful on a job and ways she can advance in her career. Once hired, this program offers women mentoring support so they can make the most of their new opportunities and grow a successful career. IWF funding will help build the program.
For more information about Dress for Success Des Moines click here.
Dress for Success Quad Citites
Lifelong Learning & Economic Independence for Low-Resource Women
Location: Scott, Muscatine, Clinton, Cedar, Jackson, Jones & Dubuque CountiesYear: 2019
People tend to think only of the free suits and coaching Dress for Success gives to women heading to their interviews and new jobs. A new Professional Women’s Group Alumnae group (PWGA) will launch in 2018. It is for women who have graduated from their unique, year-long job-retention program, the Professional Women’s Group. The PWGA provides access to free, lifelong professional development and mentoring to keep moving women forward despite the odds. This lifelong, free membership will facilitate ongoing learning and professional development opportunities through quarterly programming that empowers women to be leaders in their lives and their communities. IWF is proud to support this new program.
For more information about Dress for Success Quad Cities click here.
EyesOpenIowa (EOI)
Building a Culture of Support for Pregnant and Parenting Young Women
Location: Polk, Warren & Madison CountiesYear: 2019
While the high school graduation rate for Iowa teens has increased, pregnant and parenting teens (PPT) still struggle to graduate and continue to college and/or employment. Most are low-income young women and/or young women of color. Nearly one-third of pregnant young women who drop out of high school cite stigma as the main factor. When PPT feel judged in school, sometimes from school personnel, they are less likely to trust or seek support from other adults. EOI aims to end the poverty/teen pregnancy cycle by training personnel in seven school districts to encourage PPT to succeed, rather than shaming them or pushing them to drop out.
For more information about EyesOpenIowa click here.
Friends of the Family
Safety and Housing Stability
Location: Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Howard, Jones, Linn & Winneshiek CountiesYear: 2019
Friends of the Family offers two essential programs in 14 counties across Northeast Iowa. The Safe Shelter & Rapid Rehousing Service program operates a traditional shelter facility, with 24-hour victim advocate support, and secured, locked doors and windows. The majority of their clients are fleeing domestic violence, and have significant barriers to safety, income stability, and housing. The Human Trafficking Comprehensive Services program serves survivors of labor and sex trafficking, most often referred by law enforcement who have come across victims during their investigations and “busts.” IWF has provided funding for their essential services previously.
For more information about Friends of the Family click here.
Girls Incorporated of Sioux City
Eureka!
Location: Woodbury, Plymouth & Monona CountiesYear: 2019
Eureka! is a STEM curriculum featuring daily workshops led by female faculty members at local colleges. For four weeks over the summer, girls ages 12 to 18 experience unique, no-pressure, challenging yet fun, ungraded opportunities for skill- and knowledge-building. Eureka! serves primarily girls who too often lack opportunities, resources, or support to pursue science, math, and technology: girls who are in the first generation of their family to go to college, girls with disabilities, girls from low-income families, and girls of color. This is the second time IWF has funded this remarkable program.
For more information about Girls Inc. of Sioux City click here.
Heartland Family Service
Workforce Managers
Location: Pottawattamie CountyYear: 2019
Overcoming addiction is just the beginning for Iowa Family Works (IAFW) women at a residential substance abuse treatment center for women and their children in Council Bluffs. Most adults need jobs that provide stability and sufficient wages to support themselves. However, the nervous systems of this population have been physically altered by traumatic experiences, resulting in numerous destabilizing emotional and physical symptoms. They need intensive support to succeed in job training, and possibly to keep a job at all. As part of this project to help the region’s most vulnerable people navigate workforce training programs, HFS will provide employment case management services as part of the treatment regimen at the IAFW center.
For more information about Heartland Family Service click here.
Latinas Latinos al Exito, Inc.
Al Exito Latina Leadership and Success
Location: Tama, Franklin & Wright CountiesYear: 2019
The Al Éxito (AÉ) afterschool program empowers young Latinas, 6th-12th grade, from rural communities in Franklin, Wright, and Tama counties to succeed in school and in life through academic achievement, leadership development, and civic engagement. Recent anti-immigrant barriers set up by state and federal governments has caused increased stress, anxiety and fear. Additional support is being developed to assist diminish extreme anxiety that the students are reporting. This is the second year of IWF funding.
For more information about Al Exito Click here.
Lutheran Services in Iowa
Refugee Child Care Business Development Program
Location: Polk County with technical support to other countiesYear: 2019
Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) will build upon a project that has been funded by the Iowa Women’s Foundation since 2015. The goal is to improve the availability and quality of culturally and linguistically appropriate child care for refugee parents who are seeking to go to work or school. As a result, 63 women from 15 language groups have been assisted with child care registration requirements and/or training, providing care for 158 children (60 refugee families) in 2017. In addition to continuing this work in Des Moines, LSI will visit with leaders from other Iowa communities with significant refugee population who are interested in setting up a similar program and host at least one visit to the LSI program to share best practices.
For more information about Lutheran Services click here.
St. Mark Youth Enrichment
Social Emotional Learning: Breaking Down Barriers to Success
Location: Dubuque CountyYear: 2019
On average, 23% of St. Mark parents are single mothers, disproportionate to the 7.1% of the overall Dubuque community and, at their most at-risk sites, the average is up to 45%. St. Mark offers programs before/after school and in the summer for at-risk students pre-K through 5th grade. This programming addresses Dubuque’s critical need for child care options while fostering academic growth. The overall goal is to teach single mothers and girls social emotional skills, surround them with trusting role models to mentor on honing those skills, and equip them with tools needed to effectively implement what they learn.
For more information about St. Mark Youth Enrichment click here.
The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend: Love GIRLS Magazine
Emerging Leaders Fellowship
Location: Scott, Clinton. Johnson & Muscatine CountiesYear: 2019
Building on the success of Love GIRLS Magazine (LGM), “The Emerging Leaders Fellowship” will provide young women 13 and over with support and mentorship to launch a small business or community project. Twelve girls in all will complete a workshop to prepare them for “Pitch Day” to a panel. Based on the strength of their presentation they will receive funding of $250-500 managed by LGM. Program participants work with a budget, a project mentor and access to in-kind resources from community partners. The project concludes with a reception for fellows in which they report their outcomes to the community. IWF funding supports this bold, new project.
For more information about Love GIRLS Magazine click here.
University of Northern Iowa Foundation
The Community Producers Program: Economic Development for Refugee Agriculturalists
Location: Black Hawk CountyYear: 2019
The Community Producers Program (CPP) is an initiative of the University of Northern Iowa to provide economic empowerment opportunities for refugee women in Waterloo to become economically self-sufficient, agricultural entrepreneurs. Year 3 of this project, funded in part by the Iowa Women’s Foundation, will extend services to a new cohort of refugee women and implement additional workshops to build entrepreneurial, communication and gardening skills. The CPP will continue to fight the shortage of employment opportunities for women, specifically refugees residing in Waterloo, IA, by offering workshops and other trainings that foster the development of skills such as business management, customer service, food safety and managing community gardens.
Women Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN)
Harvesting Our Potential Training Women Farmers
Location: All CountiesYear: 2019
Iowa needs women farmers. Women-owned farms comprise only eight percent of all farms in Iowa, and that number is falling. Through Harvesting Our Potential: Training Women Farmers, WFAN empowers women to become farmers. Two indicators of success for future farmers are on-farm experience and business planning. Harvesting Our Potential addresses both of these and a third component that is critical for women: a supportive network of other women. We will provide supportive learning circles for women who aspire to become farmers, provide on-farm mentorships for women by matching them with successful women farmers, and provide an intensive business planning training.
For more information about WFAN click here.
Catherine McAuley Center, Cedar Rapids
Transitional Housing Program
Location: Linn CountyYear: 2018
The Catherine McAuley Center (CMC) Transitional Housing Program will provide individualized programming and support services for at least 35 homeless and near-homeless unaccompanied women in order to help them successfully transition into safe, stable housing, achieve and maintain financial security, and build healthy social connections. Women may reside at CMC for up to two years (average stay is six months). Each resident works closely with staff to identify barriers to stability and to set and work towards individual goals. When ready, staff assist with identifying and transitioning to safe, affordable, permanent housing in the community. Women are offered ongoing support for up to six months after program exit.
Dorothy’s House, Des Moines
Daring to Rise Strong
Location: Based in Polk County with referrals accepted from all 99 countiesYear: 2018
Iowa has high rates of human trafficking, in part due to the intersection of Interstates 80 & 35 in Des Moines. Up to 800 victims may be trafficked in Iowa every month; as few as 1% of those victims may be rescued. Dorothy’s House provides residential housing, basic needs, transportation, care coordination, and educational programming for women and girls whose lives have been interrupted by sex trafficking. Individualized care plans are developed to address multiple issues and needs. Through this project, clients will participate in local workshops based on curriculum developed by researcher Brene Brown. Participants will learn to develop shame resilience, quiet their inner critics, embrace their imperfections, and cultivate meaningful relationships.
