BLN Community Grant Recipients
2025
The College of Public Health and its Business Leadership Network (BLN) recently announced that five Iowa community organizations will be recipients of grant funding through the BLN’s Community Grant Program. See below for details about the projects funded in 2025 that will run from March 1 – December 31, 2025.
The organizations received grant awards of up to $3,000 to support public health-related initiatives and projects in their communities. The grant program also requires recipients to secure an equal cash or in-kind match from other community organizations or businesses.
Funding for the BLN Community Grant Program is provided by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.
Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health – Mason City
The OK Together: Ending Workplace Stigma project will address mental health education, awareness and support in the workplace and community in Cerro Gordo County. The project will create workplace mental health newsletters and a toolkit, facilitate Workplace Adult Mental Health First Aid trainings, and support mental health stigma reduction through community-based initiatives.
Hawkeye Area Community Action Program – Hiawatha
The Food Assistance in Rural Jones County project will address food insecurity in rural areas. A mobile food pantry will travel through rural areas of Jones County four times per month, and a backpack program for food insecure kids in six local schools will provide nutritious meals to take home on weekends.
Mid-Iowa Community Action, Inc. – Marshalltown
The Dental Vouchers project will provide additional uninsured or under-insured children in Marshall County with dental care they would otherwise not be able to access or to afford. School nurses refer kids in need of urgent dental care to the I-Smile program who helps them receive timely treatment with a dental practice in Marshalltown.
The Self Reliance Group – Burlington
The Veterans Tech Support project will expand classes that assist elderly veterans in Des Moines County in managing and caring for their health. The classes, led by local veterans, provide targeted instruction and equipment to access, navigate, and utilize technology to improve their individual health literacy and outcomes.
Webster County Health Department – Fort Dodge
The Family Tree Healthy Habit Incentive project aims to improve physical and emotional health and financial stability for at-risk families in Webster County. Families will receive points when they participate in preventative screening appointments and community assistance programs. Points can be used to purchase developmental toys and books for children, pregnancy and postpartum support items, and household essentials.
2024
The College of Public Health and its Business Leadership Network (BLN) recently announced that five Iowa community organizations will be recipients of grant funding through the BLN’s Community Grant Program. See below for details about the projects funded in 2024 that will run from March 1 – December 31, 2024.
The organizations received grant awards of up to $3,000 to support public health-related initiatives and projects in their communities. The grant program also requires recipients to secure an equal cash or in-kind match from other community organizations or businesses.
Funding for the BLN Community Grant Program is provided by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.
Clay County Public Health will provide education and cooking tools to individuals who frequent local food pantries. A dietitian will lead cooking demonstrations and provide healthy recipes using the foods acquired from the food pantry. Participants will receive education on food budgeting and will take home a cooking utensil that can be utilized in meal preparation.
Emmet County Public Health will provide food insecure residents with a three-day emergency food supply as well as information and referrals to other community resources to lead to future stability. Electric cooking skillets will be provided to those who have no means to heat their food.
Helping Services for Youth & Families will work to break down barriers surrounding mental health crisis by supporting and connecting communities in Howard County to resources and education. Several mental health trainings and resources such as The Green Bandana Project, QPR Trainings, Mental Health First Aid, and the Active Aging Expo will be provided to residents across the lifespan, from students to seniors.
Pathfinders Resource Conservation and Development Area will create a print an online map of accessible museums, playgrounds, lakes, campgrounds, and trails throughout southeast Iowa to improve quality of life and increase participation for people of all abilities. The map will show amenities such as accessible bathrooms, accessible outdoor spaces, braille or large print, assistive listening, barrier-free entrances, and sensory-friendly hours or displays. The map will cover the counties of Marion, Mahaska, Keokuk, Washington, Louisa, Des Moines, Lee, Henry, Jefferson, Van Buren, Davis, Wapello, Monroe, Appanoose, Lucas, and Wayne.
Taylor County Public Health will create an infant formula bank across a twelve-county southwest Iowa service area to help families experiencing a financial crisis receive supplemental infant formula. This bank will also fill a need to assist families whose infants have special dietary needs and require more costly and hard to find specialty formulas. The participating counties are Adair, Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Fremont, Lucas, Montgomery, Page, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, and Wayne.
