Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation Approves Over $4.9 Million in Grants
The Board of Directors of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation recently approved over $4.9 million in grants to 350 nonprofit organizations. The awards include competitive Organization Support Grants and Program Support Grants from the spring grant cycle, as well as Rapid Response Grants and distributions from donor-advised, designated, scholarship and nonprofit funds. Additionally, the GreatAmerica Financial Services Competitive Donor-Advised Fund awarded $586,500 in grants to 40 organizations.
The Community Foundation brings together private philanthropy with impactful nonprofits to support a healthy and vibrant Linn County. In 2024, the Community Foundation distributed over $12 million in grants.
The Community Foundation’s competitive grant programs are supported by the Greater Good Fund. Donors who make gifts to the Greater Good Fund have entrusted the Community Foundation to make grants that address ever-changing community needs and opportunities. These grant programs support efforts related to innovation, maintaining success, and building capacity through a competitive grantmaking process. During this grant cycle, the Community Foundation received over $3.4 million in requests for competitive grants and was able to fund $1.3 million (or 38% of the requested amount).
A complete list of the nonprofit organizations who received grant awards is included below. More information about these awards, including the project, purpose and amount of funding, can be found here.
Organization Support Grants
Area Substance Abuse Council
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids & East Central Iowa
Brucemore
Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre
Cedar Rapids Parks Foundation
Eastern Iowa Arts Academy
Freedom Stitchers of Iowa
HER Hope Empowerment Resilience
Heritage Area Agency on Aging
Lavender Legal Center
Lisbon-Mount Vernon Ambulance Service
Matthew 25
Playtime Poppy Children’s Theatre
The Arc of East Central Iowa
The History Center
Waypoint Services for Women, Children and Families
Program Support Grants
Catherine McAuley Center
Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation
Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity
CSPS
Eastern Iowa Arts Academy
Eastern Iowa Health Center
Friends of Noelridge Park Greenhouse & Botanical Center Inc
Friends of the Family
Friends of the Hiawatha Public Library
Iowa Humane Alliance
Junior League of Cedar Rapids
Marion Cares, Inc.
Matthew 25
Our Future Iowa
Planned Parenthood of the Heartland
Red Cedar Chamber Music
Riverview Center Inc.
Safe Place Foundation
Theatre Cedar Rapids
Together We Achieve
United We March Forward
Waypoint Services for Women, Children and Families
Willis Dady Homeless Services
YPN
Rapid Response Grants
Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success
Safe Place Foundation
Tanager
Other grant recipients include:
GreatAmerica Financial Services Competitive Donor-Advised Fund
Abbe Center for Community Mental Health
African American Museum of Iowa
Area Substance Abuse Council
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids & East Central Iowa
Brucemore Inc.
Catherine McAuley Center
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre
Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity
Central City PTO
CSPS
Czech Village/New Bohemia Urban Main Street District
Deafinitely Dogs Inc.
Foundation 2
Four Oaks Family and Children’s Services
His Hands Free Clinic
Horizons – A Family Service Alliance
Indian Creek Nature Center
Iowa College Foundation
Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa
Kirkwood Community College Foundation
Lisbon-Mount Vernon Ambulance Service
Marion Independent School Foundation & Alumni Association
Matthew 25
Mercy Medical Center
National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
NewBo City Market
Orchestra Iowa
Patrons of the Performing Arts at Washington High School
Red Cedar Chamber Music
Revival Theatre Company
Tanager
The Arc of East Central Iowa
Theatre Cedar Rapids
Willis Dady Homeless Services
Zach Johnson Foundation
The next grant deadline at the Community Foundation is on Friday, June 27 at 4:30 p.m. CST. For more details about 2025 funding opportunities, visit www.gcrcf.org.