Dress for Success Des Moines
Professional Women's Group
Location: Polk, Dallas and Warren CountiesYear: 2018
IWF will provide this organization, well known for their Suits to Success program, with funding for their Professional Women’s Group (PWG), a networking association for Dress for Success clients who have recently entered the workforce to assist them with their transition into work. It is often stated that “it is easier to get a job, then to keep one.” PWG was created to promote employment retention and career advancement by providing valuable skill building information and support from other employed women. The PWG program aims to increase participation by 30% over last year.
Dress for Success Quad Citites
Empowering Women to Economic Independence
Location: Scott County and surrounding counties of Muscatine, Clinton, Cedar, Jackson, Jones and DubuqueYear: 2018
The approach for Dress for Success Quad Cities starts where many emergency or transitional programs leave off: targeting job-ready women with an interview scheduled. A third year of IWF funding will help further develop services to reach more women and improve outcomes-based programming and measurements. Our support, combined with other funds, will provide meals, recruitment, supplies, and operational costs for the Professional Women’s Group (PWG) program and Career Success Center to help women get a job, keep a job, and grow a career. Women who successfully complete the Professional Women’s Group (PWG) have up to a 70% chance at retaining their jobs.
EyesOpenIowa, West Des Moines
Building a Culture of Support for Pregnant and parenting Young Women
Location: Polk, Warren and Madison CountiesYear: 2018
Pregnant and parenting teens (PPT) still struggle to graduate and continue to college and/or employment. Most are low-income young women and/or young women of color. Nearly one-third of pregnant young women who drop out of high school cite stigma as the main factor. When young PPT feel judged by school personnel (teachers, counselors, nurses, principals), they are less likely to trust or seek support from other adults elsewhere. Eyes Open Iowa will work with five school districts by training personnel to end unsupportive behaviors (e.g., talking negatively about PPT in the teachers lounge, insisting that the PPT be removed to an alternative setting) by substituting supportive actions (e.g., helping them plan a future that includes graduation, college, and a career).
First Congregational United Church of Christ, Cedar Rapids
Cafe 361
Location: Linn CountyYear: 2018
Cafe 361 is a safe place for young women in grades 6-10 living in or near the Wellington Heights neighborhood. About once a month, 15 young women plan, prepare, cook, serve, and share a meal with up to 100 guests from the community. In doing so, they learn to work together, while learning cooking and budgeting skills. They also socialize with others from their community, including those from backgrounds different from themselves. The participants meet outside of cooking days to follow the “Girls With Ideas” curriculum, a locally developed program aimed at teaching creativity, confidence and leadership skills to middle school girls. More information about can be found at www.girlswithideas.com.
Grin and Grow Ltd., Waterloo
Removing Childcare As A Barrier to Women's Economic Self-Sufficiency Through Gap Scholarships
Location: Black Hawk CountyYear: 2018
In the past five years, Black Hawk County has lost five childcare providers, the latest of which alone removed 101 enrollment slots. State reimbursement rates under the Childcare Assistance program for low-income families are capped at 80% of the 2008 market rate, making these families less attractive as clients than families that can pay the full cost. As a result, providers are reducing or eliminating the number of slots available to low-income families. IWF funding will provide childcare scholarship assistance to bridge the gap. This guarantees slots will be reserved for low-income women seeking affordable, quality childcare for their children in order to work or obtain training.
House of Hope, Waterloo
Transitional Housing for Single Homeless Mothers
Location: Black Hawk CountyYear: 2018
The majority of the homeless in Black Hawk County are part of a single parent family unit. The House of Hope is a two-year transitional house for homeless single mothers and their children. With 10 apartments available currently (15 opening in early 2018), their waiting list is currently at 41 families. Each family has their own apartment and lives independently. The women are required to either work or go to school full time, meet with the case manager weekly, and attend life skills classes. They are assigned a mentor for relational support and inspiration. Their children will be in a safe and stable environment.
Latinas Latinos Al Exito, Inc. Des Moines
Latinas Al Exito Exito: Latino Girls Towards Success
Location: Tama and Wright CountiesYear: 2018
The Latinas Al Éxito (AÉ) pilot program for 8th grade Marshalltown Latinas has expanded across the state of Iowa, now serving 6th-12th grade girls, boys, and parents. Tama and Belmond will continue as gender specific programs focused on the empowerment of girls. AÉ curriculum builds a foundation for educational success including Cultural Celebration, Academic Achievement, Leadership Skills, Civic Engagement, and Healthy Relationships. IWF funding will support the hire of a local Latina leader to manage and facilitate weekly After School programs, provide academic support and enhancement opportunities, and serve/develop as a community leader.
Lutheran Services in Iowa, Des Moines
Refugee Child Care Training and Expansion
Location: Polk County with technical support to other Iowa counties as requestedYear: 2018
While refugee caregivers in Polk County now have a path to Department of Human Services registration, those outside of the area must wait to apply until they are more English-proficient and equipped to understand the registration process. To address this need, LSI will explore the provision of similar customized training programs with up to six other interested Iowa communities with significant refugee populations to increase the availability of quality, culturally, and linguistically appropriate child care. They will fully implement the program in two Iowa communities. After funding the program in Des Moines for two years, IWF is proud and excited to assist in expanding this best-practices program.
NISAA African Family Services, Iowa City
Friendship Sewing Cooperative
Location: Johnson CountyYear: 2018
Iowa City is home to over 600 African refugee families. Although many African refugees speak English, most do not. Refugee women tend to be isolated and more dependent (socially and economically) on their husbands than they were in their home country. The Friendship Sewing Cooprative (FSC) offers a means of gaining economic self-sufficiency, supportive social networks, and self-confidence. This will make women less vulnerable to domestic violence. Instruction in sewing will be supplemented with literacy training and education in business fundamentals. Classes provide translation services as needed and free childcare. This is NSC‘s second year of IWF funding.
St. Mark Youth Enrichment, Dubuque
Teaching, Mentoring and Equipping St. Mark Families for Success
Location: Dubuque CountyYear: 2018
The SHE MATTERS report demonstrated that women and girls’ greatest barrier to economic self-sufficiency in Dubuque is childcare. Women need an affordable, safe place for their children so they can focus on working or completing their education. St. Mark addresses this with before and after school and all day summer program options at four of Dubuque’s at-risk, Title 1 elementary schools, and a rural after school program at Peosta Elementary. The overall goal of this project is to teach single mothers and girls social emotional skills, surround them with trusting mentors to practice and hone those skills, and equip them with tools needed to effectively implement what they learn.
University of Northern Iowa, Community Producers Program (CPP), Cedar Falls
Economic Development for Refugee Women Agriculturalists
Location: Black Hawk CountyYear: 2018
The CPP is an initiative of The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Local Food Program, partnering with AmeriCorps Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA), and Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center (EMBARC) to provide economic empowerment opportunities for refugee women in Waterloo. While many refugee women might have spent their lifetimes developing agricultural or trade skills in their homeland, few have had the opportunity to connect and share those skills since resettling to the US. Workshop participants will receive training, resources, and support to become economically self-sufficient, agricultural entrepreneurs.
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley
SMART Girls
Location: Based in Waterloo, serving Black Hawk CountyYear: 2017
The Smart Girls program will offer age-specific information to enhance girls’ physical and emotional health. Small groups encourage development of positive attitudes in the face of opposing negative pressures that so often influence behavior at the critical age of adolescence. Some of the topics discussed throughout the program include physical and emotional growth, body image, eating disorders, sexual myths and sexual truths, female victimization, dating responsibility, and HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Cedar Valley Friends of the Family (CVFF)
Safe Shelter & Housing Stability
Location: Based in Waterloo, serving 14 counties in Northeast IowaYear: 2017
CVFF, currently funded by IWF, provides emergency safe shelter, rapid rehousing, and homeless prevention services to victims of domestic and sexual violence in 14 counties of Northeast Iowa. A financial literacy program offers weekly classes in budgeting basics, understanding and building credit, working with financial institutions, and working with landlords. Other services offered include support groups, home furnishings donated to CVFF, temporary safe placement of pets during the client’s shelter stay, and individual crisis counseling.
Christian Community Development
House of Hope Case Management
Location: Based in Waterloo, serving Black Hawk CountyYear: 2017
The House of Hope is a two-year transitional house for homeless mothers and their children. Participants, who are either working or attending school full time, meet weekly with a Case Manager, attend group life skills classes, keep up on all of the children’s medical and well-being needs, and pay a monthly program fee. Resources to overcome barriers are identified and clients set weekly attainable goals to move forward one step at a time.
Crisis Intervention Services
Survivor’s Economic Self-Sufficiency
Location: Based in Oskaloosa, serving 12 counties in South Central IowaYear: 2017
The Survivors’ Economic Self-Sufficiency Project will assist survivors of trauma (domestic violence and sexual assault) who are living in their 24-bed domestic violence shelter or their four transitional housing units with the skills and resources necessary to regain economic self-sufficiency. Each family gets a separate action plan designed to remove one barrier at a time.