2023
The College of Public Health and its Business Leadership Network (BLN) recently announced that five Iowa community organizations will be recipients of grant funding through the BLN’s Community Grant Program. See below for details about the projects funded in 2023 that will run from March 1 – December 31, 2023.
The organizations received grant awards of up to $3,000 to support public health-related initiatives and projects in their communities. The grant program also requires recipients to secure an equal cash or in-kind match from other community organizations or businesses.
Funding for the BLN Community Grant Program is provided by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.
Greater Regional Health – Creston
The Community Car Seats project will certify staff in becoming car seat technicians and educate caregivers on car seat safety and installation. Car seats will be distributed to low-income families in Union, Taylor, Ringgold, Adams, and Adair Counties at car seat clinics, community events, and in rural health clinics.
Manning Regional Healthcare Center – Manning
The Healthcare Career Camp project will work to address a local shortage of workers in the healthcare field by encouraging high school students to consider health-related careers. The camp will showcase careers in a hospital setting through a full day, hands-on immersive experience cycling through types of jobs in various areas such as ambulance service, emergency room, laboratory, surgery, therapy, clinic, recovery center, and more.
Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging – Waterloo
The Friendly Visitor Program project is designed to connect volunteers with older Iowans living in rural Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Poweshiek, and Tama Counties who may be socially isolated or lonely and at risk of malnutrition. These low-income older adults will be offered social support and access to nutrition counseling and food boxes to reduce malnutrition risk.
One Eighty – Davenport
The SmartSummer project will offer a summer program for at-risk middle school students to disrupt the cycles of crisis, poverty, and addiction. Students will participate in strengths assessment, goal setting, career exploration, life skills training, physical activity, learning about healthy relationships, and nutrition education. These food-insecure students will receive a daily healthy meal and snack.
Tipton Community School District – Tipton
The Children and Families Surviving and Thriving Together project aims to support low-income Cedar County families’ basic needs such as food, clothing, hygiene products, and school supplies, as well as assist families experiencing homelessness with blankets, emergency lodging, and fuel reimbursement for transportation to ensure consistent access to education. Fun and educational community events will be offered that promote social and emotional well-being.
2022
The College of Public Health and its Business Leadership Network (BLN) recently announced that four Iowa community organizations will be recipients of grant funding through the BLN’s Community Grant Program. See below for details about the projects funded in 2022 that will run from March 1 – December 31, 2022.
The organizations received grant awards of up to $3,000 to support public health-related initiatives and projects in their communities. Funding for the BLN Community Grant Program is provided by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. The grant program also requires recipients to secure an equal cash match from other community organizations or businesses.
Clinton County Agricultural Extension District – DeWitt
The Powerful Tools for Caregivers of Children with Special Health or Behavioral Needs project will deliver a six-week education series. The program helps parents develop self-care strategies so that they are better able to care for their children who have behavioral or health needs. These learning and behavior changes lead to increased work productivity and reduced reliance on health care and public services.
Crescent Community Health Center – Dubuque
The Seeing Success in Early Childhood project is an early vision-screening program for children starting at age six months who are underserved, uninsured, and living in poverty. The program will remove barriers in accessing services, more readily identify vision issues, and coordinate necessary interventions and treatments with local business partners.
Monroe County Public Health – Albia
The Healthy Families Monroe County project is a home visiting program to prevent abuse and neglect for overburdened families during pregnancy and with children up to age five. Participants will be identified as high priority through screenings from community partners. The program promotes growth of nurturing, responsive, parent-child relationships and healthy childhood growth and development.
University of Northern Iowa Center for Energy and Environmental Education – Cedar Falls
The People’s Community Health Clinic Delivery Program aims to reduce food insecurity and promote positive health outcomes in low-income clinic patients with chronic health conditions. The program provides patients with weekly deliveries of fresh, local produce grown from the clinic’s garden. Patients live in food deserts, where food–especially fresh, non-processed produce–is hard to access.
2021
The College of Public Health and its Business Leadership Network (BLN) recently announced that five Iowa community organizations will be recipients of grant funding through the BLN’s Community Grant Program. See below for details about the projects funded in 2021 that will run from March 1 – December 31, 2021.
The organizations received grant awards of up to $3,000 to support public health-related initiatives and projects in their communities. Funding for the BLN Community Grant Program is provided by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. The grant program also requires recipients to secure an equal cash match from other community organizations or businesses.
