Southwest Iowa Mental Health and Substance Abuse Fund

The Southwest Iowa Mental Health and Substance Abuse Fund is administered by the Community Foundation for Western Iowa, an organization based in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Foundation is focused on fostering regional philanthropic efforts that lead to sustainable, positive change in local communities. In alignment with this mission, the Southwest Iowa Mental Health and Substance Abuse Fund was established to support nonprofit service providers that address mental health and substance abuse challenges in the region. This fund specifically aims to bolster education, increase public awareness, and expand learning and development opportunities for service providers working in the behavioral health field. By doing so, it seeks to enhance public knowledge and reduce stigma, while also improving internal capacities of organizations that deliver direct services. The fund places a special focus on responding to pressing issues such as addiction, suicide, stigma, isolation, and limited access to care—all of which have been highlighted as critical challenges in local discourse. Grants of $500 to $2,500 are available to eligible organizations, with funding dedicated to three focus areas: education, raising awareness, and providing professional development for area service providers. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit entities operating within one or more of the nine designated counties in Southwest Iowa: Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby. The fund is designed to create long-term, measurable improvements by strategically increasing the capacity of organizations working on these key issues. The application window for this grant opportunity opens on June 15 and closes on July 15 each year. Applications must be submitted within this period to be considered for funding. Although specific evaluation criteria and application components are not detailed in the current materials, applicants are expected to align their proposed projects with one or more of the fund’s core focus areas. There is no indication of a pre-application process, rolling basis, or a requirement for matching funds. Interested applicants can obtain more information by contacting the Community Foundation for Western Iowa. The organization can be reached by phone at 712-256-7007 or via email at info@givewesterniowa.org. The fund is housed at the Florence M. and Charles E. Lakin Center for Community Giving, located at 536 E Broadway, Council Bluffs, IA 51503. No specific point of contact is named, and no application platform URL is provided. Based on the June 15 to July 15 submission window, the fund is considered recurring on an annual basis. The next expected cycle will therefore be June–July 2026, with internal planning checks advisable by May 2026. Given its regional focus and annual timeline, the fund presents a consistent and reliable resource for qualifying organizations working to address mental health and substance abuse in Southwest Iowa.