Dress for Success Quad Cities
Job Retention Support and Networking for Low-Resource Women
Location: Based in Davenport, primarily serves Scott County but available to six or more surrounding countiesYear: 2017
Dress for Success Quad Cities will follow up to 50 women participating in the Professional Women’s Group by implementing new self-sufficiency assessments to measure the impact of the program, identify barriers to success, and guide future program development. Women who successfully complete the program have up to a 70% chance of retaining their jobs and most will see improvement in other self-sufficiency indicators. This program is currently funded by IWF.
EMBARC
Changing Views on Daughters of Burma
Location: Based in Des Moines, serving Polk, Marshall, and Black Hawk countiesYear: 2017
EMBARC is a human services organization led by Burmese refugees. Burmese cultures traditionally espouse a view of male superiority, and the experience of living in refugee camps and being resettled in the United States can potentially disrupt that view. Funds will be used for the development, testing, and delivery of a parenting curriculum to influence how mothers think about opportunities and aspirations for their daughters. EMBARC’s mothers learn about Western parenting norms and are trained to teach others in peer-based learning circles.
EyesOpenIowa
Working to Institutionalize Sex Education (WISE)
Location: Based in West Des Moines, services provided statewideYear: 2017
Through WISE, EOI will assist 35 school districts to comply with state law requiring public schools to provide age-appropriate and research-based instruction in human growth and development in grades 1-12. Required topics include human sexuality, self-esteem, stress management, interpersonal relationships, domestic abuse, HPV, and HIV/AIDS. All curricula are evidence-based, medically accurate, comprehensive (i.e., not abstinence-only, but rather inclusive of information about birth control and contraception), and inclusive.
Florence Crittenton Home of Sioux City
Step Up for Success
Location: Based in Sioux City, serving Woodbury CountyYear: 2017
Currently, any Sioux City student who becomes pregnant has the option to open enroll at West High School which has an infant childcare center on site. Step Up for Success will assist them even further by providing needed supportive services, assistance in paying for oneto-two months of childcare until their state application is approved, and gas vouchers in times of need. With the implementation of Step Up for Success, more students will complete high school and will move on to post-secondary education in the Sioux City area.
Foundation for Dubuque Schools
ReEngage Dubuque: Life Skills Seminar
Location: Based in Dubuque, serving the City of DubuqueYear: 2017
ReEngage Dubuque works with students who have dropped out of high school and “re-engages” them to get their diplomas through alternate means. This seminar will target female students ages 16-21. Topics covered will include financial literacy, health and nutrition, parenting, and relationship skills. In addition to seminar presentations, female guest-speakers and coaches will engage students in break-out sessions to connect on a personal level, create household budgets and family meal-plans, and facilitate individual and small group discussions.
Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, Bettendorf
Girl Scouts Outreach Initiative
Location: Based in Bettendorf, serving Black Hawk, Bremer, Dubuque, Johnson, Linn, Muscatine, Scott, Tama, and Washington countiesYear: 2017
Under-served girls in grades K-8 will be able to participate in the Girl Scout Outreach Initiative, a developmental program that teaches leadership and life skills and stresses positive values among at-risk girls through various workshops, hands-on projects, and educational sessions. It eliminates barriers, such as finances, adult leadership, and transportation that often cause this group of girls to miss out on opportunities to be a Girl Scout and learn more about themselves and the world around them.
Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa
Heart & Sole
Location: Based in Iowa City, serving Benton, Buchanan, Iowa, Jefferson, Johnson, Linn, Jefferson, and Washington countiesYear: 2017
Last year Girls on the Run launched a new program, Heart & Sole (H&S), to meet the unique needs of middle/junior high school girls. Volunteer coaches meet with teams of 8-15 girls to teach them life skills. After piloting H&S in one school in fall 2015, two more schools were added in spring 2016, four schools will be added in fall 2016, and plans for 2-4 more schools in 2017. This grant will support adding new schools by funding full or partial scholarships for girls in H&S and supporting coach training.
Latina Leadership Initiative of Greater Des Moines
Latina Leadership Initiative
Location: Based in Des Moines, serving Polk, Warren, Dallas, Ottumwa, Mahaska, Story, Johnson, Wapello, Marshall, Jasper, Marion, Madison, and Boone counties.Year: 2017
The Latina Leadership Initiative of Greater Des Moines (LLI) is a one-year intensive leadership development and mentorship program that builds a pipeline of socially conscious Iowa Latina leaders who create change through service on boards and commissions, public office, and within the private, nonprofit, and educational sectors. It is the only leadership development program in Iowa focused on emerging Latina leaders between the age of 20 and 34, an often over-looked, under-served, and disenfranchised segment of our population.
Lutheran Services in Iowa
Refugee Child Care Training Program
Location: Based in Des Moines, serving Polk CountyYear: 2017
This program builds upon a project funded by IWF in 2015 and 2016. The goal of this highly successful program is to assist refugee women to increase their financial stability by becoming registered in-home child care providers. As a result, seventy-one women from 15 language groups have been assisted with child care registration requirements and/or training; nearly $176,000 was earned by 19 active providers in 2015. Our continued support will help existing providers keep current with DHS registration and provide training and start-up technical and financial assistance for 16 new providers.
Mid-Iowa Community Action, Inc.
Rural IMPACT
Location: Based in Marshalltown, serving Marshall CountyYear: 2017
Marshalltown was one of 10 communities nationwide selected to participate in the White House Rural Council’s Integration Models for Parents and Children to Thrive (IMPACT) project. IMPACT is a cross-agency effort to combat poverty and improve upward mobility in rural and tribal places. Selected communities will implement a two-generation approach to address the needs of vulnerable families. Initially the project will focus on the integration of early childhood education and adult education. Funding will allow families to access resources such as child care, transportation, and housing that facilitate their education.
Nisaa African Family Services
Friendship Sewing Cooperative
Location: Based in Iowa City, serving Johnson CountyYear: 2017
Most of Iowa’s African newcomers are refugees who come to Iowa to create new lives for themselves and their children. They arrive with few economic resources. Because African women in Iowa City have clearly communicated their interest in sewing, Nisaa proposes to establish the Friendship Sewing Cooperative (FSC) designed to enable African immigrant and refugee women to earn income, imagine themselves as entrepreneurs, build confidence, and cultivate supportive networks. Nisaa’s overall goal is to reduce vulnerability to domestic violence and sexual assault.
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland
Prevention Education in Scott County
Location: Parent organization based in Des Moines, project based in Bettendorf, serving Scott CountyYear: 2017
Funding will help to establish a full-time educator position located in the Bettendorf Health Center. This position will be responsible for building strong relationships with area schools, youth-serving organizations, and other community groups, as well as for delivering educational programing to an estimated 500 individuals in the Quad Cities.
Tanager Place
PINQ Project
Location: Based in Cedar Rapids, servicing Johnson and Linn countiesYear: 2017
The PINQ project is a mentoring program designed for at-risk girls to grow together as successful African American women. The project will take place bi-weekly at Tanager Place, facilitated by a licensed marriage and family therapist, and will include volunteer mentors from the community. Meetings will feature life topics such as financial literacy, college readiness, cultural awareness, and other subjects that lead to empowerment and self-sufficiency. PINQ girls will be given the opportunity to help plan the next year’s program and become PINQ mentors for the incoming PINQ participants of the next year.
Women, Food and Agriculture Network
Harvesting Our Potential: Training Women Farmers
Location: Based in Ames, services provided statewideYear: 2017
With a second year of funding from IWF and Hills Bank and Trust Company, WFAN will train beginning women farmers. This program connects women who aspire to farm with a successful woman farmer as a mentor for critical on-farm experience, networking events, and business training, so they will be successful farmers. Current participants are exploring niche or organic vegetable farming. Funded by IWF and Hills Bank and Trust Company.
Catherine McAuley Center
Creating Opportunities for Women through Volunteerism
Location: Cedar RapidsYear: 2016
The Catherine McAuley Center (CMC) will facilitate a strengths-based, skill-building volunteer experiences program for women in the Transitional Housing Program. Volunteerism is associated with increased employment odds because it offers women the opportunity to build social networks, develop job-related skills and experience, and distinguish themselves from other job applicants. Group education and individual mentoring will assist women with resumes and interview skills, and those interested in micro-enterprise development will receive individualized support.
Cedar Valley Friends of the Family (CVFF)
Housing Stability and Financial Empowerment
Location: WaverlyYear: 2016
The mission of CVFF, currently funded by IWF, is to provide immediate safety and long-term stability for women and children affected by domestic violence in 14 northeast Iowa counties. Through case management, CVFF helps clients affected by domestic violence to stabilize their housing and financial situation. Their goal of an initial crisis evaluation is to avoid homelessness while averting or reducing the need for a lengthy stay in a shelter.
Crisis Intervention Services
Survivors' Economic Self-Sufficiency
Location: Appanoose, Davis, Jasper, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lucas, Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, Poweshiek, Wapello, and Wayne countiesYear: 2016
Crisis Intervention Services serves survivors of trauma in twelve counties in south central Iowa. The project will help equip survivors of trauma (domestic violence and sexual assault) with skills and resources necessary to gain economic self-sufficiency. Training will be given in financial literacy, life skills, and career empowerment, working along with Iowa Work Force Development.
