This year marks an important milestone, as the Iowa County Endowment Fund Program celebrates its 15th Anniversary.
Through the County Endowment Fund Program, a percentage of the state’s gaming tax revenue is distributed to community foundations in the 84 counties that do not hold a state-issued gaming license. The community foundation organizations then grant 75 percent of those funds to charitable projects within their counties and place the remaining 25 percent in a permanent unrestricted endowment fund, which is intended to attract other donations and provide a source of permanent funding for future charitable projects and programs within the county.
Community foundations must be confirmed in compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations or be affiliated with an accredited foundation, such as the Omaha Community Foundation, to receive these gaming dollars. Since the program was established in 2004, over 27,000 grants have been made to invest more than $100 million in the 84 participating counties. This unique program supports our local communities now and invests in Iowa’s future.
The program is administered by the Iowa Economic Department Authority (IEDA) which works closely with the Iowa Council of Foundations (ICOF) in coordinating the program and determining the community foundation recipients of the funding. We encourage you to follow the embedded links to view the most recent County Endowment Fund Program annual report or to learn more about the program.