Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino directs the majority of its giving to local public infrastructure, community services, and human services in Polk County and greater Des Moines, with a meaningful emphasis on parks/recreation, K–12 school support, and capacity-building for nonprofits that serve vulnerable populations. Grants include large municipal gifts (capital and operating support), repeated investments in school districts and youth services, and targeted support for hunger relief, housing and behavioral/mental health programs. The foundation’s portfolio reflects a civic-minded, place-based philanthropy focused on improving quality of life and public amenities in its home community.
Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino Inc directs large, recurring contributions to Polk County and greater Des Moines civic infrastructure, with net receipts contributions to Polk County Iowa reaching $11.5 million in 2025 and $12.3 million in 2024. That place-based pattern sits alongside major support for city services and capital projects, including the City of Des Moines and the Des Moines Airport Authority. The foundation’s portfolio shows a steady focus on public amenities, schools, housing, recreation, and nonprofit capacity in central Iowa. Its recent awards include $5 million for the Des Moines Airport Authority’s new terminal project and $900,000 to the Des Moines Park & Recreation Foundation for SW 1st St. Bridge Park improvements. On the human-services side, Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino Inc has backed Childserve Foundation Inc for the Childserve Des Moines Center, Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity for its Framing Our Future campaign, and Youth & Shelter Services Inc for the YSS Recovery Campus Project. The mix of municipal funding, school support, and service-oriented grants points to a funder that operates through recurring public contributions as well as targeted project grants.
Community infrastructure is a major part of the foundation’s giving. Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino Inc gave $750,000 to the City of Des Moines for the North Side Community Recreation Center, and $425,000 to Iowa Confluence (icon) Water Trails for the Fleur Drive Learn & Play site. Education support appears in both district-level and district-related grants. It gave $403,448 to Des Moines Independent Community School District for school support and $389,000 to Des Moines Independent School District for the Prairie Meadows Polk County Joint Donation to the Students of Polk County. Housing and recovery services also receive substantial support. Grants include $375,000 to Hope Ministries for Empowering Women. Uplifting the Community., $350,000 to Anawim Housing for Monarch Apartments Permanent and Supportive, and $280,000 to Ellipsis for A Place for Girls: Female-Responsive Programming for Foster Care Youth. Environmental and recreation projects are another recurring thread, including $470,000 to Great Outdoors Foundation for streambank stabilization and $470,000 to Ducks Unlimited Inc for central Iowa wetland restoration and protection.
$33M
$327.6M
$2.5B
$2.5B
Most grants fall between $10K and $29K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$29K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in IA.
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Concentrated, place-based giving: a few very large municipal grants account for most dollars (Polk County and City of Des Moines dominate totals), while numerous mid-size and smaller repeat grants fund schools, nonprofit service providers, parks, and conservation. The foundation commonly makes repeat annual or multi-year gifts to the same local organizations and blends capital/civic projects with program and capacity support.
Notable grantees: Polk County, Iowa, City of Des Moines, Des Moines Independent Community School District, Youth & Shelter Services, Inc., Des Moines Park & Recreation Foundation
Typical grant size clusters in the low five figures, with a p25 of $10,000, median of $15,000, and p75 of $28,984. The recent grant list also shows a smaller set of very large public contributions that sit far above that core range. Recipients appear across multiple years, including Polk County Iowa, the City of Des Moines, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Blank Park Zoo Foundation, and Des Moines Independent Community School District. Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino Inc is a public charity, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. The giving shown here is recurring and place-based rather than application-driven.
Grantmaking is entirely in Iowa, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. The largest concentration is in Des Moines, which appears repeatedly through Polk County Iowa, the City of Des Moines, Des Moines Airport Authority, Des Moines Park & Recreation Foundation, and Des Moines Independent Community School District. Other Iowa recipient cities include Johnston, Ames, Cedar Falls, and Altoona through regional and statewide organizations. The only non-Iowa recipient in the recent list is Ducks Unlimited Inc in Memphis, Tennessee, for a central Iowa water-quality project.
The recent grants show a strong mix of public-sector and nonprofit recipients: Polk County Iowa, the City of Des Moines, Des Moines Airport Authority, school districts, housing providers, and community-service organizations. The largest grants are tied to civic infrastructure and public amenities, while other awards support housing, recovery, food access, and recreation.
Typical awards cluster at a p25 of $10,000, a median of $15,000, and a p75 of $28,984. The portfolio also includes much larger public contributions, such as multi-million-dollar payments to Polk County Iowa and the City of Des Moines.