Crossroads of Iowa
Enrichment for Women after Trauma
Location: Des MoinesYear: 2016
Crossroads of Iowa aims to reduce relapse/recidivism among a unique group of women imprisoned for drug crimes and being treated for drug addiction while in the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women or the Polk County Jail. Classes are designed to support new life skills as well as a successful transition into the community. IWF funding will support the start of a new substance abuse support group for women at the Polk County Jail.
Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP)
After the Crisis: A Healing Retreat for Victims and Their Children
Location: Cedar, Des Moines, Henry, Iowa, Johnson, Lee, Van Buren, and Washington countiesYear: 2016
IWF funding to DVIP will provide a healing retreat for victims of domestic violence and their children. The retreat is designed to assist victims/survivors that have moved beyond immediate crises and are now independent of an abusive partner. This day long retreat will focus on long-term care response to trauma, wellness and self-care, developing long-term financial goals and repairing/enhancing the parent-child relationship. What makes this project unique is its focus beyond crisis intervention, criminal justice, and homelessness to the wholeness and
well-being of individuals who have been affected.
Dress for Success Quad Cities
Improving Self-Sufficiency for Disadvantaged Local Women
Location: Clinton, Jackson, Muscatine, and Scott countiesYear: 2016
Dress for Success Quad Cities (DSQC) is a local, independent affiliate of an international non-profit founded in 1997 to help unemployed, disadvantaged women by providing free suits and job retention training. To date, DSQC has served nearly 500 women. This project will provide $2,500 in operational support to allow participation for up to 50 women in the Professional Women’s Group and will promote more assessment of the program including improved self-sufficiency indicators at completion during 2016.
Fort Dodge Community Foundation and United Way
Wheels for Work
Location: Webster CountyYear: 2016
Wheels for Work provides donated vehicles to single mothers with children to use for transportation to work. Providing transportation allows a mother to earn a living, transport her children safely, go to the grocery store to get healthy food and oftentimes allows her to move from an undesirable living situation to one that is safer and more secure, since she does not have to rely on anyone for transportation. IWF funds help with maintenance, new tires, registration fees, and title fees. IWF funding will be matched by the Fort Dodge Community Foundation and United Way.
Girls Incorporated of Sioux City
Eureka!
Location: Monroe, Plymouth, and Woodbury countiesYear: 2016
Eureka! is a research-based Girls Inc. STEM curriculum conducted on local college campuses featuring daily workshops led by female faculty members. The long-term goal of Eureka! is to motivate girls ages 12-18 to pursue post-secondary education and careers in STEM fields. For four weeks in the summer, Girls Inc. members will experience unique, no-pressure, challenging yet fun, ungraded opportunities for skill- and knowledge-building. Eureka! was developed to serve primarily girls who lack opportunities, resources, or support to pursue science, math, and technology.
Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa
GOT REI High-Need Scholarships
Location: Buchanan, Henry, Iowa, Jefferson, Johnson, and Linn countiesYear: 2016
Girls on the Run is an after-school program that uses the power of running to prepare 3rd-6th
grade girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. Groups of 8-20 girls meet twice
a week for 10 weeks. Volunteer coaches lead the lessons and incorporate training for a 5k run/
walk event with a focused, experience-based curriculum that includes topics such as healthy
eating, conflict resolution, making good choices, how to prevent and address bullying, and standing up for one’s self. Funding will provide full or partial scholarships in Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Hills, Fairfield, and Cedar Rapids.
Iowa Youth Writing Project
Writing for Change
Location: Johnson and Jones countiesYear: 2016
In fall 2014, the Iowa Youth Writing Project successfully launched Writing for Change, a literacy project to mentor and empower at-risk girls now in the John McDonald Residential Treatment Center in Monticello. IWF’s support in 2015 allowed the program to recruit more volunteers to mentor more girls. In addition to continuing the weekly creative writing workshops, mentors will create a curriculum to share with other writing programs and state or non-profit agencies that serve at-risk girls. The girls will give a public reading at the Englert Theater in Iowa City.
Latina Leadership Initiative (LLI) of Greater Des Moines
Latina Leadership Initiative of Greater Des Moines
Location: Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Polk, Story, Wapello, and Warren countiesYear: 2016
LLI is a one-year intensive leadership training and mentorship program that builds the pipeline
of socially conscious Iowa Latina leaders who will create change through service on boards and commissions, in public office, and in private, non-profit, and educational sectors. It is the only
leadership development program in Iowa focused on emerging Latina leaders, a growing segment of the population that is often over-looked, underserved, and disenfranchised.
LOVE Girls Magazine
LOVE Girls Magazine Recognition and Internship Program
Location: Scott CountyYear: 2016
The dynamic Love Girls Magazine, previously funded by IWF, recruits local middle and high school students in Scott County into their journalism writing and photography internship program. In addition to their work on production of the magazine, interns will plan and attend the Love Awards ceremony in April 2016. Ten young women recipients of Love Awards will be chosen from students in Scott County and surrounding communities to celebrate their accomplishments and honor the struggles they have survived. Funded by IWF and an anonymous donor.
Lutheran Services in Iowa
Refugee Child Care Training and Parent Education Program
Location: Polk CountyYear: 2016
This program builds on a project currently funded by IWF. LSI’s Child Care Provider
Business Development program assists refugee women in increasing their financial stability
by becoming registered in-home child care providers and expanding the number of safe and culturally appropriate places to provide child care for working parents. As a result, 47 providers from 14 language groups have been trained and state registered and 90 refugees have gone to work. LSI plans to continue this program, assist with re-registration of providers, and offer refugee parenting support.
Opening Doors
Building Brighter Tomorrows for Homeless Women and Children
Location: StatewideYear: 2016
The Opening Doors’ programs at Maria House and Teresa Shelter strive to ensure brighter
tomorrows for women previously struggling with homelessness by helping to increase their financial resources, helping them find permanent housing, and helping to provide other necessary support services to end the cycle of poverty. Through regular (at least twice a week) meetings with a case manager, women define their life goals and identify steps and necessary resources to achieve those goals.
Women, Food, and Agriculture (WFAN)
Harvesting our Potential: Training Women Farmers
Location: Cass, Linn, Ringgold, and Story countiesYear: 2016
Through Harvesting Our Potential: Training Women Farmers, WFAN will train 10 aspiring women farmers to become successful businesswomen. Two indicators of success for future farmers are farm experience and business planning. Training will address both of these and a third component that is critical for women: a supportive network of other women. By training a cadre of the next generation of women farmers, WFAN will not only address the disparity between men and women farmers in Iowa. It will address food insecurity in Iowa through entrepreneurship. Funded by IWF and Hills Bank and Trust Company.
YWCA of Black Hawk County
Women Empowering Women
Location: Black Hawk CountyYear: 2016
Women Empowering Women will pair professional women with women preparing to rejoin the community following involvement in local or state correctional systems. The focus will
be on supporting the women to be self-sufficient – particularly in regards to employment – with a goal to not just obtain employment, but to find careers. Mentoring these women as they work to establish a positive work history, go to school, or participate in training will enable them to make more realistic decisions, set attainable goals, gain self-confidence, and establish a personal support system. Participants must agree to meet together at least twice monthly for six months.
Assault Care Center Extending Shelter and Support (ACCESS)
Next Step- Women's Job Readiness Program
Location: Ames and Central IowaYear: 2015
ACCESS will offer Next Step, an employment readiness program to provide financial literacy education and support to survivors of domestic violence in Ames and surrounding communities. The project includes three components: a job readiness skills group, financial support for job seeking/advancement activities, and individualized support provided by certified domestic abuse advocates. Funding will be used for the purchase of laptops for job seeking activities, transportation, marketing, and miscellaneous expenses.
Cedar Valley Friends of the Family, Waverly
Housing Stability and Financial Empowerment
Location: Northeast IowaYear: 2015
According to the 2012 Status of Women and Girls in Iowa Report, the fastest growing population of homeless persons is composed of single women with 2 or 3 children. Last year our agency provided 4,432 nights of safety to victims of domestic violence in our 24-hour safe shelter in Bremer County to 108 women and 106 children from Northeast Iowa and beyond. Last year, the average length of stay in our shelter was 21 days. Our grant will support an ongoing program which provides one-on-one case management and housing assistance and budgeting as well as offering regular financial literacy classes to groups of women affected by domestic violence.
Crossroads of Iowa
Enrichment for Women after Trauma
Location: Des MoinesYear: 2015
The mission of Crossroads of Iowa is to reduce relapse/recidivism among a unique group of women emerging from the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women, i.e., those imprisoned for drug crimes and treated for drug addiction while in prison. Conceived by women who themselves have needed this support, Crossroads plans to create a residential immersion program to reinforce new coping skills developed in treatment. In the meantime, they will offer classes, support groups and services to encourage successful re-entry among these vulnerable women. Crossroads of Iowa is designed to serve up to 125 women annually.
