Howard County Community Foundation Grants

The Howard County Community Foundation Grants program is an annual competitive funding opportunity administered by the Howard County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. The program supports projects that improve the quality of life in Howard County, Iowa, through investments in areas such as arts and culture, community betterment, education and youth development, environment and animal welfare, health, and human services. The foundation encourages community-led development and aims to build long-term community assets. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and government entities. Other tax-exempt organizations may also be eligible if the project is deemed charitable and confirmed with foundation staff prior to application. Entities not meeting these criteria may apply under the sponsorship of a qualified fiscal sponsor that must be either a nonprofit or a government body. Fiscal sponsors assume full financial and legal responsibility for the awarded funds. All applicants must be current with federal and state reporting requirements, have no overdue grant reports from previous HCCF grants, and submit applications using the foundation’s online grants portal by the deadline. The 2025 application cycle opens September 1 and closes October 15 at 5:00 PM. Technical assistance is available through the deadline. A grant workshop will be held September 16, 2025, at the Lime Springs Community Center. Award notifications will be issued by mid-December 2025, and an award ceremony will be held in early to mid-January 2026. Final reports for funded projects are due by January 31, 2027. The foundation may consider deadline extensions based on project needs. All grantees must sign a Terms of Grant agreement and submit documentation confirming the use and outcomes of the funds. Grant requests must range from $1,000 to $15,000. Only one application per organization is allowed, with the exception of government entities (which may apply once per department) and fiscal sponsors (limited to one application per sponsored group). The foundation does not fund general operating costs such as salaries, wages, or travel. Project-specific operational costs are eligible. Applicants are required to use the official budget template, which must identify requested funds and other secured or pending sources. Supporting documentation such as quotes or estimates is encouraged. Applications are scored across four key dimensions: organizational strength, project feasibility, alignment with community need and outcomes, and budget quality. Higher scoring proposals show broad community impact, in-kind contributions, partnerships, and long-term sustainability without future reliance on foundation funding. Applications from religious institutions, veterans’ organizations, or economic development entities are eligible only for non-religious, community-focused activities. Questions may be directed to Shanda Hansen at shansen@cfneia.org (319-243-1357) or Dotti Thompson at dthompson@cfneia.org (319-243-1358).

Use the official budget spreadsheet. Show secured or pending funds. Include cost estimates. Avoid ineligible general operating costs.