The Nishna Valley Family YMCA in Atlantic and the City of Avoca are just two of 21 non-profit organizations and government entities in southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska, which have received a portion of nearly $5-million in grant and initiative funding from the Iowa West Foundation. The IWF Board of Directors recently approved the funds from the private foundation. The Nishna Valley Family YMCA received $32,500 from the IWF for Wellness Equipment. The City of Avoca’s Police Department received $2,500 for communications equipment, and the Avoca Public Library received $4,950 to make the main entrance ADA compliant.

Education was a major theme for the final grant cycle of 2016, with $1.5 million awarded to the Council Bluffs Community School District (CBCSD) for two major initiatives: summer school and Middle School International Baccalaureate (IB) education. The Iowa Western Community College Foundation received $30,000 for 2016-17 season programming.

Another major recipient of initiative funding was the newly formed arts organization: Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment (PACE), which received $2,325,369. The nonprofit’s mission is to strengthen, develop and promote art, cultural, and historical institutions, organizations, and activities in Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County. Fundraising is currently underway to renovate the Harvester II building on S. Main Street in Council Bluffs into a permanent home for the organization and its partners.

The Iowa West Foundation has distributed more than $400 million to nonprofits and governmental agencies through southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska since the inception of its grant program. Funding for the grants comes from investment earnings and the Iowa West Racing Association, which receives contractual fees from casino operators, Ameristar and Harrah’s. IWRA is the license sponsor for Ameristar and Harrah’s and the license holder for Horseshoe-Bluffs Run.

The Letter of Inquiry period for Cycle 1 of 2017 is currently open and will close on Oct. 17th. Applications are due Nov. 15th. Effective this year, grant application and initiative decisions will now be made in February (Cycle 1), June (Cycle 2) and October (Cycle 3). This is a change from the previous January/May/September decision-making schedule. Please see the Grantmaking section of the website www.iowawestfoundation.org., for more information.