Iowa Youth Writing Project (IYWP)
Writing for Change
Location: Johnson and Jones CountiesYear: 2015
The recent closing of the Iowa Juvenile Home (IJH) highlights how support for at-risk girls is dwindling. For two years IYWP led writing workshops at IJH with University of Iowa students and Iowa City community members working with girls to hone their writing skills within a community of active listeners. Writing for Change will offer similar creative writing and empowerment workshops for adolescent girls at a residential treatment home in Monticello. Implementing the curriculum developed through this writing mentorship will serve to amplify publicly the voices of marginalized girls.
ISED Ventures
The Women's Business Center
Location: Central IowaYear: 2015
Since the Great Recession of 2008, small, women-owned businesses along with large corporations have been responsible for the creation of employment. However, women in Iowa lag the nation in our creation and growth of small business which, after home-ownership, is the second-most important wealth-creating tool. The WBC offers a series of workshops for low-income and low-capital women on creating a business along with individual counselling. Funding will support this on-going WBC project.
Latinas Unidas por un Nuevo Amanecer (L.U.N.A.)
L.U.N.A. Promotora Program
Location: Des MoinesYear: 2015
As the Latino population continues to grow, there is a need for culturally-specific programming. Implementing a promotora model at L.U.N.A. is an example of a community-based outreach strategy to reach the under-served and hard-to-reach areas within the Latino population through peer education. A promotora is a grassroots worker who provides basic education, guidance, and referral services in the community. After participating in a 60-hour training program (including 30 hours on domestic violence and sexual abuse), the newly recruited promotoras will receive ongoing support and continuing education. This program will engage women to participate in the community while developing leadership and management skills.
Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI)
Refugee Child Care Microenterprise Program
Location: Des MoinesYear: 2015
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that Iowa’s foreign-born population has increased by 36.8% from 2000 to 2010. Of that population, 26% live in Polk County. A 2011 LSI survey documented the need for adequate and culturally appropriate childcare in the refugee community. As a result, LSI trained 23 women from the Karen, Bhutanese, Iraqi, Burundi, and Burmese communities in First Aid, CPR, nutrition standards, and the prevention and control of infectious diseases. Participants were guided through the licensure process as in-home child care providers. The grant will be used to expand this successful program.
Science Center of Iowa
SciGirls Summer Camp Scholarships
Location: Des MoinesYear: 2015
Research shows that while women are attending and completing college at higher rates than ever before, they still remain underrepresented in STEM fields.
The overall goal of the SciGirls Summer Camps is to engage a diverse population of Iowa girls in research-based activities that ignite interest and encourage careers in STEM. This grant will underwrite the participation of economically disadvantaged girls grades 4-6 scholarships to a week-long summer camp at the Science Center of Iowa and partially cover miscellaneous workshop costs.
University of Iowa, College of Education
Strong Girls Read Strong Books
Location: Johnson CountyYear: 2015
Girls served by the Strong Girls Read Strong Books program are students at one of the lowest academically performing elementary schools in Iowa City. Seventy-seven percent of the children at this school are from low income families and represent a diversity of ethnic and racial backgrounds. In this weekly, free after-school program 4th-6th grade girls read and discuss quality multicultural books with strong female protagonists, keep journals, meet female community leaders and authors, and take field trips. Strong Girls Read Strong Books provides the means for girls to see themselves as readers, thoughtful decision makers, and leaders.
University of Northern Iowa
Shining Stars: Girls Looking Ahead Project
Location: Black Hawk CountyYear: 2015
This program developed as a result of the “achievement gaps” that continue to widen among African American youth and other racial and ethnic groups. With the cooperation of the Waterloo Community School District, elementary and middle school girls “in need of improvement” are recruited to participate in weekly activities and experiences at UNI while tracking their academic progress. Given an overwhelming participant response in the first year with impressive results, IWF will fund a second year.
Waverly Area Small Business lncubator and Consultation Center
Young Women in Business Conference
Location: Northeast IowaYear: 2015
Iowa ranks last in the nation for the cumulative growth in the number of women-owned firms and their revenue and employment. WASBICC will collaborate with Wartburg College and Wartburg Net Impact to offer a conference called Young Women in Business for middle and high school girls. This conference will educate young women on the core concentrations of business as well as have speakers sharing inspiring life stories on how they started and grew their businesses and explaining why women should become business owners. The overall goal is for WASBICC to educate and assist female entrepreneurs in researching, launching and sustaining small businesses in NE Iowa.
Women, Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN)
Women Caring for the Land: Nurturing New Careers in Ecological Restoration
Location: StatewideYear: 2015
This continuing project fills a niche both for aspiring female entrepreneurs in the growing field of ecological restoration and for the rising number of women inheriting farmland in Iowa. WFAN has built a successful conservation outreach program for them called Women Caring for the Land(SM). An ecological restoration entrepreneur could expect to earn $30 an hour, making this a viable part-time seasonal or full-time business opportunity. Our funding will expand this training program.
Young Women’s Resource Center
Life Skills for Young Moms
Location: Des MoinesYear: 2015
According to the recent She Matters report, Polk County has a teen birth rate over 72/1000 and saw 473 live births in 2010. (The youngest woman to give birth that year was only twelve.)
Life Skills for Young Moms is a 12-week program to teach the basics of personal finance, review job application skills, introduce local resources, and offer individual coaching.
50-50 in 2020
Blueprint for Winning Academy
Location: StatewideYear: 2014
50-50 in 2020 recruits, trains and mentors Iowa women to hold public office. This Iowa Women’s Foundation grant will support the second biennial Blueprint for Winning Academy, which is an intensive training program for strong female candidates. Using a bi-partisan, issue-neutral approach, the Academy assists each candidate in developing a “blueprint” for her campaign. The focus is on communication, fundraising, message, presence, and media.
Ascent
IGNITE
Location: StatewideYear: 2014
Iowa’s women-owned businesses rank last in the nation for cumulative growth in the number of firms, revenue and employment according to American Express Open’s 2013 The State of Women-Owned Businesses Report. Currently in Iowa, over 50 percent of its population is female, more women than men are graduating from higher-education institutions, yet women-owned businesses only account for 25.5% of all Iowa’s small businesses in 2007, down from 27% in 2002 according to the She Matters, 2012 Status of Women and Girls in Iowa report. Ascent’s IGNITE program is a pilot program that provides mentoring and educational opportunities to women business owners in Iowa. Women business owners operate differently than men. This unique program targets stage two scalable women-owned businesses in different industries that are located throughout the State of Iowa. It is designed to uncover the needs of woman business owners, assist them in creating and executing a growth plan and meeting them where they need to be met.
Children & Families of Iowa
Employment for Survivors of Domestic Violence
Location: StatewideYear: 2014
For over 30 years, Children & Families of Iowa has provided services to women who are survivors of domestic violence. The Iowa Women’s Foundation grant will assist the Women’s Employment Project. The purpose of the Project is to equip survivors of domestic violence with financial and career training so they are economically empowered to support themselves, their children, and their community – never again to rely on an abuser for daily sustenance.
ISED Ventures
ISED Women's Business Center TechStart
Location: Polk, Dallas, Warren, Muscatine, Henry, Louisa CountiesYear: 2014
ISED’s Women’s Business Center intends to teach its clients to use computers and the internet more effectively so they can grow their businesses and access state and private resources that increasingly are found only online. With the grant assistance from the Iowa Women’s Foundation, these classes will be held in cycles of one to three sessions for one and a half to three hours each. Clients will develop skills they can use in their business immediately. Most sessions will be taught English/Spanish. Supported with funding from the John R. Wright and Eloise Mountain Wright Foundation
Love Girls Magazine/The Community Foundation of Great River Band
LOVE Girls Training and Internship Program
Location: Scott CountyYear: 2014
With the assistance of the Iowa Women’s Foundation grant, Love Girls Magazine will host a leadership development and media and marketing internship program for adolescent girls ages 13 to 19 years old. The magazine will recruit local middle and high school students in Scott County. Girls will be required to complete an application and 25 girls will be accepted into training and internship program. In the training program, each girl will complete a photography, writing, and marketing project. Upon completion of the program, they will intern with Love Girls Magazine, where they will work with adult mentors to publish and market this self-esteem magazine. Each girl will receive a stipend for completed projects and a commission for ad sales.
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland
Acting Out! Performing Arts for Healthy Choices
Location: Woodbury CountyYear: 2014
The Acting Out teen theatre troupe project in Sioux City, IA, (Woodbury County) is a peer education troupe using theatre to address issues critical to teens. The troupe consists of six to 20 cast members at any one time of nearly all girls aged 14 to 18. Girls participating in the troupe develop their own healthy choices and decision-making skills and develop peer leadership and mentoring skills. The troupe brings to life scripts focusing on life choices teens make each day affecting their future and well-being. The troupe’s goal is to assist their peers in making informed, healthy decisions about their behaviors today that impact their lives tomorrow. Troupe members work with a group sponsor and coach, Kirsten Colt, a PP Heartland educator for Woodbury County, to develop script ideas; research topic areas; and create age-relevant role-playing scenarios to illustrate performance topics. The program sends a reality-based adolescent pregnancy prevention message with an emphasis on abstinence.
