The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa (CFNEIA) celebrated the power of community giving at its Black Hawk County grant awards event, announcing $530,000 in grants to 36 local nonprofits. The awards, presented at the Waterloo Center for the Arts, included $480,000 in Black Hawk County second-cycle grants and $50,000 in Women’s Fund grants.

“These grants reflect the generosity of our community and the commitment of local nonprofits to making Black Hawk County a stronger, healthier place for all,” said Kaye Englin, CFNEIA president and CEO. “Every organization funded today is creating opportunities and providing vital services that improve the lives of people who call the Cedar Valley home. We are proud to walk alongside them in building a brighter future.”

The grant award information below is categorized by CFNEIA grantmaking areas of focus. Each line includes the grant recipient organization name, what the grant will fund and the grant amount.

Black Hawk County 2025 Second Cycle Grant Recipients

Arts & Culture

• Cedar Falls Community Theatre, General Operating Support, $10,000
• Grout Museum District, General Operating Support, $24,000
• Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children's Theatre, 2027 Season of Growth and Change, $20,000
• Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra, General Operating Support, $5,000

Education & Youth Development

• Cedar Valley Preschool and Child Care Center, General Operating Support, $20,000
• Family YMCA of Black Hawk County, General Operating Support, $25,000
• Growing Minds Learning Center, General Operating Support, $25,000
• Iowa Jobs for America's Graduates (iJAG), General Operating Support, $10,000
• Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa, JA Finance Park Mobile: The Game of Life!, $10,000
• Leader Valley Foundation, General Operating Support, $10,000

Health

• Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health Center, General Operating Support, $30,000
• Iowa Black Doula Collective, General Operating Support, $25,000

Human Service

• Amani Community Services, Beyond Paper: Innovating Processes to Enhance Care for Survivors, $5,000
• Americans for Independent Living, General Operating Support, $15,000
• Boy Scouts of America, Winnebago Council, Eliminating Barriers to Access through Scoutreach, $5,000
• Cedar Valley Angels, General Operating Support, $10,000
• Cedar Valley Hospice, General Operating Support to Launch our new GUIDE Dementia Care Program, $10,000
• Exceptional Persons, Inc., EPI's Supported Employment Program, $10,000
• House of Hope, General Operating Support, $30,000
• Iowa Food Bank Association, SNAP Outreach, $10,000
• Iowa Legal Aid,  Equipment, $10,000
• Jesse Cosby Center, General Operating Support, $25,000
• Love INC of the Cedar Valley, Love INC's Transformation Program - Begin Now Incentives, $6,000
• PGC Outreach (dba Cedar Valley Thrift & Outreach), General Operating Support, $15,000
• Riverview Center, General Operating Support, $15,000
• RIYO, General Operating Support, $30,000
• SuccessLink, Success Street School-Based Health & Wellness Clinics, $15,000
• University of Northern Iowa Foundation, UNI’s Center for Energy & Environmental Education (CEEE) Programming, $20,000
• Waypoint Services, Waypoint Domestic Violence Program Operating Support, $5,000
• YWCA of Black Hawk County, General Operating Support, $30,000

Black Hawk County Second Cycle Grants are awarded through CFNEIA’s competitive grant process, determined by the Black Hawk County grant distribution committee. Members are: Stacie Brass, Nadene Davidson, Kaye Englin, Andrew Finnegan, Zachary Fischels, Sarah Helleso, Ashlyn Jungwirth, Chawne Paige, Shantavia Parker, Michael L. Robinson, Sr., Hector Salamanca-Arroyo, Eashaan Vajpeyi and ReShonda Young.

The Women’s Fund, a fund of CFNEIA, awarded $50,000 to organizations supporting women and girls in Black Hawk County.

Women’s Fund Grant Recipients

• House of Hope, Expanded Empowerment: Case Management Programming, $10,000
• Iowa Legal Aid, Stabilizing the Lives of Women and Girls in Black Hawk County, $15,000
• Lutheran Services in Iowa, Early Childhood Support for Women and Children, $5,000
• Northeast Iowa Food Bank, Local Produce, Food to Impact Women and Girls' Health, $5,000
• One City United, Momentum 2.0, $10,000
• Riverview Center, Women's Sexual Assault Survivor Support Group, $5,000

“The Women’s Fund represents the strength of collective giving,” said Sherita Jenkins, CFNEIA director of community impact. “Through our Women for Good program, women in our community are joining together to invest in long-term change. The grants awarded today reflect the vision and leadership of women who believe in empowering others and making a lasting difference.”

Women’s Fund grants are awarded through CFNEIA’s Women’s Fund committee, made up of members of the Women for Good program. Women’s Fund grants distribution members include: Marianne Abel-Lipschutz, Molly Cormaney, Kaye Englin, Nina Hamer, Cathy Hines, Elaine Larsen, Keirra McFadden, Chris Ruzick, Susan Sims and Bonnie Smith.

The 2026 Black Hawk County first grant cycle opens November 15, 2025. The 2026 Women’s Fund grant cycle opens May 15, 2026. Grants are available to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and government entities. Grant guidelines and applications will be available at www.cfneia.org/grants. For questions or to discuss a project’s eligibility, contact Sherita Jenkins, director of community impact, at 319-243-1355 or sjenkins@cfneia.org.