Building Bridges – Burlington
The Getting Ahead Workshop project will provide an 18-week workshop to help families and individuals living in poverty develop resources and a support system to help them succeed in their work and personal lives. The program focuses on strengthening skills in 11 areas: financial, emotional, language, mental/cognitive, social capital/connections, physical, spiritual, motivation, integrity, relationships, and knowledge of hidden social rules.
Cedar/Jones Early Childhood Iowa – Anamosa
The Jones County Story Walk project aims to promote early literacy while children and families engage in educational and physical activities. A children’s book will be installed and displayed page-by-page on posts along a park path in Jones County. Walking the path, children and their families can read the story and participate in related activities listed on each page. A variety of books will be interchanged on a regular basis.
NAMI Southeast Iowa – West Burlington
The Mental Health Educational Classes project aims to increase understanding of what mental illness is, reduce stigma and barriers to seeking treatment, provide coping skills, and let people know they are not alone. Classes will be held in eight southeast Iowa rural counties where accessing mental health care can be difficult.
South Central Iowa Community Action Program-Parents as Teachers – Chariton
The CPR and First Aid project will provide education and training to parents and caregivers to increase knowledge on how to take action in an emergency situation. A staff member will obtain CPR and basic First Aid instructor certification to provide free or low-cost trainings to low-income families enrolled in the Parents as Teachers program, area childcare providers, and other community partners.
Vinton/Shellsburg Community School District – Vinton
The Student Leadership Project seeks to combat negative consequences such as substance use, mental illness, and risk of suicide for students who have faced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The project will provide students with resources and opportunities to develop leadership skills to reduce the effects of ACEs so that they can make a positive impact in their own school, community, and lives.
2020
The College of Public Health and its Business Leadership Network (BLN) recently announced that five Iowa community organizations will be recipients of grant funding through the BLN’s Community Grant Program. See below for details about the projects funded in 2020 that will run from March 1 – December 31, 2020.
The organizations received grant awards of up to $3,000 to support public health-related initiatives and projects in their communities. Funding for the BLN Community Grant Program is provided by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. The grant program also requires recipients to secure an equal cash match from other community organizations or businesses.
BIO Girls Davis County, Bloomfield
The 2020 BIO Girls Davis County project will hold a 12-week program to improve self-esteem in 2nd to 6th grade girls. The program combines life skills curriculum, small group mentoring, and physical activity. Lessons focus on self-care, healthy relationships, community service, kindness, and leadership, giving the girls a “self-confidence toolbox” that can be accessed well beyond the program.
Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, Muscatine
The Fueling the Future project will assist children suffering from food insecurity by engaging their adult caregivers in a six-week intensive “earn while you learn” up-skill training certifications in welding, certified nursing assistant, or computer numerical control. This cross-collaborative initiative will provide stabilization of family issues, education for the custodial adults, long-term advancement of skilled workers in the community, and a stronger next-generation Iowa workforce.
Live Well Montgomery County, Red Oak
The Live Well Tigers Kids Garden project will fight against food insecurity and overall poor health outcomes in Montgomery County with an elementary school-based kids’ garden program. During the school year, grades 4-6 will tend the seven raised garden beds and the produce will be used by the school district. In the summer, a kids’ program will focus on the science and nutrition of gardening, and participants will take the garden produce home. Any leftovers will be donated to local food pantries and senior centers. (Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this program was delayed until 2021).
Northeast Iowa Wellness and Recreation Center, Postville
The Hydrate with Water project will upgrade two existing water fountains to water bottle filling stations with fountains as part of a year-long campaign to drink more water and reduce consumption of sugary beverages. Refillable water bottles will be provided to members to encourage drinking more water while reducing the environmental impact from single-use plastic bottles.
UnityPoint Health – Trinity, Bettendorf
The Medicine in the Barbershop project will address a history of distrust within the African American community when it comes to health care by establishing a partnership with local barber shops and beauty salons. This project will bring health care to the community where people live and work. Barbers and beauticians will be trained on having conversations about health and to be knowledgeable about how to connect clients to health care services. Health screenings and question-and-answer sessions with African American physicians will be held at the barber shops and salons.
2019
Community Grant Project Year 4
January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019
The UI College of Public Health’s Business Leadership Network Community Grant Program supports projects and activities that build collaborations and support community well-being. Additional support from the UI Provost’s Office of Outreach and Engagement, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust has funded the community grant program.
