The Iowa Council of Foundations is an association of organizations and individuals involved in philanthropic endeavors in the state of Iowa. All membership applications must be reviewed and approved by the board of directors.
Eligible organization types include:
- Any charitable organization whose principal function is the making of grants, with some or all of their grantmaking done in the state of Iowa. This includes:
- Private/Family Foundations
- Community Foundations
- Public Foundations
- Operating Foundations
- Other eligible organizations include:
- Banks and trust companies which administer charitable trusts or foundations
- Corporations which have charitable grantmaking functions
- Government agencies that distribute charitable funds to external partners or 501(c)3 organizations
- Re-granting organizations operating on a state or local level (including United Ways and statewide intermediaries)
- Public funders, an organization predominately supported by government funds, quasi-government funding trusts (on a case-by-case basis)
The work of organizations eligible for membership should include distribution of charitable dollars through a defined distribution process. This could include grantmaking, sponsorships, scholarships, employee giving programs, or initiative and program funding for external partners.
Individuals may also be eligible for membership if they meet one of the following criteria:
- Donors whose grantmaking totals at least $25,000 annually to a variety of 501(c)3 organizations;
- Professional philanthropic advisors and trust officers;
- Retired grantmakers;
- Former foundation board members;
- Students studying nonprofit management, philanthropy, or public administration (who are not currently working for a foundation or organization eligible for ICoF membership); or
- Philanthropic consultants who are engaged on a paid basis for programmatic, management, governance, or strategy consulting to organizations and/or individuals that are eligible for Iowa Council of Foundations membership.
All members are asked to agree to our membership commitment and non-solicitation policy as a term of membership.
If you have questions about whether you/your organization is eligible for membership, please do not hesitate to contact us!
To start the membership process, fill out the online application.