Yes. The grant data shows 100% of grants to recipients in Iowa, with giving concentrated in Des Moines and nearby Iowa communities such as Johnston, Ames, Cedar Falls, and Altoona. The top state by grant count is also Iowa.
The list includes municipal infrastructure, K–12 school support, housing and homelessness services, food and meal programs, youth recovery, and environmental projects such as streambank stabilization and wetland restoration. Those areas show up through named grants to city agencies, school districts, and nonprofits.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Polk County Iowa, the City of Des Moines, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Blank Park Zoo Foundation, and Des Moines Independent Community School District. That pattern suggests recurring support rather than isolated one-time gifts.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POLK COUNTY IOWA | DES MOINES, IA | $11,525,151 | 2025 | NET RECEIPTS CONTRIBUTION |
| CITY OF DES MOINES | DES MOINES, IA | $4,953,637 | 2025 | TAX RATE SHARING CONTRIBUTION |
| DES MOINES PARK & RECREATION FOUNDATION | DES MOINES, IA | $900,000 | 2025 | SW 1ST ST. BRIDGE PARK IMPROVEMENTS |
| CHILDSERVE FOUNDATION INC | JOHNSTON, IA | $750,000 | 2025 | CHILDSERVE DES MOINES CENTER |
| GREATER DES MOINES HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | DES MOINES, IA | $700,000 | 2025 | FRAMING OUR FUTURE CAMPAIGN |
| DUCKS UNLIMITED INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $470,000 | 2025 | CENTRAL IOWA CLEAN WATER PARTNERSHIPPHASE II: WATER QUALITY WETLAND RESTORATION AND PROTECTION |
| GREAT OUTDOORS FOUNDATION | DES MOINES, IA | $470,000 | 2025 | STREAMBANK STABILIZATION TO PROTECT PEOPLE, PROPERTY, AND THE PLANET |
| DES MOINES INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | DES MOINES, IA | $379,598 | 2025 | SCHOOL SUPPORT |
| GREATER DES MOINES PARTNERSHIP | DES MOINES, IA | $350,000 | 2025 | 2024 INVESTOR COMMITMENT |
| BLANK PARK ZOO FOUNDATION | DES MOINES, IA | $300,000 | 2025 | EXPAND THE IMPACT |
| ELLIPSIS | JOHNSTON, IA | $280,000 | 2025 | A PLACE FOR GIRLS: FEMALE-RESPONSIVE PROGRAMMING FOR FOSTER CARE YOUTH |
| IOWA HEALTH FOUNDATION DBA EYERLY-BALL COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES | DES MOINES, IA | $250,000 | 2025 | ONE PLACE FOR CARE |
| ON WITH LIFE FOUNDATION | ANKENY, IA | $250,000 | 2025 | FAMILY HOMES EXTREME BUILD |
| IOWA CONFLUENCE WATER TRAILS | DES MOINES, IA | $250,000 | 2025 | PROSPECT PARK CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS |
| SOUTHEAST POLK COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | ALTOONA, IA | $240,000 | 2025 | SOUTHEAST POLK SKILLED TRADES EXTENSION CENTER |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF STORY COUNTY | AMES, IA | $220,000 | 2025 | REMODEL AND EXPANSION OF BGCSC AMES CLUB |
| COMMUNITY AND FAMILY RESOURCES | FORT DODGE, IA | $220,000 | 2025 | GRAYS WOODS RECOVERY CENTER REVITALIZATION PROJECT |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS | CLIVE, IA | $210,000 | 2025 | BUILDING A BIG FUTURE: YOUTH MENTORING CENTER |
| YOUTH & SHELTER SERVICES INC | AMES, IA | $210,000 | 2025 | EMBER RECOVERY CAMPUS MAINTENANCE SHOP FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT |
| BALLET THEATRE OF DES MOINES | WEST DES MOINES, IA | $200,000 | 2025 | BALLET DES MOINES CAMPUS FOR ARTS AND EDUCATION |
| CITY OF ALTOONA | ALTOONA, IA | $170,000 | 2025 | SAM WISE FIELD RECONSTRUCTION |
| SCIENCE CENTER OF IOWA | DES MOINES, IA | $170,000 | 2025 | THINK BEYOND WITH SCI - SECOND FLOOR WEST WING EXHIBITS |
| GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF CENTRAL IOWA | JOHNSTON, IA | $160,000 | 2025 | E-COMMERCE EXPANSION |
| GOLF CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | MOINES, IA | $145,000 | 2025 | PRINCIPAL CHARITY CLASSIC |
| DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS | DES MOINES, IA | $130,000 | 2025 | DMPS TRACK AND PRACTICE FIELD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT |
| ANKENY COMM SCHOOL DISTRICT | ANKENY, IA | $116,635 | 2025 | SCHOOL SUPPORT |
| WEST DES MOINES COMM SCHOOL | CLIVE, IA | $105,850 | 2025 | SCHOOL SUPPORT |
| IOWA COLLEGE FOUNDATION | DES MOINES, IA | $100,750 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| DES MOINES AREA COMMUNITY | WEST DES MOINES, IA | $100,000 | 2025 | DMACC TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE |
| TREES FOREVER INC | DES MOINES, IA | $100,000 | 2025 | PLANTING OUR FUTURE |
| LIVING HISTORY FARMS FOUNDATION | URBANDALE, IA | $100,000 | 2025 | CULTIVATING OUR FUTURE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN AT LIVING HISTORY FARMS |
| DES MOINES AREA RELIGIOUS COUNCIL | DES MOINES, IA | $99,999 | 2025 | DMARC FOOD PANTRY NETWORK |
| YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION | DES MOINES, IA | $99,999 | 2025 | Y OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMS |
| ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF DES MOINES | DES MOINES, IA | $99,900 | 2025 | CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WITHIN THE DIOCESE OF DES MOINES METRO AREA |
| DOWNTOWN DSM INC | DES MOINES, IA | $95,000 | 2025 | SKYWALKS REIMAGINED |
| SOCIETY OF SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL | WINDSOR HEIGHTS, IA | $95,000 | 2025 | HUNGER AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR POLK COUNTY |
| LUTHERAN HOME FOR THE AGED | PERRY, IA | $95,000 | 2025 | MEALS ON WHEELS |
| WORLD FOOD PRIZE FOUNDATION | DES MOINES, IA | $90,000 | 2025 | HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF THE NORMAN E. BORLAUG HALL OF LAUREATES |
| FOOD BANK OF IOWA | DES MOINES, IA | $90,000 | 2025 | MOBILE PANTRY UNIT TO EXPAND FRESH FOOD DISTRIBUTION |
| AMERICAN LEGION POST 659 | DES MOINES, IA | $89,656 | 2025 | INTERIOR RESTORATION AND REVITALIZATION OF AMERICAN LEGION POST 659 |
| BUILD LINCOLN HIGHER BOOSTER CLUB | DES MOINES, IA | $80,000 | 2025 | NEW MARCHING BAND UNIFORMS FOR DES MOINES LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND |
| SOUTHEAST POLK COMMUNITY SCHOOL | ALTOONA, IA | $77,552 | 2025 | SCHOOL SUPPORT |
| GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY | DES MOINES, IA | $75,964 | 2025 | GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY NURSING SIMULATION CENTER SUITE |
| JOHNSTON COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | JOHNSTON, IA | $75,492 | 2025 | SCHOOL SUPPORT |
| ORCHARD PLACE | DES MOINES, IA | $75,000 | 2025 | ORCHARD PLACE CAMPUS GREENHOUSE IMPROVEMENTS |
| HOMES OF OAKRIDGE HUMAN SERVICE | DES MOINES, IA | $75,000 | 2025 | OAKRIDGE SUMMER BLAST CAMP |
| CITY OF CARLISLE | CARLISLE, IA | $75,000 | 2025 | POLICE AND FIRE/EMS COMMUNICATION RADIO PROJECT |
| LINK ASSOCIATES | WEST DES MOINES, IA | $75,000 | 2025 | CREATING HOME LIVING FOR PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES |
| CITY OF BONDURANT | BONDURANT, IA | $75,000 | 2025 | BONDURANT EMERGENCY SERVICE HEART MONITOR PROJECT |
| DOWNTOWN DES MOINES SELF-SUPPORTED | DES MOINES, IA | $72,902 | 2025 | MOVING FRESQUE |
POLK COUNTY IOWA
$11,525,151NET RECEIPTS CONTRIBUTION
CITY OF DES MOINES
$4,953,637TAX RATE SHARING CONTRIBUTION
DES MOINES PARK & RECREATION FOUNDATION
$900,000SW 1ST ST. BRIDGE PARK IMPROVEMENTS
CHILDSERVE FOUNDATION INC
$750,000CHILDSERVE DES MOINES CENTER
GREATER DES MOINES HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$700,000FRAMING OUR FUTURE CAMPAIGN
DUCKS UNLIMITED INC
$470,000CENTRAL IOWA CLEAN WATER PARTNERSHIPPHASE II: WATER QUALITY WETLAND RESTORATION AND PROTECTION
GREAT OUTDOORS FOUNDATION
$470,000STREAMBANK STABILIZATION TO PROTECT PEOPLE, PROPERTY, AND THE PLANET
DES MOINES INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$379,598SCHOOL SUPPORT