University of Iowa College of Education/University of Iowa Foundation
Strong Girls Read Strong Books
Location: Johnson CountyYear: 2014
Strong Girls Read Strong Books is a weekly after-school program for 4th-6th grade girls at Grant Wood Elementary School in Iowa City. Girls in the program are introduced to books with strong female protagonists. Girls read the books and respond to them using writing, illustration, drama, and movement. The girls also meet female community leaders, visit the public library and librarians, and engage in community leadership opportunities with younger girls.
Seventh grade girls who participated in the project during Spring 2013 will be invited to return as “Leader Helpers” and will have their own book discussion group that meets monthly at Southeast Junior High.
Pre-service teachers from the UI who participate in the program co-facilitate book discussions and may collaborate in the research with project leaders to study girls’ reading and responses to multicultural literature.
This project aims to help girls who are “at-risk” to think about themselves as future strong women with potential to be whatever they dream.
University of Northern Iowa Foundation
Shining Starts: Girls Looking Ahead Project
Location: Black Hawk CountyYear: 2014
The Iowa Women’s Foundation grant will support this program which was developed as a result of the “achievement gaps” that continue to widen among African American youth and other racial and ethnic groups. The students who participate in kindergarten, elementary, and middle schools in Waterloo, who have been identified as having supportive, social-emotional, and educational enhancement needs. This program is scheduled weekly with a variety of sessions involving the girls in a variety of experiences to help them grow cognitively, emotional, socially, personally, and spiritually. University of Northern Iowa students, faculty and community members are involved in running the program. Pre- and post- data will be collected to measure success of program goals and girls overall performance in school, at home and in the community.
Women, Food and Agriculture Network
Women Caring for the Land: Nurturing New Careers in Ecological Restoration
Location: StatewideYear: 2014
With support from the Iowa Women’s Foundation, WFAN will pioneer a new business opportunity for young Iowa women in the field of ecological restoration. They will coach four women who are aspiring ecological restoration entrepreneurs to develop an individual business plan, and connect them with potential clients from among the growing number of women landowners who have expressed an interest in hiring female contractors to work on their land. This is a new concept in women’s career development for Iowa.
Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa
Power Up: Relational Aggression Prevention
Location: Serves 67 counties in central and western Iowa. Headquarters located in Des Moines, with Leadership Centers in Council Bluffs, Fort Dodge, Mason City, and Sioux City.Year: 2013
Iowa Juvenile Home Foundation
Herbert Hoover School Library
Location: Based in Toledo, Iowa. Service youth statewide.Year: 2013
University of Iowa College of Education, University of Iowa Foundation
Strong Girls Read Strong Books
Location: Johnson County, IowaYear: 2013
Young Women’s Resource Center (YWRC)
3M (Money Managing Mamas)
Location: Des Moines, Iowa (Polk County)Year: 2013
50-50 in 2020
Blueprint for Winning Academy
Location: StatewideYear: 2012
The organization’s goal is to help women obtain fifty percent of Iowa legislative and congressional positions and the office of governor by 2020, the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the United States. In that effort, the 2-day “Blueprint for Winning” program will provide information and training to female candidates running for the Iowa Legislature and U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. After attending sessions on topics such as forming a campaign committee, fundraising and defining their campaign message, candidates will leave with an individualized “blueprint” which will help guide her through the campaign. In addition, each candidate will be paired with a current office-holder to shadow as well as a female mentor from her party who can give advice during the campaign. After the election, two follow-up sessions will be held: one for those who win, who will receive tools on how to work effectively in public office; another who those who are not elected, to provide an analysis and plans for winning the next election.
Angel House
Financial Literacy & Economic Stability
Location: Black Hawk County, IowaYear: 2012
As a part of their efforts to help women recover from addictions and lead responsible, happy, and productive lives, the Financial Literacy Program will provide graduates of Angel House with financial knowledge and resources to utilize once they leave the house to live on their own. Residents will receive training on job seeking and employment, and they will spend time throughout the week applying for work, developing their profiles, and following up on referrals. Angel House staff will provide residents with transportation to interviews and job skills training. In addition, the women will attend classes on financial budgeting and set up savings accounts into which they will deposit 30% of their paychecks. By the end of the program, Angel House hopes to help women become employable and work towards obtaining permanent jobs and homes.
Braking Traffik
Minor Sex-Trafficking Awareness Training
Location: Scott County, IowaYear: 2012
Although hundreds of thousands of minors are trafficked every year, the issue remains largely unknown in Iowa. When young girls are arrested for prostitution, they are viewed as criminals rather than children in need who are not old enough to consent to have sex. The program will work to educate the community and local organizations, such as law enforcement and social services, in order to help them view these girls as victims rather than delinquents. Other areas of training will include strategies on how to identify and respond to victims. The project will raise awareness by working with the media and attending community events that focus on advocacy for children, women, and/or abuse. The Human Trafficking Project will work to pass Senate Bill S. 596, the “Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act,” which seeks to establish a grant program to benefit minors who are victims of sex trafficking.
InterDance
SEJH After-School Girl's Dance Club
Location: Johnson County, IowaYear: 2012
During a time when schools have greatly reduced funding for the fine arts, after-school programs are the only way many schools can expose their students to the arts. This dance program at Southeast Junior High will provide a place where girls can express themselves and build confidence, and is an alternative to competitive sports, sedentary habits, and unsafe street activities. Students will take classes once a week and learn elements of dance, technique and choreography. The dance club also intends to perform at multiple venues, including school assemblies, senior centers, and the Sand in the City Festival. The girls will be able to build leadership skills while preparing for performances through choosing music, developing choreography and designing costumes.
Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Skylark Scholarships
Location: StatewideYear: 2012
With this grant, Skylark Project seeks to expand its services to improve incarcerated survivors’ economic security through higher education. Skylark Scholarships will fund ten $500 scholarships, enabling students to receive college education or technical training. The scholarships will cover tuition, books, printing, postage, and school supply costs for one class for each woman. With support services like tutoring and goal-tracking, Skylark will help students succeed. Advanced education will help the scholarship recipients heal from the damage of past abuse and also reduce their vulnerability to abuse in the future. When an abuse survivor succeeds in her education, she starts to unlearn the degrading, debasing messages she received from her batterer; she improves her sense of self-worth. In addition, advanced education makes her more competitive in the job market, increasing her chances of financial independence. The scholarships will complement other support services by Skylark Project to help the women realize their own strength, value, and ability to succeed.
Quakerdale
Women Taking Charge
Location: Hardin County, IowaYear: 2012
For high school girls who do not participate in sports or fine arts programs, there are few constructive leadership development opportunities available in Hardin County. Women Taking Charge will provide up to 40 girls at South Hardin High School with the resources to discuss women’s issues and enact social change. In bi-monthly meetings, the girls will learn about local and global women’s issues while learning more about the trials and triumphs of women. Each participant will be responsible for developing a “take charge” group advocacy plan which they can conduct in their own community. The inaugural session of the program will run from January to May 2012. For second cycle of the program, which will begin in August 2012, the first cycle graduates will have the chance to serve as peer mentors and help other girls develop their own advocacy plans.
United Way of Story County
Women with Initiative
Location: Story County, IowaYear: 2012
After many conversations with local organizations and community leaders, United Way of Story County (UWSC) found that a lack of financial literacy was a major obstacle for women trying to achieve self-sufficiency. To remedy this problem, UWSC launched Women with Initiative, a program designed to provide financial education and counseling to at-risk and elderly women in a safe and non-threatening environment. UWSC has partnered with Iowa State University Extension to create classes on multiple topics, including budgeting, evaluating loans and understanding credit. In addition, the program will pair participants with community mentors to help the women apply new skills. Once women have completed the program, they will also have the chance to apply for four scholarships, which will enable them to continue their education.
Angel House
Angel House
Location: Black Hawk County, IowaYear: 2011
This facility will help homeless, substance addicted women transition into substance-free, independent living. Angel House will provide the most comprehensive assistance available to women in recovery in the area. The program offers multiple services to help the women fully recover from substance abuse. These include recovery meetings, job-seeking assistance and classes focusing on financial management, healthy relationships, and nutrition. Once they complete the program, the women will not only have the skills to lead a responsible, productive life; they will also be able to demonstrate their abilities to women in similar situations.
Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois
Leadership Development Programming for Columbus Junction
Location: Louisa County, IowaYear: 2011
Roundy Elementary School girls will participate in engaging and empowering activities while creating a community service project that focuses on environmental sustainability. At the same time, the girls will finish a Girl Scouts Journey series and work with a college-aged mentor who will help them with their project. Throughout the experience, the girls will take photographs or video of their activities and use social media to share the content with girls across the country. At the project’s end the girls will have a stronger sense of leadership, community involvement and career opportunities.
Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
HEAT Force (Housing and Economic Advocacy Taskforce)
Location: StatewideYear: 2011
The HEAT Force combines the efforts of both service-providing and policy-research non-profits in order to give low-income women and domestic abuse survivors more financial opportunities. It will also give these women and domestic violence advocates the skills they need to influence local and federal policies regarding housing and economic assistance. The HEAT Force will hold webinars that will give advocates better knowledge of things like affordable housing, welfare and public speaking. It will also provide women and girls with classes on how to recognize and avoid financial abuse and manage money responsibly.
YWCA of Black Hawk County
Wize Girlz
Location: Black Hawk County, IowaYear: 2011
Wize Girlz is an after-school program for middle-school girls in Waterloo, which will provide a stable environment for girls to explore and discuss issues such as personal health, racism, violence prevention, leadership, education and employment. Various groups will meet once a week for the entire school year and will engage in a variety of activities, such as service projects, going on interactive field trips and speaker presentations. Wize Girlz aims to build self esteem and life skills while also increasing female graduation rates.
Family & Children’s Council of Black Hawk County
Living Apart, Parenting Together
Location: Waterloo / Black Hawk CountyYear: 2010
Stabilize the lives of children who are survivors of domestic violence by developing parenting plans, addressing safety issues, reducing conflict and increasing child support compliance.
Metro Arts Alliance of Greater Des Moines
Inmate Art at the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women
Location: Des Moines / Central IowaYear: 2010
Expand an artist teaching program that gives female inmates the opportunity to explore self-expression, learn art techniques and acquire skills in graphic design, framing and matting.
Waypoint Services for Women, Children and Families
Guided Conversations: A Toolkit for Advocacy with Battered Women and their Children
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa / StatewideYear: 2010
Nurture the valuable relationship between mother and child by addressing and overcoming the negative perception of battered mothers with a statewide curriculum that will teach strategies for handling child resentment, empowering mothers and reversing learned battering behaviors.
Women, Food and Agriculture Network/Tides
Harvesting Our Potential: Sustainable Agriculture Internships for Women
Location: Ames, Iowa / StatewideYear: 2010
Create a comprehensive professional mentor program to educate and provide experience for young women interested in the growing field of sustainable agriculture.
YWCA of Black Hawk County
Empowering Young African American Women
Location: Waterloo / East High School in WaterlooYear: 2010
Increase graduation rates and decrease teenage pregnancy among African American high school women by engaging in community service mentoring and educational activities targeted around personal growth, black heritage, decision making and career exploration.
Beyond Welfare, Inc.
Beyond Welfare Women's Circles
Location: Story County, Iowa / CentralYear: 2009
Establish a support network for women rejoining the community or those at risk for entering the justice system in order to address systemic issues linking poverty, inequality and incarceration.
Girls on the Run of Johnson County
Girls on the Run
Location: Johnson County, Iowa / South EastYear: 2009
Build strength, character and confidence among 3rd to 6th grade girls through an established curriculum, as they train for a 5k race.
Women’s Resource and Action Center
Iowa N.E.W. Leadership
Location: Iowa City, Iowa / StatewideYear: 2009
Enrich and encourage undergraduate women during a week-long residential learning experience with the long-term goal of increasing women’s representation at all levels of government.
Mid-Year Highlights: Program administrators reported the grant from IWF “made it possible for us to spend less time fundraising and more time with the women we exist to serve in our community and state.” Focused programming and a higher level of community engagement increased the participants’ experiences: “Now I get that there is a support system that will help us run if we want to.” “This is the path that found me — public leadership is it.”
Young Women’s Resource Center
Justice: Youthful Offender Program
Location: Polk County/ Central IowaYear: 2009
Create a new beginning for young women facing legal charges through life-skills education and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
YWCA
Empowering Young African American Women
Location: Black Hawk County/ North EastYear: 2009
Develop participants into responsible community leaders by engaging in community service and educational activities targeted to their unique cultural needs.
Iowa Juvenile Home Foundation
True Colors Music Therapy Project
Location: Toledo / StatewideYear: 2008
Engage troubled girls in music therapy sessions which result in improved behavior, emotional management and overall positive impact on well-being.
Waypoint Services for Women and Children
Outreach Program for Madge Phillips Homeless Shelter
Location: Cedar Rapids/ East CentralYear: 2008
Implement a permanent Outreach Specialist to intervene, educate and advocate on behalf of homeless women to promote independent living.
YWCA
YWISE Girls Leadership Program
Location: Clinton / EastYear: 2008
Institute the Girls Circle curriculum to promote discussion of self-image, building healthy relationships and community engagement in a welcoming setting.
YWCA
Girls Power
Location: Ames, Nevada/ CentralYear: 2008
Empower girls ages 11-13 by promoting leadership skill and positive self-esteem through interaction with female ISU students.
Family and Children’s Council of Black Hawk Co.
Women’s Empowerment Advocacy Training Project
Location: Black Hawk County/ North EastYear: 2007
Remove barriers and enable low-income African American women to participate in community leadership, providing a voice in decisions that impact their lives.
The Domestic/Sexual Assault Outreach Center
Empowerment Station
Location: Fort Dodge/ CentralYear: 2007
Inform young women about issues of bullying, dating violence, and domestic/sexual assault through a Youth Advocate and website aimed at increasing education and communication in a non-threatening way.
Team 236
Domestic Violence Response Team Safety and Accountability Audit
Location: Cedar Rapids/ East CentralYear: 2006
Audit existing systems of Linn County response units and provide consultation to uncover needed social, policy and procedural changes to break down the cycle of domestic violence.
The White House Project
The White House Project
Location: StatewideYear: 2006
Advance women’s leadership in all levels—from local to national—to balance the scales for female public servants in Iowa.
Young Women’s Task Force
Celebrate Young Women's Conference
Location: Creston/ South Central, WestYear: 2006
Continue the 2003 grant project reaching out to young women from 10 rural counties.
Children and Family Urban Ministries / The WILD Girls
Act Like A Dreamer
Location: Des Moines/ CentralYear: 2005
Encourage 6th–8th grade girls to explore the power of their creativity by working with a professional actor/director to create an original script about their life experiences.
Domestic/Sexual Assault Outreach Center
Window of Joy
Location: Fort Dodge/ Surrounding Area/ CentralYear: 2005
Challenge the public misconception that domestic abuse affects only young women while establishing a core group of mature volunteers to act as mentors and peer educators.
Girls Incorporated
Girls Bill of Rights Marketing Campaign
Location: Sioux City/ WestYear: 2005
Actively involve girls in the planning and implementation of a marketing campaign designed to reach approximately 800 girls with messages empowering girls.
Northeast Iowa Community College
Girls on the Move
Location: Howard, Allamakee, Winneshiek and Clayton counties/ North EastYear: 2005
Expand the 2002 grant project to present a conference and activities on nontraditional career opportunities for 7th and 8th grade girls from rural areas.
Radio Postville
KPVL Voices of Women
Location: Postville/ Surrounding Area/ North EastYear: 2005
Develop women’s radio programming to connect with a diverse, multi-lingual, rural population.
The Abilities Fund
Informed Choices: Entrepreneurship for Women and Girls with Disabilities
Location: Centerville/ StatewideYear: 2005
Expand vocational choices to include entrepreneurship for women and girls with disabilities through focused programming.
Young Women’s Resource Center
Latinas! Stay in School
Location: Des Moines/ CentralYear: 2005
Unite middle school-aged Hispanic girls with successful high school role models to reinforce the importance of staying in school.
Girl Scouts of Conestoga Council
Real Girlz
Location: Jackson Junction/ Surrounding Area/ North EastYear: 2004
Expand opportunities for middle school girls in rural communities to participate in enriching social activities that encourage diversity, personal responsibility and decision-making skills.
Institute for Social and Economic Development
Pathways to Progress: Micro-enterprise Program for Incarcerated Women
Location: Mitchellville/ CentralYear: 2004
Advance opportunity for incarcerated women to create financial independence post-release by providing training and technical assistance to become business owners.
Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
What's $$ Got to Do With It? Economic Power for Immigrant Women
Location: Des Moines/ CentralYear: 2004
Leverage resources to increase the economic self-determination of immigrant women while providing access to asset-building strategies, micro-enterprise development and job training.
Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Different Colors of Violence Conference for Youth
Location: Des Moines/ CentralYear: 2004
Train and inform youth from communities of color on strategies to prevent sexual assault and how to seek assistance.
Metro High School and Waypoint Services
Supporting and Empowering Women
Location: Cedar Rapids/ East CentralYear: 2004
Break the cycle of domestic and sexual abuse while providing healthy support and assistance for an at-risk population of female high school students.
Allamakee County Women and Children’s Resource Center
The Yellow Dress- Dating Violence Prevention Program
Location: Allamakee County/ North EastYear: 2003
Stimulate discussion and promote awareness of teen dating violence through presentations of a play on the issue for high school students and community members.
Centro Latino—Council Bluffs District Hispanic Ministries
ESL Child Care Program
Location: Council Bluffs/ South WestYear: 2003
Eliminate a barrier preventing Spanish-speaking women from attending ESL classes by providing frequent, quality child care services.
Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
Latina Leadership Program
Location: Sioux City/ Surrounding Area/ WestYear: 2003
Develop leaders and enhance outreach in the Latina community by: 1) supporting a Hispanic women’s conference on violence and oppression and 2) training Latina women to become community advocates.
Decorah Public Library
Girls and Computers
Location: Decorah/ North EastYear: 2003
Initiate a club for girls ages 12-14 to develop skills to diagnose and repair computer hardware problems with the intent of narrowing the gap in this male-dominated field.
Dubuque/Delaware County Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Community Awareness Campaign and Conference
Location: Dubuque and Delaware counties/ North EastYear: 2003
Educate the community on the effects of violence against women and girls by offering a one-day conference featuring activist Jackson Katz and initiating community-based activities.
United Action for Youth
Gearl Jam
Location: Iowa City/ East CentralYear: 2003
Promote girls in the arts by supporting young women as they create and produce original music recordings and video productions.
University of Northern Iowa/ Quakerdale
Forum Theater as a Tool of Violence Prevention and Education
Location: Waterloo/ North EastYear: 2003
Integrate art and violence prevention education to empower female Quakerdale residents to make thoughtful relationship decisions.
Young Women’s Task Force
Young Women's Conference
Location: Adair, Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Madison, Montgomery, Ringgold, Taylor and Union counties/ South Central/ WestYear: 2003
Collaborate with students and adults from area agencies, organizations and schools to organize and sponsor a one-day conference to address education, leadership, and physical and mental health issues that affect high school young women.
Catherine McAuley Center for Women
Creative Discovery
Location: Cedar Rapids/ East CentralYear: 2002
Utilize artistic expression through a two-day retreat and ongoing art therapy, allowing transitional housing residents new, positive avenues to reach their goals.
Cottage Grove Avenue Presbyterian Church
Drawing a Sentence: Empowering Incarcerated Women Through Art
Location: Mitchellville/ CentralYear: 2002
Provide an outlet for prison inmates who have been diagnosed with mental disorders enhance self-awareness, social skills and to constructively express emotion through therapeutic art activities.
Crisis Intervention Services
Crisis Intervention Services Expansion Project
Location: Mahaska and Keokuk counties/ South CentralYear: 2002
Expand direct service area to Keokuk County, offering additional support, resources and hope to victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence.
Eagles Flight, Inc.
Victory Temple Minority Women's Health Initiative
Location: Johnson County/ East CentralYear: 2002
Promote long-term healthy behavior and lifestyle through education, empowerment and community based-activities tailored to meet the unique needs of women and girls of color.
Home Connection
Just For Girls
Location: Hardin County/ CentralYear: 2002
Build family relationships, enhance communication and provide education on adolescent topics including sexuality for 4th grade through middle school girls, in an effort to reduce risky behavior and teen pregnancy.
Northeast Iowa Community College
Girls on the Move
Location: Howard, Allamakee, Winneshiek and Clayton counties/ North EastYear: 2002
Empower rural girls in grades 6-8 by providing exposure to historic female role models, education on health related issues and establishing a young women’s task force to develop future enrichment activities.
Rape Victim Advocacy Project
RVAP Latina Outreach Project
Location: Iowa City/ East CentralYear: 2002
Create a collaborative environment between English and Spanish-speaking women to deliver victim services and educational programs on sexual violence.
Southern Iowa Family Planning Clinic
Latina Outreach Project
Location: Ottumwa/ South EastYear: 2002
Increase family planning choices and improve healthcare in a rural community by offering Spanish-language presentations, health fairs and regularly scheduled appointments.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Iowa
What We think
Location: Des Moines/ CentralYear: 2001
Engage young women to design, lead and publish a comprehensive survey project assessing the attitudes and experiences of adolescent girls, providing an opportunity for practical skill development and long-term social impact.
Children and Families of Iowa
Project C.O.P.E. (Counseling, Options, Prevention, Education)
Location: Union, Adams, Clarke, Decatur and Taylor counties/ South WestYear: 2001
Overcome barriers for victims of domestic violence/sexual assault in rural areas to access critical services while maximizing safety for victims and increasing outreach efforts.
Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
Lesbian Outreach Project
Location: Woodbury, Plymouth and Monona counties/ WestYear: 2001
Bridge gaps in providing domestic/sexual violence services to the LGBT community by providing on-going in-depth training to staff and volunteers.
Eagles Flight, Inc.
Victory Temple Minority Women's Health Initiative
Location: Johnson County/ East CentralYear: 2001
Promote long-term healthy behavior and lifestyle through education, empowerment and community based-activities tailored to meet the unique needs of women and girls of color.
Girl Scouts of Conestoga Council/ Quakerdale
Outdoor Involvement
Location: Cedar Valley area/ North EastYear: 2001
Link girls from both organizations to engage in outdoor team-building challenges with the outcome of increasing positive self-image and confidence.
Graffiti Theater
Creating Voice for Young Women and Girls in Iowa/ Speak Out
Location: Johnson County/ Surrounding Area/ East CentralYear: 2001
Eliminate discrimination based on race, gender, class, sexual orientation and ability by establishing and expanding girls Speak Out discussion groups. Create a traveling mural representing the girls’ thoughts and experiences that will be showcased through
Planned Parenthood of Southeast Iowa
Girl Talk II
Location: Des Moines, Lee, Van Buren, Henry, Washington, Jefferson, and Louisa counties/ South EastYear: 2001
Strengthen the lines of communication between teenage girls and their mothers in an overnight retreat offering programming on drug/alcohol abuse prevention, decision-making and self-reliance.
YWCA
Una Familia Saludable (Healthy Family)
Location: Black Hawk County/ North EastYear: 2001
Meet the needs expressed by Hispanic women in the community to learn English, access resources, break social isolation and strengthen families through health and parenting education.
Beacon of Life, Inc.
Intensive Case Management for Chronically Mentally Ill Homeless Women
Location: Des Moines/ CentralYear: 2000
Reduce homelessness rates among this population by partnering with Golden Circle Behavioral Health to provide intensive case management for residents of the center who are battling mental illness.
Des Moines Area Community College
One-Two-Three-Go
Location: Polk County/ CentralYear: 2000
Assure greater success for nontraditional female students pursuing health careers by developing needed math skills in preparation for additional college coursework.
Domestic Violence Intervention Program
Economic Literacy Course for Victims of Domestic Violence
Location: Clinton, Keokuk, Iowa City/ StatewideYear: 2000
Acquire training to offer the Personal Economic Planning curriculum to support low-income women with multiple barriers to employment, while also disseminating educational information through an established statewide network.
WE CAN!/ Iowa State University
WE CAN! (Women Exploring Careers, Academics, Networks) Learning Community
Location: Ames/CentralYear: 2000
Create a social network for students receiving benefits from the state of Iowa to reduce isolation, enhance retention/attainment and establish connections to campus resources.
Community Based Parent Coalition/Doris Hicks Pack Learning Institute
Drugs, Health and Respect for Life
Location: Des Moines/CentralYear: 1998
Educate and unite parents by teaching community organizing skills, strategies to navigate public services and providing information on safe, healthy child development.
Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
Teen Advocacy Program (TAP)
Location: Sioux City/WestYear: 1998
“Tap into” future student leaders by training them to become advocates for social change and address issues of violence and healthy relationships with their peers.
Des Moines Area Community College Foundation
Unsung Heroines: African American Women in Iowa
Location: Ankeny/StatewideYear: 1998
Research and publish a chapter in Outside In: African American History in Iowa documenting the contributions of African American women with the intent to reduce racism and prejudice by highlighting positive role historical models.
Johnson County Juvenile Court/ United Action for Youth
The Circle Program Mentoring Project
Location: Johnson County/East CentralYear: 1998
Lay the foundation for a mentoring program to match adult women with teen girls on probation to intercede and prevent high-risk behavior through the development of caring one-on-one relationships.
University of Northern Iowa, Program of Women’s Studies
Uncovering Hidden Treasures--Discovering the Tradition of Great Women at UNI: A Treasure Hunt for Girls
Location: Cedar Falls/North EastYear: 1998
Encourage girls to envision themselves making important contributions to academia and their communities by offering an educational program in which 6th grade girls interact with college students and faculty.
Women’s Resource & Action Center (WRAC)
Iowa Women Initiating Social Change
Location: Iowa City/East CentralYear: 1998
Develop and enhance feminist activism through a targeted training program for college age women that establishes skills to create social change and results in participants initiating real community action.
Youth & Shelter Services, Inc. / Iowa Homeless Youth Centers
Female Street Outreach Coordinator
Location: Des Moines/CentralYear: 1998
Staff a mobile crisis intervention center with a female outreach counselor, increasing accessibility and approachability of services while providing greater advocacy for at-risk youth.
YWCA
Girls in Motion
Location: Black Hawk County/North EastYear: 1998
Explore the world of sports and engage girls ages 12-14 in positive physical activities to influence long-term healthy life choices and strong self-esteem.