The Dupaco RW Hoefer Foundation focuses on local safety-net and community-building organizations in Dubuque and the Upper Midwest, privileging basic needs, housing, homelessness services, workforce training, and neighborhood arts/entrepreneurial spaces. Grants are frequently unrestricted ('needs based') and support both direct service providers (shelters, family services, job programs) and civic/arts anchors that strengthen local community life. Recipients include repeated investments in familiar regional partners as well as a mix of faith-based charities and secular social-service agencies.
Dupaco RW Hoefer Foundation’s recent giving shows a steady pattern of needs-based support for local organizations working on housing, homelessness, family services, workforce readiness, and community spaces. One of the largest 2025 grants went to Habitat for Humanity Dubuque and Jackson Counties, while another went to NewBo City Market, showing how the foundation backs both shelter-related services and neighborhood institutions. The foundation also funded Opening Doors, Friends of the Family, and Four Oaks Family and Children's Services in 2025, all in Iowa, alongside grants to organizations in Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Dubuque. Its grantmaking includes both direct-service charities and place-based civic anchors. The presence of grantees such as Dubuque Museum of Art, Key City Creative Center, and Stonehill Benevolent Foundation suggests that the foundation supports community infrastructure as well as emergency and basic-needs work. The active program list also points to a nonprofit-strengthening track called Gift of Innovation and a renewable scholarship program, indicating that the foundation’s support extends beyond one type of grantee or intervention. Across the recent grants list, the same needs-based label appears repeatedly, reinforcing a flexible, responsive approach to local funding.
Housing and shelter are a major part of the foundation’s portfolio. In 2025, it gave $10,000 to Willis Dady Homeless Services for needs based support and $10,000 to Waypoint Services for Women Children and Families for the same purpose. Affordable housing also appears through grants to Habitat for Humanity Dubuque and Jackson Counties and Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity, both listed as needs-based awards. Workforce and education-related support shows up as well. The foundation gave $10,000 to Operation Fresh Start in Madison for needs based support, and it made scholarship-related programs part of its active offerings. Community-building and neighborhood arts are another clear thread: NewBo City Market received $20,000, Key City Creative Center received both a 2025 grant and a 2023 grant, and the Dubuque Museum of Art received $10,000, all under the needs-based label.
Typical awards are small to mid-sized: the p25 is $697, the median is $2,000, and the p75 is $2,500. That profile sits alongside a few larger grants, including multiple $10,000 awards and two $20,000 awards in 2025. The recent grants list also shows repeated support for some recipients across years, including Key City Creative Center and Four Oaks Family and Children's Services, which indicates ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards. The foundation gives through needs-based grants, and the data also identifies active scholarship and nonprofit-strengthening programs. It funds individuals as well as organizations.
$440K
$10.2M
$943K
$529K
Most grants fall between $697 and $3K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$697
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$3K
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Mostly modest-to-mid sized grants (many around $10k), concentrated geographically in Dubuque/Upper Midwest; mix of repeat funding to core regional service providers and one-off gifts to local arts and community projects; predominantly needs-based/general operating support rather than project-specific grants.
Notable grantees: Habitat for Humanity (Dubuque and surrounding counties), Willis Dady Homeless Services, NewBo City Market / Key City Creative Center (creative community hubs), Four Oaks Family & Children's Services, Catherine McAuley Center
The foundation’s giving is overwhelmingly Iowa-centered: 85% of grants go to recipients in its HQ state, and Iowa is also the top state by grant count. Within the recent grants list, Dubuque appears frequently, along with Cedar Rapids and Waterloo. Other Iowa recipient cities include Des Moines and Spencer. Outside Iowa, grants also went to Wisconsin and Illinois recipients, including Madison, Sinsinawa, Lancaster, Platteville, and East Dubuque. All recorded grants in the dataset are in the United States.
Recent grants show support for Habitat for Humanity affiliates, homeless services, family support agencies, workforce programs, arts organizations, and community hubs. Examples include a $20,000 grant to Habitat for Humanity Dubuque and Jackson Counties and a $10,000 grant to Dubuque Museum of Art, both labeled needs based.
The foundation’s grant sizes are usually modest: the 25th percentile is $697, the median is $2,000, and the 75th percentile is $2,500. Even so, the recent list includes several $10,000 grants and two $20,000 grants in 2025.
No. Iowa receives most of the grants, and 85% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. The recent grants list also includes recipients in Wisconsin and Illinois, with cities such as Madison, Sinsinawa, Lancaster, Platteville, and East Dubuque.
Yes. The foundation funds individuals as well as organizations. In the recent grants list, examples of individual recipients include Abby Edge, Kristin Phillippe, Jenny Johnson, and Sara John Young, each listed with needs-based support.
The data shows repeated support for some recipients across years. Key City Creative Center appears in both 2023 and 2025, and Four Oaks Family and Children's Services appears in 2024 and 2025, suggesting that at least some grants are recurring rather than one-time awards.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Dupaco Rw Hoefer Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: The program is for nonprofit organizations. Additional eligibility requirements are not stated in the available content.
