MidAmerican Energy Foundation announces grants to Iowa organizations, communities

The MidAmerican Energy Foundation has released its third quarter grants, awarding more than $500,000 to 15 organizations across Iowa.

The foundation, which is funded by company shareholders, assists nonprofits and communities MidAmerican serves through the company’s corporate citizenship program, called CARES. CARES represents a focus on five pillars of giving, including Community Enhancement, Arts and Culture, Environmental Respect, Education/STEM and Safety, the company said in a news release.

The grants include the final $25,000 matching grant of $125,000 awarded last year to Mitigwa Scout Reservation near Woodward, which sustained heavy damage from the August 2020 derecho. Following the storm, the Mid-Iowa Council of the Boy Scouts of America sought funds to build seven concrete storm shelters and repair damaged buildings. MidAmerican previously agreed to fund two shelters and provide an additional $25,000 matching grant for storm recovery. This summer, campers, leaders and staff took refuge in the shelters for the first time, when a severe storm approached in early July.

“We can’t thank MidAmerican enough for helping us protect our Scouts and families, volunteer leaders and staff, as well as other organizations that visit Mitigwa Scout Reservation throughout the year,” said Matt Hill, CEO of the Mid-Iowa Council. “Each year the camp serves thousands of Scouts and families in 27 counties in central and southern Iowa, and beyond, and these shelters will help keep people safe during weather emergencies.”

A $100,000 grant to Hope Ministries in Des Moines will help enhance safety and the community, as it triples its capacity at its Hope Center for Women and Children in Des Moines.

“There’s a huge need here in Central Iowa to provide more services to women and children who are really struggling,” said Leon Negen, president and CEO of Hope Ministries. “This grant will help us greatly expand our capacity for serving homeless women and mothers with children. Transforming more lives will create ripple effects that positively impact the fabric of our community.”

Other donations include $250,000 to East High School Alumni Foundation in Des Moines for arts, culture and sports program funding, and a scholarship endowment; $35,000 to Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa in Cedar Rapids for program support; $25,000 to the Friends of Community Memorial Building to help remodel the Lake City Community Memorial Building; and $5,000 to help remodel the Crawida Regional Child Care Center in Schleswig.

“We are proud to continue providing support to organizations that help make the communities we serve stronger and sustainable,” said Kathryn Kunert, MidAmerican’s vice president of economic connections and integration. “MidAmerican is a partner in many ways in addition to providing reliable, affordable and sustainable energy – we also provide valuable resources to our communities that include our employees’ time and talents.”

A complete list of foundation grants is listed below.