Dallas County Foundation Grants to Dallas County People for Dallas County Projects
Who We Are
The Dallas County Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of dedicated leaders from across the entire county. We meet monthly, generally on the third Monday of each month. All of our board members are committed to trustworthy stewardship of donor dollars and eager to support community members in making a local impact.
Meet Our Board
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Who We Work With
Donors
As a foundation, we are here to help generous donors who want their charitable giving to make a long-lasting impact on the communities they love and call home.
We offer a wide range of giving options, for gifts big and small. You’d be surprised how quickly even $25 donations add up!
If you decide to ‘Give Where You Live’, we have a variety of tools and assistance for individuals, families, and businesses to contribute to a local cause or situation that matters deeply to them.
Professional Advisors
The impact of our foundation would not be possible without the community of professional attorneys, accountants, financial planners, bankers, and life insurance representatives that work with our foundation and donors.
These professional advisors make themselves available to help donors align their passions with planning. Because of their efforts, our foundation can help integrate charitable giving within estate and financial plans, facilitate anonymous giving, and assist with complex gift instruments.
Non-Profit Organizations
As a responsive and proactive partner, our foundation seeks to address existing and emerging issues in Dallas County.
We accept grant applications annually from charitable projects and programs in the community that address a wide range of needs:
Health
Human Services
Arts & Culture
Historic Preservation
Environment
The Dallas County Foundation is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines
Mission
Our mission and vision is to enhance the quality of life for Dallas County communities through fostering private giving and strengthening local non-profit organization by granting funds for projects in the following areas:
Arts & Culture
Youth Development
Education
Health and Human Services
Recreation
Environment
Community Betterment
How We Got Started
The Dallas County Foundation (DCF) was formed in 2005 when the Iowa State Legislature created the Endow Iowa program whereby Iowa Counties that do not have gaming facilities could receive funds directly from the State intending that eligible counties form or affiliate with a qualified community foundation to receive the funds, grant them in to the community and build a permanent endowment fund for future community betterment grants.
Community leaders Dean Boettcher, Scott Cirksena, Bob Sturgeon, Marty Glanz, Viivi Shirley, Steve Brody, and Chuck Fagen met with Rand Fisher from the Iowa Area Development Group to learn how to bring these dollars to Dallas County to benefit local non-profits. The first step was to create a board with representation from across the county.
Once the groundwork was laid, the money arrived! The DCF began issuing funds in 2006. Since then, the DCF has granted more than $1,565,000.
Professional Advisors
The impact of our foundation would not be possible without the community of professional attorneys, accountants, financial planners, bankers, and life insurance representatives that work with us. These professional advisors make themselves available to help donors align their passions with planning. Because of their efforts, our foundation can help integrate charitable giving within estate and financial plans, facilitate anonymous giving, and assist with complex gift instruments.
Why partner with Dallas County Foundation?
As an advisor, your main goal is protecting the financial interests of your clients.
If you have a client looking to:
Ease their tax burden
Shift their financial resources during retirement
Create a legacy of giving
…then support them by introducing the many customizable giving options that Dallas County Foundation has to offer! Our personalized charitable funds can be tailored to the specific interests of your client. To “Give Where You Live” is appealing to anyone that feels a social responsibility or personal affinity towards their neighborhood/community and wants to make a lasting impact.
Personalized giving opportunities include:
Opening a charitable giving fund. Much like a philanthropic savings account, a charitable giving fund with the Community Foundation allows your client to make a deposit today, receive an immediate tax benefit on the gift and then over time make grants from the fund to the causes they care about.
Create a customized approach to grow their charitable assets. Your client’s charitable assets will grow when their charitable giving fund is invested through our Charitable Investment Partners program or through one of our pooled investment portfolios.
Find tax-wise giving strategies. Our team of charitable giving experts can assist your client in identifying tax-wise ways to meet their giving goals.
Keep Iowa Growing. Farmland is one of Iowa’s greatest assets. Thanks to Keep Iowa Growing, land owners have the unique opportunity to ensure land is kept in production – while supporting communities and causes they care about for generations to come.
Increase gifts with Endow Iowa Tax Credits. Iowa community foundations offer exclusive access to the Endow Iowa Tax Credit program, a 25% state tax credit on qualified gifts.
Educational Resources for Clients
Non-Profit Organizations