Deadline: October 1-November 12, 2026
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Assistance Foundation | West Palm Beach, FL | $100,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Feed Iowa First | Cedar Rapids, IA | $20,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque | Dubuque, IA | $20,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity | Waterloo, IA | $10,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Foundation Inc | Fennimore, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Hills & Dales | Dubuque, IA | $10,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Catherine McAuley Center | Cedar Rapids, IA | $10,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Presentation Lantern Center | Dubuque, IA | $10,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Four Oaks Family and Children's Services | Cedar Rapids, IA | $10,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Hope Community Development Association (Hope CDA) | Cedar Rapids, IA | $10,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Four Mounds Foundation-HEART Partnership | Dubuque, IA | $10,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| One City United | Waterloo, IA | $10,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Operation Empower | Dubuque, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Madison Northside Planning Council Inc | Madison, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| The Dream Center | Iowa City, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Oakridge Neighborhood Services | Des Moines, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Bluff Strokes Art Center | Dubuque, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Sabrina Walen | Dubuque, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque | Dubuque, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Key City Creative Center | Dubuque, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Dubuque Community YMCA Crisis Services Shelter | DUBUQUE, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Common Wealth Development | Madison, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| The Fountain of Youth Program | Dubuque, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| The Iowa Center | Des Moines, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Operation Fresh Start | Madison, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Dubuque St Vincent de Paul | Dubuque, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Project IOWA | Des Moines, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| The Arc of East Central Iowa | Cedar Rapids, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Friends of St Mary's (dba Steeple Square) | Dubuque, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| ONE Cedar Valley | Waterloo, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| NewBo City Market | Cedar Rapids, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity | Des Moines, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Christian Community Development DBA House of Hope | Waterloo, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Friends of the Family | Waterloo, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| United Way of Dane County | Madison, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) | Des Moines, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Community Solutions of Eastern Iowa (CSEI) | Dubuque, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Brian Van Drasek | West Des Moines, IA | $4,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Jaxon Roling | Dubuque, IA | $1,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Griffin Davis | Greeley, IA | $1,000 | 2026 | COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP |
| Ellen Boleyn | Cedar Rapids, IA | $1,000 | 2026 | COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP |
| Cody Cahoon | Dodgeville, WI | $1,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Brittany Weidman | New Hartford, IA | $1,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Ava Binkley | Jefferson, IA | $1,000 | 2026 | COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP |
| Dilcia Aguilar Flores | Jefferson, IA | $1,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Olivia Kathiker | Corning, IA | $1,000 | 2026 | COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP |
| Stacy Mess | Dubuque, IA | $1,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
| Rylie Dunsmoor | Waterloo, IA | $1,000 | 2026 | COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP |
| Hallie Brant | Mineral Point, WI | $1,000 | 2026 | COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP |
| Tyler Leconte | Dubuque, IA | $1,000 | 2026 | NEEDS BASED |
Feed Iowa First
$20,000NEEDS BASED
Hills & Dales
$10,000NEEDS BASED
Presentation Lantern Center
$10,000NEEDS BASED
Hope Community Development Association (Hope CDA)
$10,000NEEDS BASED
Four Mounds Foundation-HEART Partnership
$10,000NEEDS BASED
One City United
$10,000NEEDS BASED
Operation Empower
$5,000NEEDS BASED
Madison Northside Planning Council Inc
$5,000NEEDS BASED
The Dream Center
$5,000NEEDS BASED
Bluff Strokes Art Center
$5,000NEEDS BASED
Sabrina Walen
$5,000NEEDS BASED
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque
$5,000NEEDS BASED
Key City Creative Center
$5,000NEEDS BASED
Common Wealth Development
$5,000NEEDS BASED
The Fountain of Youth Program
$5,000NEEDS BASED
The Iowa Center
$5,000NEEDS BASED
Dubuque St Vincent de Paul
$5,000NEEDS BASED
Friends of St Mary's (dba Steeple Square)
$5,000NEEDS BASED
ONE Cedar Valley
$5,000NEEDS BASED
Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity
$5,000NEEDS BASED
Christian Community Development DBA House of Hope
$5,000NEEDS BASED
Friends of the Family
$5,000NEEDS BASED
Community Solutions of Eastern Iowa (CSEI)
$5,000NEEDS BASED
Brian Van Drasek
$4,000NEEDS BASED
Jaxon Roling
$1,000NEEDS BASED
Griffin Davis
$1,000COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
Ellen Boleyn
$1,000COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
Cody Cahoon
$1,000NEEDS BASED
Brittany Weidman
$1,000NEEDS BASED
Ava Binkley
$1,000COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
Dilcia Aguilar Flores
$1,000NEEDS BASED
Olivia Kathiker
$1,000COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
Stacy Mess
$1,000NEEDS BASED
Rylie Dunsmoor
$1,000COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
Hallie Brant
$1,000COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
Tyler Leconte
$1,000NEEDS BASED