GREATER DES MOINES PARTNERSHIP
$350,0002024 INVESTOR COMMITMENT
BLANK PARK ZOO FOUNDATION
$300,000EXPAND THE IMPACT
ELLIPSIS
$280,000A PLACE FOR GIRLS: FEMALE-RESPONSIVE PROGRAMMING FOR FOSTER CARE YOUTH
IOWA HEALTH FOUNDATION DBA EYERLY-BALL COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
$250,000ONE PLACE FOR CARE
ON WITH LIFE FOUNDATION
$250,000FAMILY HOMES EXTREME BUILD
IOWA CONFLUENCE WATER TRAILS
$250,000PROSPECT PARK CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
SOUTHEAST POLK COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
$240,000SOUTHEAST POLK SKILLED TRADES EXTENSION CENTER
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF STORY COUNTY
$220,000REMODEL AND EXPANSION OF BGCSC AMES CLUB
COMMUNITY AND FAMILY RESOURCES
$220,000GRAYS WOODS RECOVERY CENTER REVITALIZATION PROJECT
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS
$210,000BUILDING A BIG FUTURE: YOUTH MENTORING CENTER
YOUTH & SHELTER SERVICES INC
$210,000EMBER RECOVERY CAMPUS MAINTENANCE SHOP FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
BALLET THEATRE OF DES MOINES
$200,000BALLET DES MOINES CAMPUS FOR ARTS AND EDUCATION
CITY OF ALTOONA
$170,000SAM WISE FIELD RECONSTRUCTION
SCIENCE CENTER OF IOWA
$170,000THINK BEYOND WITH SCI - SECOND FLOOR WEST WING EXHIBITS
GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF CENTRAL IOWA
$160,000E-COMMERCE EXPANSION
GOLF CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
$145,000PRINCIPAL CHARITY CLASSIC
DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$130,000DMPS TRACK AND PRACTICE FIELD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
ANKENY COMM SCHOOL DISTRICT
$116,635SCHOOL SUPPORT
WEST DES MOINES COMM SCHOOL
$105,850SCHOOL SUPPORT
IOWA COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$100,750SCHOLARSHIPS
DES MOINES AREA COMMUNITY
$100,000DMACC TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE
TREES FOREVER INC
$100,000PLANTING OUR FUTURE
LIVING HISTORY FARMS FOUNDATION
$100,000CULTIVATING OUR FUTURE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN AT LIVING HISTORY FARMS
DES MOINES AREA RELIGIOUS COUNCIL
$99,999DMARC FOOD PANTRY NETWORK
YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
$99,999Y OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMS
ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF DES MOINES
$99,900CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WITHIN THE DIOCESE OF DES MOINES METRO AREA
DOWNTOWN DSM INC
$95,000SKYWALKS REIMAGINED
SOCIETY OF SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL
$95,000HUNGER AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR POLK COUNTY
LUTHERAN HOME FOR THE AGED
$95,000MEALS ON WHEELS
WORLD FOOD PRIZE FOUNDATION
$90,000HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF THE NORMAN E. BORLAUG HALL OF LAUREATES
FOOD BANK OF IOWA
$90,000MOBILE PANTRY UNIT TO EXPAND FRESH FOOD DISTRIBUTION
AMERICAN LEGION POST 659
$89,656INTERIOR RESTORATION AND REVITALIZATION OF AMERICAN LEGION POST 659
BUILD LINCOLN HIGHER BOOSTER CLUB
$80,000NEW MARCHING BAND UNIFORMS FOR DES MOINES LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND
SOUTHEAST POLK COMMUNITY SCHOOL
$77,552SCHOOL SUPPORT
GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY
$75,964GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY NURSING SIMULATION CENTER SUITE
JOHNSTON COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
$75,492SCHOOL SUPPORT
ORCHARD PLACE
$75,000ORCHARD PLACE CAMPUS GREENHOUSE IMPROVEMENTS
HOMES OF OAKRIDGE HUMAN SERVICE
$75,000OAKRIDGE SUMMER BLAST CAMP
CITY OF CARLISLE
$75,000POLICE AND FIRE/EMS COMMUNICATION RADIO PROJECT
LINK ASSOCIATES
$75,000CREATING HOME LIVING FOR PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
CITY OF BONDURANT
$75,000BONDURANT EMERGENCY SERVICE HEART MONITOR PROJECT
DOWNTOWN DES MOINES SELF-SUPPORTED
$72,902MOVING FRESQUE