Iowa · Grantmakers

Foundations That Fund Education in Iowa

Imperigo has identified 607 funders that made 6,525 grants totaling $1.2B to 402 education organizations in Iowa, with a median grant of $20K. Every figure below is drawn from IRS Form 990 filings through 2025.

Education Funding in Iowa

Total granted $1.2B
Funders 607
Grants 6,525
Organizations funded 402

Top Funders — page 1 of 4

1. Mound Farm Holdings Inc
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $41.3M · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$41.3M
2. Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines F/K/a Greater Des Moines Community Fdn
1,187 grants to 91 organizations · largest $2.0M · through 2024 · 9.1% of their giving
$28.5M
3. Jewish Communal Fund
14 grants to 4 organizations · largest $48.0M · through 2024 · 2.3% of their giving
$97.7M
4. Graceland College Center for Prof Dev & Lifelong Learning Inc
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $4.5M · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$10.8M
5. Northwest Iowa Christian Schools Tuition Organization
54 grants to 8 organizations · largest $359K · through 2025 · 56.1% of their giving
$7.6M
6. Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation
94 grants to 24 organizations · largest $317K · through 2024 · 16.7% of their giving
$7.4M
7. Heart of Iowa School Tuition Organization Inc
35 grants to 9 organizations · largest $680K · through 2024 · 56.2% of their giving
$5.0M
8. Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $900K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$4.4M
9. Eric and Kelly Schwartz Charitable Trust
6 grants to 2 organizations · largest $1.4M · through 2023 · 56.3% of their giving
$4.4M
10. Community Foundation for Western Iowa
11 grants to 4 organizations · largest $3.0M · through 2024 · 20.4% of their giving
$3.9M
11. PEO Sisterhood CA State Chapter
20 grants to 4 organizations · largest $393K · through 2024 · 50.7% of their giving
$3.0M
12. Unity Christian Schools Foundation
7 grants to 1 organization · largest $994K · through 2025 · 100.0% of their giving
$2.6M
13. Coe College Group Exemption
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $539K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$2.4M
14. Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
17 grants to 4 organizations · largest $839K · through 2023 · 26.6% of their giving
$2.3M
15. Community Foundation of Johnson County
26 grants to 10 organizations · largest $597K · through 2024 · 17.2% of their giving
$2.4M
16. The Iowa Wave Shirt
7 grants to 1 organization · largest $500K · through 2025 · 100.0% of their giving
$2.0M
17. Legacy of Grace School Tuition Org
35 grants to 8 organizations · largest $152K · through 2024 · 89.6% of their giving
$1.9M
18. PEO Sisterhood FL State Chapter
20 grants to 4 organizations · largest $215K · through 2024 · 59.5% of their giving
$1.7M
19. Blanche Johnson Trust
7 grants to 1 organization · largest $267K · through 2025 · 100.0% of their giving
$1.7M
20. North East Iowa Local Workforce Development Board
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $1.7M · through 2024 · 39.1% of their giving
$1.7M
21. PEO Sisterhood CO State Chapter
20 grants to 4 organizations · largest $217K · through 2024 · 59.7% of their giving
$1.6M
22. Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine
9 grants to 6 organizations · largest $735K · through 2024 · 15.1% of their giving
$2.1M
23. PEO Sisterhood TX State Chapter
20 grants to 4 organizations · largest $115K · through 2024 · 42.1% of their giving
$1.6M
24. PEO Sisterhood WA State Chapter
20 grants to 4 organizations · largest $197K · through 2024 · 51.0% of their giving
$1.4M
25. University of Northern Iowa Alumni Association
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $1.1M · through 2020 · 100.0% of their giving
$1.1M

Funders are ordered by how much of their overall giving goes to education work in Iowa, not by dollar totals alone — a foundation that concentrates its giving here is usually a better prospect than a larger one for which this is a rounding error. 16 of the funders counted here are donor-advised fund sponsors, which grant on behalf of individual donors and accept no applications; they are marked and ranked last.

Other Causes Funded in Iowa

About This Data

A grant appears here when a funder reported it on its IRS Form 990 and the recipient organization is classified under the NTEE group covering education work, with an address in Iowa. Grants are counted from the 2025 filing year backward.

Some 990 grant schedules list a recipient by name and address without an EIN, and those grants cannot be matched to a classification — so the totals above represent identifiable education funding in Iowa, not every dollar that reached the sector. Figures are a floor, not a ceiling.

Looking for organizations rather than funders? Browse all nonprofits in Iowa

Research Iowa funders in depth

Full grant histories, recipient lists, officer compensation, multi-year financials, and exports for every foundation Imperigo tracks.