“
…Women’s foundations work … to help guarantee that (women and girls) can achieve economic (and social) balance."
— Stephanie Clohesy, Founder & Donor
The Iowa Women’s Foundation (IWF) is proud to partner with over 100 state-based organizations. Since 1994, $1.68 million has been awarded to 307 programs, benefitting thousands of women and girls in all 99 Iowa counties. Download our Grants at a Glance to see the projects we supported throughout the state of Iowa.
Learn more about the projects we have funded for over 25 years. You can search by year, barrier, or keyword below.
Refugee Child Care Training and Expansion
Lutheran Services in Iowa, Des Moines
LSI helps refugee women to increase their families’ financial stability by becoming registered in-home child care providers through the Iowa DHS.
Removing Childcare As A Barrier to Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Through Gap Scholarships
Grin and Grow Ltd., Waterloo
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%.
Teaching, Mentoring and Equipping St. Mark Families for Success
St. Mark Youth Enrichment, Dubuque
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.
Transitional Housing for Single Homeless Mothers
House of Hope, Waterloo
The House of Hope is a two-year transitional house for homeless single mothers and their children.
Transitional Housing Program
Catherine McAuley Center, Cedar Rapids
The Catherine McAuley Center (CMC) Transitional Housing Program will provide individualized programming and support services for at least 35 homeless and near-homeless women in order to help them successfully transition into safe, stable housing, achieve and maintain financial security, and build healthy social connections.
Transitional Housing Program
Catherine McAuley Center, Cedar Rapids
The Catherine McAuley Center (CMC) Transitional Housing Program will provide individualized programming and support services for at least 35 homeless and near-homeless women in order to help them successfully transition into safe, stable housing, achieve and maintain financial security, and build healthy social connections.
Changing Views on Daughters of Burma
EMBARC
The Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center is a human services organization led by Burmese refugees. EMBARC’s mothers learn about Western parenting norms and are trained to teach others in peer-based learning circles.
Friendship Sewing Cooperative
Nisaa African Family Services
The Friendship Sewing Cooprative (FSC) offers a means of gaining economic self-sufficiency, supportive social networks, and self-confidence for African refugee women.
Girl Scouts Outreach Initiative
Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, Bettendorf
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.
Harvesting Our Potential: Training Women Farmers
Women, Food and Agriculture Network
Through Harvesting Our Potential: Training 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.
