TrueNorth Legacy Foundation makes a small number of sizable, unrestricted grants that primarily support civic life in the Cedar Rapids area. Their giving favors arts and culture institutions, educational entities, public library infrastructure, and human services organizations addressing youth homelessness and mental health/crisis support. Grants are purposefully flexible (general & unrestricted) and appear targeted to community-building projects and institutions rather than narrow program line items.
Concentrated, relatively large unrestricted awards to a small set of community organizations—geographically focused on Cedar Rapids—favoring one-off or single-year gifts rather than many small grants or multi-year installments.
TrueNorth Legacy Foundation’s largest recent grant was $250,000 to Community Theatre of Cedar Rapids Inc for general and unrestricted support, a signal that the foundation backs civic institutions with flexible dollars rather than narrow project grants. Across the recent record, it gives a small number of sizable awards that cluster around Cedar Rapids and nearby Iowa communities, with grants often landing in arts, education, public services, and human services. The foundation has also made repeated support to organizations serving youth, families, and local infrastructure, including Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation, Foundation 2 Inc, and Tanager Place. Its giving is not limited to one institution type: colleges, community organizations, museums, health providers, and place-based nonprofits all appear in the recent grants list. One grant also stands out for being directed to endowment support, showing that the foundation sometimes pairs operating support with longer-term capacity building. The pattern suggests a funder focused on community stability, cultural life, and organizational durability in the Cedar Rapids area and broader Iowa region.
In arts and culture, the foundation supported Community Theatre of Cedar Rapids Inc with $250,000 for general and unrestricted purposes, and also gave $20,000 to the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library for the same type of support. In education, it awarded $100,000 to Coe College and $75,000 to the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation, both on a general & unrestricted basis. Human services are another clear theme: Youth and Shelter Services Inc received $100,000, while Foundation 2 Inc and Tanager Place each received general operating support in the recent list. The foundation also funded community development and local gathering places, including $75,000 to Newbo City Market and $25,000 to Marion Park & Recreation Foundation Inc.
TrueNorth Legacy Foundation’s recent awards cluster around a median grant size of $50,000, with a lower quartile of $17,500 and an upper quartile of $75,000. The distribution shows a mix of mid-sized and larger gifts, plus a few smaller awards. Several recipients appear more than once in the recent list, including Tanager Place and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Corridor, which points to repeat support rather than one-time-only giving. Most grants are general and unrestricted, and one recent award was designated for the foundation’s own endowment fund at Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$3.6M
$0
$1.3M
$3.7M
Most grants fall between $18K and $75K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$18K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$75K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in IA.
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Notable grantees: Community Theatre of Cedar Rapids, Inc., Youth and Shelter Services, Inc., Coe College, Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation, NewBo City Market
Grantmaking is concentrated in Iowa, which accounts for the largest share of recipient locations and includes Cedar Rapids, Ames, Centerville, Marion, Coralville, Ventura, and Des Moines. Cedar Rapids appears most often, with multiple grants to organizations there across arts, education, library, health, and community service work. Outside Iowa, the recent record includes recipients in Castle Rock, Colorado; Nampa, Idaho; and Denver, Colorado. All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants point to arts and culture, education, public library support, youth and family services, and local community development. Cedar Rapids organizations appear repeatedly, including recipients in theatre, higher education, libraries, shelter services, museums, and neighborhood-oriented institutions.
The grant-size distribution centers on a median award of $50,000, with a lower quartile of $17,500 and an upper quartile of $75,000. Recent grants range from $5,000 to $250,000, showing that the foundation makes both mid-sized and larger unrestricted awards.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeat support for Tanager Place and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Corridor, with awards in more than one year. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships with some recipients rather than only one-off grants.
