Press Release
CareSource Foundation Announces Iowa Winners of Inaugural Grant Challenge
December 17th, 2021 | 3 min read
New initiative awards total of $165,000 to Iowa organizations making significant community impacts
(DES MOINES, IA – December 17, 2021) – The CareSource Foundation has announced the winning Iowa organizations of its inaugural CareSource Foundation Grant Challenge.
Des Moines-based Easterseals Iowa received the top award of $50,000 to support two programs aimed at helping individuals with disabilities and complex needs, and their families, to live independent lives. The Crisis Stabilization program provides care for children and families experiencing a brain health crisis and the Transitioning to Employment and Advocating for Myself program is designed to prepare students for life after school focusing on career skills and post-secondary education.
“This grant will make it possible for us to support individuals to find and maintain jobs, for families to have access to exceptional child care, provide a child with a memorable summer camp experience and support children and families experiencing a mental health crisis,” said Sherri Nielsen, president and CEO of EasterSeals Iowa.
The CareSource Foundation also awarded four additional organizations with second and third place awards, which collectively garnered 40 percent of the public votes that determined the winning organizations. Nearly 7,000 voted during the grant challenge’s two-week voting phase.
- Iowa AEYC (Association for the Education of Young Children), Des Moines – $25,000 Award
- Project IOWA, Des Moines – $25,000 Award
- Friends of the Family, Waverly – $20,000 Award
- United Way of East Central Iowa – Women United, Cedar Rapids, – $20,000 Award
“We are proud to support these organizations and honor the impact they are making on the health and well-being of children and families in their communities who have some of the most complex needs,” said CareSource Foundation CEO Dan McCabe, who also serves as CareSource’s chief administrative officer.
The CareSource Foundation launched the grant challenge in August as a new initiative allowing Iowa community members to nominate nonprofits based on their community impact aligned with a specific focus area and vote on the winning organizations. Nearly 30 nonprofits were nominated from across the state with 10 moving on to the voting phase.
In addition to the five winning organizations, five semi-finalist organizations that participated in the public voting phase will also receive $5,000 gifts from the foundation to honor their impact:
- Iowa ACE’s 360, Des Moines
- PreservingsUS, Marshalltown
- ArtForce Iowa, Des Moines
- CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), Davenport
- International Council for Refugee and Immigrants, Des Moines
Through the grant challenge, the CareSource Foundation hopes to inspire innovation to reduce health disparities and move the needle on health equity, especially for those with special care needs, both health and social. Initially, the challenge has launched in Iowa, as CareSource intends to participate in the state procurement for Medicaid and hope to serve Medicaid and exchange participants.
The CareSource Foundation has partnered with nonprofits since 2006 to provide much-needed services to low-and moderate-income families, encourage healthy communities, develop innovative approaches to address critical health issues, and enhance the lives of a diverse array of children, adults and families.
