Program Support Grants

Grant Criteria

Purpose

Program Support Grants support programs or projects of nonprofits serving Linn County, Iowa.

Deadlines

The Program Support Grants deadlines for 2026 are Friday, March 6 and Friday, September 11, both at 4:30 p.m. CST.

Organization Eligibility

• Must be a nonprofit organization with current 501(c)(3) public charity tax exempt status from the IRS, a governmental organization, or a non-501(c)(3) organization that has a current fiscal sponsorship agreement with a 501(c)(3) organization 
• Organizations based outside of Linn County may only apply for the Linn County portion of project or program costs.
• Multiple organizations may submit a joint application for a collaborative project – contact Program Officer to discuss this further.

Ineligible Activities

• Capital infrastructure [bricks and mortar] projects
• Expenses that have occurred or will occur during the grant review process (which is approximately 12 weeks from the grant deadline)
• Fundraising events and activities
• Re-granting awarded funds to other nonprofits
• Religious activities or efforts supporting an organization’s core religious mission – contact Program Officer for clarification. 
• Scholarships for primary and secondary education and post-secondary degree programs 
• Travel out of the region 
• Organizations with an active Program Support Grant:
  • For example, if a one-year Program Support Grant is awarded in the fall of the previous year, organization may not apply again until fall of the current year. 
  • If a two-year Program Support Grant is awarded in the fall of the previous year, organization may not apply again until fall of next year. 
  • If a time extension was requested to complete a previous grant, please contact Program Officer to confirm eligibility.

Maximum Request Amount

• For organizations with operating budgets greater than $150,000, the maximum request amount is $30,000 per year.
• Organizations with operating budgets less than $150,000 may request an amount up to 20% of their operating budget per request (rounded up to the nearest $100).
  • The Community Foundation generally does not fund more than 20% of an organization’s operating budget between Program Support and Organization Support Grants per year.   
  • Organizations that are primarily volunteer-driven and/or have a very small operating budget should contact the program officer to discuss the eligible amount for their specific situation. 
• New projects or programs are limited to a single-year request.

Duration of Grants

12-24 months

Grantmaking Equity Statement

The Community Foundation is committed to ensuring equity in our grantmaking strategy. Review the Grantmaking Equity Statement adopted by the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors here.

How to Apply

Updated information for 2026 Program Support Grants will be available soon.
Applications are accepted online here. For detailed instructions on the application process, click here. The documents below are for reference and planning only – all information will need to be entered directly into the online portal.    

NOTE: The Community Foundation maintains strict standards to uphold the integrity of the grantmaking process. Our Conflict of Interest Policy applies to grant committees, board, and staff, requiring recusals in cases of conflict of interest. The Community Foundation review processes are methodical and transparent, with scoring criteria for competitive grant applications available.