Its recipient locations are concentrated in Iowa, especially Cedar Rapids. Other Iowa places in the recent record include Ames, Centerville, Marion, Coralville, Ventura, and Des Moines, with a smaller number of grants outside the state.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GREATER CEDAR RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $3,099,047 | 2026 | to the TrueNorth Legacy Foundation Endowment Fund |
| COE COLLEGE | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $100,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CEDAR VALLEY HUMANE SOCIETY | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $75,000 | 2026 | Expanding Our Pawprint Capital Campaign |
| ST LUKES HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $75,000 | 2026 | Abbe Center Capital Campaign - New Beginnings Start Here |
| HORIZONS A FAMILY SERVICE ALLIANCE | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $75,000 | 2026 | Our Place: A Center for Older Adults |
| WAYPOINT SERVICES FOR WOMEN CHILDREN AND FAMILIES | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $50,000 | 2026 | Creating Hope: A New Vision for the Madge Phillips Center Capital Campaign |
| STATE CENTER FIRE & EMS INC | STATE CENTER, IA | $25,000 | 2026 | State Center Fire and EMS station project |
| YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF THE CEDAR RAPI | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $25,000 | 2026 | Camp Wapsie Pool and Slide Upgrade Fund |
| DISCOVERY LIVING INC | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $24,000 | 2026 | Whole-House Generators for People with Disabilities Project |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE CORRIDOR | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $20,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| FOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION | CARLISLE, IA | $15,000 | 2026 | The Folds of Honor Iowa Operating Expenses Campaign |
| PROSPECT MEADOWS INC | MARION, IA | $14,000 | 2026 | Prospect Meadows Sustainability Campaign |
| THE CATHERINE MCAULEY CENTER INC | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN | ATLANTA, GA | $5,000 | 2026 | Za Ga Zig Shrine Vehicle Transportation Replacement Fund |
| CHILDSERVE FOUNDATION INC | JOHNSTON, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| NATIONAL SPORTS CENTER FOR THE DISABLED INC | GOLDEN, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | Opening access to adaptive outdoor recreation for underserved youth with a disability in the Denver area |
| CENTRAL CITY PTO | CENTRAL CITY, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | Central City Elementary School Inclusive Playground Project |
| MOVILLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION INC | MOVILLE, IA | $5,000 | 2026 | Moville Area Childcare Center |
| CLINTON COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | CLINTON, IA | $3,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| YOUTH AND SHELTER SERVICES INC | AMES, IA | $100,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| COE COLLEGE | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $100,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NEWBO CITY MARKET | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $75,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| GREATER CEDAR RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $50,000 | 2025 | TNLF endowment fund |
| AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| TANAGER PLACE | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| GROW CENTERVILLE | CENTERVILLE, IA | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MARION PARK & RECREATION FOUNDATION INC | MARION, IA | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| EASTERN IOWA HEALTH CENTER | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE CORRIDOR | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $20,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| INDIAN CREEK NATURE CENTER | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $20,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NATIONAL CZECH & SLOVAK MUSEUM & LIBRARY | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $20,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH | VENTURA, IA | $15,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| IOWA DENTAL FOUNDATION | DES MOINES, IA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE FREEDOM FOUNDATION | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NATIONAL JEWISH HEALTH | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF JOHNSON | CORALVILLE, IA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE INC | NAMPA, ID | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| STAR 1 SEARCH AND RESCUE ASSOCIATION | AMES, IA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MONARCH RESEARCH PROJECT | MARION, IA | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| COMMUNITY THEATRE OF CEDAR RAPIDS INC | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $250,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $75,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| FOUNDATION 2 INC | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $75,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| TANAGER PLACE | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| WELLSPRING COMMUNITY | CASTLE ROCK, CO | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE CORRIDOR | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $10,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| DOGS FOREVER OF IOWA | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $10,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
to the TrueNorth Legacy Foundation Endowment Fund
COE COLLEGE
$100,000General & Unrestricted
CEDAR VALLEY HUMANE SOCIETY
$75,000Expanding Our Pawprint Capital Campaign
Abbe Center Capital Campaign - New Beginnings Start Here
Creating Hope: A New Vision for the Madge Phillips Center Capital Campaign
STATE CENTER FIRE & EMS INC
$25,000State Center Fire and EMS station project
YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF THE CEDAR RAPI
$25,000Camp Wapsie Pool and Slide Upgrade Fund
DISCOVERY LIVING INC
$24,000Whole-House Generators for People with Disabilities Project
FOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION
$15,000The Folds of Honor Iowa Operating Expenses Campaign
PROSPECT MEADOWS INC
$14,000Prospect Meadows Sustainability Campaign
SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN
$5,000Za Ga Zig Shrine Vehicle Transportation Replacement Fund
Opening access to adaptive outdoor recreation for underserved youth with a disability in the Denver area
CENTRAL CITY PTO
$5,000Central City Elementary School Inclusive Playground Project
MOVILLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION INC
$5,000Moville Area Childcare Center
CLINTON COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$3,000General & Unrestricted
COE COLLEGE
$100,000General & Unrestricted
AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION
$25,000General & Unrestricted
GROW CENTERVILLE
$25,000General & Unrestricted
MARION PARK & RECREATION FOUNDATION INC
$25,000General & Unrestricted
REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH
$15,000General & Unrestricted
THE FREEDOM FOUNDATION
$10,000General & Unrestricted
NATIONAL JEWISH HEALTH
$10,000General & Unrestricted
SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
STAR 1 SEARCH AND RESCUE ASSOCIATION
$10,000General & Unrestricted
COMMUNITY THEATRE OF CEDAR RAPIDS INC
$250,000General & Unrestricted
FOUNDATION 2 INC
$75,000General & Unrestricted
DOGS FOREVER OF IOWA
$10,000General Purpose