Community Foundations Initiative

The Iowa Community Foundations Initiative has become a core program area for the Iowa Council of Foundations in its role as the state’s Lead Philanthropic Entity (LPE) — a designation the organization has held since 2004. This work is supported by the ICoF staff, the Community Foundations Services Coordinator and the ICoF Board of Directors. You can learn more about the Iowa Community Foundations Initiative in this PDF.

The Iowa Community Foundations Initiative supports the network of community foundations and affiliate community foundations across the state. Community foundations play a unique role within the nonprofit sector. They are:

Grantmakers, supporting a wide range of community needs- education, health, human services, and more
Local giving vehicles, establishing and holding numerous funds for a variety of charitable purposes
Community leaders and conveners, acting as community catalysts focusing on long-term endowment building and sustainability

Iowa currently has more than 130 community foundations and a well-respected, effective network which continues to propel the state as a national leader in the community foundation field. The majority of Iowa-based community foundations are operated by active volunteers in local communities (referred to as affiliate community foundations) that work with one of 17 qualified or host community foundations that serves as the legal and administrative hub for the local organization. Qualified community foundations are confirmed by the National Council on Foundations as being in compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.

Qualified Community Foundations in Iowa

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