The Iowa West Foundation Board of Directors has awarded nearly $8 million in grants and initiatives for the first cycle of 2015. Grants will assist 24 nonprofit organizations and governmental entities with funding for projects and programs that directly impact southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska.

This is the first grants and initiatives funding announcement of the year after the Foundation restructured its grant cycles in late 2014 to be three times per year rather than four. The Letter of Inquiry period for the third cycle is open Oct. 1. Interested organizations should visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the application process.

Funding for the Foundation’s grants comes from investment earnings and the Iowa West Racing Association (IWRA), which receives contracted license fees from casino operators, Ameristar and Harrah’s. IWRA distributes funds to the Iowa West Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 organization under the IRS Code. The Foundation makes grants throughout southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska.

2015 Cycle 1 Grants and Initiatives include, but are not limited to:

• Audubon County Early Childhood Organization: Programmatic support for the Children’s Nest Daycare Center, $40,000
• City of Griswold: Improvements to the Griswold Community Building, $10,000
• Eckels Memorial Library 2015 collection development in library located in Oakland (IA) $2,000
• Harlan Friends of Downtown LED lighting and updated sound system in historic downtown Harlan, $7,500.
• Riverside Community School District, Support for Pottawattamie Promise program delivery, $76,344
• Stanton Historical Society, Repair and repainting of the Swedish coffeepot water tower, $5,000
• West Pottawattamie County Agricultural Extension District, Support for the West Pottawattamie County 4-H youth programming administration, $57,700.