Playground grants in Iowa

Yes, depending on where the school is. In Cedar Falls, the Cedar Falls Community Foundation's Nonprofit Grants accept schools, pay for capital improvements, and have already funded an elementary PTA's playground expansion. The foundation gives out between $300,000 and $400,000 in these grants each year, takes applications once a year, and lets organizations apply every year. In 12 Northeast Iowa counties, the R.J. McElroy Trust accepts school districts for projects that help young people. It takes proposals at any time and reviews them at several board meetings a year.

Some local funders rule schools out. The Fund for Siouxland, which serves the area around Sioux City, specifically excludes school playground equipment, so a school there should look elsewhere for play equipment money. See our playgrounds for schools.

In some parts of Iowa, yes. The Community Foundation for Western Iowa's Community Impact Grants accept churches that use the money for charitable purposes on a project within Pottawattamie County, with awards from $500 to $5,000. The foundation will not fund contributions to capital campaigns, so present the playground as one specific project rather than a gift toward a building campaign.

In Lee County, the Keokuk Area Community Foundation's Kowzan / Sandrock Grant Fund accepts churches with charitable intent and awards up to $10,000. It pays for capital projects, facility repairs and new or replacement equipment, so play equipment, surfacing or shade can be part of a church request. See our church playground equipment.

It is harder, because most Iowa programs only accept 501(c)(3) nonprofits or government bodies. One exception is the Jasper Community Foundation's Community Grants, which let groups without that status apply through a fiscal sponsor. The project must be located in and mainly serve Jasper County, and it must be finished within six months of receiving the grant.

In the Sioux City area, the Junior League of Sioux City's Mildred Anderson community grants award up to $2,500 for short-term community projects, and they require community volunteers to carry out the work. Groups that received either Junior League grant the previous year cannot apply. See our playgrounds for HOAs.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources runs the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which pays for developing land for outdoor recreation and renovating existing facilities, which can include a park playground. Only incorporated cities and county conservation boards can apply. Grants are 50% reimbursement grants, so the applicant pays the full cost first and gets half back, and the maximum award is set by population.

Counties can also use the REAP County Conservation Grant Program from the same department. It covers capital improvements, facility upgrades and equipment at 100%, with no match, but only counties that meet a minimum property tax dedication are eligible. See our playgrounds for parks.

Prairie Meadows offers two programs for Iowa nonprofits. The Community Betterment Grant Program funds small-to-medium community projects anywhere in Iowa, with awards from $100 to $99,999, and it has paid for building projects such as a medical clinic. The Legacy Grant Program funds large-scale projects in central Iowa, such as a riverwalk and a sculpture garden, with awards from $100,000 to $1 million.

Both programs are open only to nonprofit organizations, and both take applications during a set window rather than year round. A school or city that wants this money would need a nonprofit partner, such as a parent group or park foundation, to apply.