The UFG Foundation has awarded $400,000 in its 2025 mid-year grant cycle to support nonprofits in Iowa and in communities across Arizona, Colorado and Texas, where UFG Insurance maintains additional office locations.
“The nearly 80-year-old trunk of our UFG Insurance tree is in Eastern Iowa but our branches reach coast to coast,” said Michael Sheeley, UFG Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer and a foundation representative. “We are proud to be able to grow the footprint of our community giving to impact even more cities and towns where our employees live across the country.”
The mid-year grants support a range of initiatives, including youth development, health care access, arts programming, education, and environmental conservation.
Grant recipients this cycle are:
• Adaptive Adventures: Adaptive Education Center
• African American Museum of Iowa: Operating support
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Corridor: Money Matters – Make it Count
• Brucemore: A New View – Revisioning the 2025 Arts Season
• Catherine McAuley Center: Operating support
• Cedar Rapids Museum of Art: Free Summer Accessibility Program
• Community Health Free Clinic: Direct Patient Care
• Eastern Iowa Arts Academy: Catalyst for Change – Empowering Youth Through the Arts
• Eastern Iowa Health Center: Tele-Optometry
• Heritage Area Agency on Aging: Case management
• National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library: Accessible educational programming
• Patrons of the Performing Arts: Operating support
• Space Center Houston: Girls STEM Pathway
• Special Olympics Iowa: Statewide programming
• Tanager Place: Empowerment Fund
• The Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success: Summer Program
• The Nature Conservancy: Cedar River Watershed Oxbow and Wetland Restorations
• University of Northern Iowa Foundation: Wilson College of Business Fund for Excellence
• Waste Not, LLC: Nourishing At-Risk Populations in Phoenix
• Worldmaker Resilience Institute: Iowa Veterans and First Responders THRIVE Resilience Program
Included in this cycle’s total is support for the United Way of East Central Iowa, a longstanding beneficiary of the foundation’s giving. UFG Insurance was recently honored with the Campaign Excellence award by United Way during the organization’s United We Thrive event in June.
“Our employees are quick to give selflessly from their own pocketbooks each year,” Mr. Sheeley said. “Our people are passionate about the role of this organization in Cedar Rapids and across the country. So, it’s only fitting that the UFG Foundation supplement their enthusiasm with what will be our largest donation this year.”
The UFG Foundation offers three types of grants: programmatic funding, operating support, and capital campaign support under certain conditions. Grant cycles are held three times per year.
Applications for the next funding cycle are being accepted through Aug. 31. Additional information is available at ufginsurance.com/foundation.