The following seven recipients received cash grant awards of up to $3,000:
Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health, Mason City
The Positive Learning Environments using Sensory Pathways project will install sensory pathways within five elementary schools in Mason City and Clear Lake to provide a physical activity outlet for students to utilize between class times. Similar pathways have been found to improve attention and behaviors of students in the classroom and provide a convenient and effective way for youth to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors.
Fort Dodge Community Foundation and United Way, Fort Dodge
The Bridging the Gap: Beds for Kids project will provide beds and cribs for children living in poverty in Fort Dodge. Good sleep is critical for a child’s health, well-being, and ability to learn. A partnership with local schools, health care providers, the Webster County Health Department and nonprofits will help identify children who need beds.
Lee County Health Department, Fort Madison
Lee County’s Live Healthy at the Market project will plan three events at the three area farmers markets in Fort Madison, Montrose, and Keokuk. At the events, community partners will provide health and wellness information, health screenings, and promote biking to the markets with the goal of increasing participation in the markets and increasing awareness to community health services.
Living Proof Exhibit, Davenport
The “Art-to-Go” Reduces Stress in People Impacted by Cancer project uses the healing power of the arts to help individuals touched by cancer. Throughout the Quad Cities and in Muscatine, the grant will fund “Art-to-Go” boxes filled with a variety of art projects that cancer survivors and those undergoing treatment can use to help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and improve overall well-being.
Muscatine Center for Social Action, Muscatine
The Emergency Overnight Shelter Update project will work to increase hygienic and sustainable sleeping options for guests staying in the emergency overnight homeless shelter. Grant funds will help eradicate pests and provide new mattresses, washer and dryer, and storage containers for guests’ bedding.
North Fayette Valley Community Coalition, Elgin
The Youth Engaged in Leadership and Learning (YELL) program will teach North Fayette Valley Middle School students (grades 6-8) to use their voice to address the concerns of their peers and community while making responsible and healthy choices. Students will work together to problem-solve, set goals, learn how to resolve conflicts, and make their school and community a better and safer place.
Siouxland District Health Department, Sioux City
The Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) will be implemented in two child care centers. This evidence-based program will provide the centers with the tools to increase healthy food and physical activity options for younger children in the Siouxland area.
2018
Community Grant Project Year 3
January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018
The UI College of Public Health’s Business Leadership Network Community Grant Program supports projects and activities that build collaborations and support community well-being. Additional support from the UI Provost’s Office of Outreach and Engagement, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust has funded the community grant program.
Grant Awards:
The following six recipients received cash grant awards of up to $3,000:
Cass County Memorial Hospital, Atlantic
The Walk Cass County project aims to expand and encourage walking as a way to connect families and friends while gaining health benefits. Through their Healthy Cass County division, they will work to provide walking maps with routes of varying lengths in each of the county’s eight cities to help residents become more active.
Fayette County Substance Abuse Coalition, Fayette
The Teen Maze: A Reality Check for Youth project is an experiential learning activity which provides youth in Fayette County the opportunity to see the consequences of their choices in a safe and guided learning environment. This project addresses substance use and mental health issues, healthy relationships, safety, and nutrition. Teen Maze aims to aid youth in understanding how today’s choices affect their future goals.
Lee County Health Department, Fort Madison
Lee County’s Community Garden and Senior Produce Box project will support the Live Healthy Lee County Coalition to develop and implement a community garden project. Produce grown from the garden will be donated and used towards a senior community produce box project in rural areas where access to healthy foods is limited for older residents.
Living Proof Exhibit, Davenport
The Using Art to Improve the Quality of Life of Quad Citizens Touched by Cancer project offered 18 art sessions to people touched by cancer, with four bilingual programs offered in Muscatine and the remainder in Scott and Rock Island counties. Participants created something beautiful while having the opportunity to talk to and connect with others impacted by cancer.
Muscatine Center for Social Action, Muscatine
The Rapid Rehousing Food Stability Program project supports healthy nutritional behaviors and enables better food choices for families living in poverty. Participating families receive a healthy food delivery on the last week of their SNAP calendar month, a week they typically experience a food shortage. The program provides each family with a crock pot, healthy food, and recipes made with affordable ingredients.
Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging, Waterloo
The Senior Freezer Meal Prep and Cooking project aims to decrease meals that offer poor nutritional quality and help increase consumption of protein, vegetables and high quality grains. Seniors in the cities of Bellevue, Marshalltown, Waterloo, and Waukon, will be provided with a new slow cooker, education on food safety, and already prepared meal kits for storage in a freezer. Meal prep will be done in a group setting to create a social event and help combat loneliness and social isolation.
2017
Community Grant Project Year 2
January 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017
The UI College of Public Health’s Business Leadership Network Community Grant Program supports projects and activities that build collaborations and support community well-being. Additional support from the UI Provost’s Office of Outreach and Engagement, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust has funded the community grant program.
Grant Awards:
The following seven recipients received cash grant awards of $3,000:
Athletics for Education and Success, Fort Dodge
The One Step Further project aims to provide low-income, at-risk and under-served adults and families safe and affordable fitness and social activities to promote healthy choices and help fight obesity and substance abuse.
Carry on Bags, Fairfield
The Greatest Impact project seeks to determine the most nutritional and effective food items for their program that aims to provide food security for children outside of school hours.
Fort Dodge Senior High School, Fort Dodge
The STORYTELLERS: Changing Lives One Story at a Time project will work to bring awareness to mental health issues and advance the well-being of youth through theatrical performances by a group of high school students. Performances at K-12 schools, civic organizations, and conferences, will cover such topics as substance abuse, suicide prevention, and anti-bullying efforts.
Main Street Ottumwa, Ottumwa
Inspiring Opportunities with Art will work to build creative placemaking capacity, improve community livability, inspire collaboration between arts, public health, transportation and economic development, and develop a model for quick, cost effective creative placemaking.
Rathbun Lake Area YMCA, Centerville
The NuStep Quality of Life Fitness Equipment project aims to keep seniors who have completed physical therapy healthy through use of fitness equipment designed specifically to provide safe low-impact workouts in order to continue their employment, live independently and be engaged in their community.
United Way of Wapello County, Ottumwa
The Crock Pot Cooking Classes project seeks to combat diabetes and obesity by making healthy eating easier for families living in poverty. Free cooking classes, a free crockpot, and healthy recipes which utilize food items families receive from local food pantries and community gardens will be offered.
Van Buren County Hospital – Healthy Villages, Keosauqua
The Exploring the Outdoors project will work to provide health and wellness education to community members through adding instructional signage to new exercise stations along the newly built Riverfront Trail. Signs will also include educational tips such as how to determine a target heart rate.
2016
Community Grant Program Year 1
January 1, 2016 – December 31, 2016
In the first year, grant awards included projects focused on keeping youth active and safe, providing food to combat food insecurity, engaging youth in multi-generational public health priorities, educating elementary school children about oral health, and promoting workplace wellness programs in the private sector.
The following recipients received cash grant awards ranging from $1,253 to $3,000:
Athletics for Education and Success, Fort Dodge
The Taking Back Our Youth project focused on breaking the cycle of youth violence by providing enriching activities on weekends for at-risk youth. Activities included sports, arts, performing arts, and more. Webster County Juvenile Court Services and Fort Dodge Community School District referred youth to the program and the Fort Dodge Police Department provided volunteers to assist in program activities.
Carry on Bags, Fairfield
Carry On Bags aimed to provide food security for children during weekends or long breaks when school was not in session. Through this project, they sought to increase visibility and develop an evaluation process.
Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health, Mason City
The Worksite Wellness Education, Reward, & Recognition Program established a program for local businesses to address strategies for supporting employee wellness. “Lunch and learn” presentations were given on packing healthy lunches, strength training, and ergonomic assessments and safety in the workplace. Workplace Wellness Awards were presented at the Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet.
Hamilton County Public Health, Webster City
The Building Shared Leadership project sought to advance inter-generational dialogues and allow middle and high school youth to engage in shared leadership roles in their community. Community conversations were held to explore the concept of public health and identify public health issues important to youth. Students were asked about what their ideal community would look like and what a responsible adult would look like to help make the community better.
Southern Prairie YMCA, Creston
The Brighter Smile, Brighter Y, Brighter Future project partnered with Creston High School’s chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and local dentists to strengthen community well-being through preventative dental care to reduce health and financial risk. The program targeted all third graders in the Creston school district.