The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines improves quality of life for all by promoting charitable giving, connecting donors with causes they care about and providing leadership on important community issues.
Focus Areas
Nonprofit capacity buildingCommunity leadership and systems changeStrategic partnerships and alignmentCommunity development
Who They Fund
residents of Greater Des Moines / local communitylocal nonprofit organizationsscholarship recipients (students)
Funding Style
endowment building / permanent endowment supportflexible / unrestricted supportstrategic grantmaking
About Gdmcf Charitable Trust
A single grant to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines accounts for almost all of the foundation’s recent giving, with $9,269,088 in 2023 followed by $179,620 in 2024, both for general support. That pattern points to a funder working through its own community foundation structure rather than a broad portfolio of dispersed awards. Gdmcf Charitable Trust’s stated work centers on Greater Des Moines and Central Iowa, with a mix of endowment-building, capacity building, strategic alignment, and leadership grants. Through its active programs, the foundation supports nonprofit sustainability, collaborative planning, and systems change alongside donor-advised community philanthropy functions such as designated funds and agency funds. The recent record also shows that its grantmaking is concentrated locally in Iowa, with all listed recipients in the state. In practice, the foundation appears to use a small number of large, strategic grants to reinforce the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines and related community initiatives.
What Gdmcf Charitable Trust Funds
Nonprofit capacity building is a defined part of the foundation’s grantmaking. Through Capacity Building Grants, it funds strategic initiatives related to governance, internal management, and organizational capacity for organizations in Greater Des Moines and Central Iowa. Leadership Grants add a systems-change dimension, supporting requests that challenge existing systems and address root causes of community issues. Strategic Alignment Grants focus on exploration or implementation of alignment strategies between two or more nonprofit organizations, including operational alignment and deeper partnerships. The foundation also operates Agency Funds, which allow nonprofit organizations to establish an endowment that is administered and invested by the Community Foundation, with distributions supporting the organization’s mission over time. These programs show a mix of flexible support, organizational strengthening, and long-term infrastructure building.
How Gdmcf Charitable Trust Gives
Typical grants are very large: the 25th percentile is $2,451,987, the median is $4,724,354, and the 75th percentile is $6,996,721. The recent record shows repeated support to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines across 2023 and 2024, suggesting an ongoing relationship rather than a one-time award. Gdmcf Charitable Trust is classified as a regular funder, and the available data points to strategic, locally directed grantmaking rather than an open individual-giving or program-related-investment model. Its active programs also indicate that unsolicited requests are accepted in several areas.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$20K
Total Assets
$106
Total Revenue
$1.1M
Total Expenses
$1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $2.5M and $7M, with a median of $4.7M.
25th Percentile
$2.5M
Median
$4.7M
75th Percentile
$7M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Intensidad de financiamiento
BajaAlta
Sede
Leadership
KRISTINE KNOUS
Accepts unsolicited proposals
Deep Analysis
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EIN (identificación fiscal): 39-6787864Último Formulario 990: 2025Activos totales: 106 US$3 declaraciones registradasEncuentra su declaración 990 completa →
community development (Greater Des Moines)nonprofit capacity buildingscholarships and student supportfield-of-interest fund managementresponsive funding for emerging community needs
Where Gdmcf Charitable Trust Makes Grants
The foundation gives locally, and every listed grant recipient is in the United States, with 100% of grants going to recipients in Iowa. Des Moines is the clearest recipient city in the data, and the grant record also ties the foundation to Greater Des Moines and Central Iowa through its active programs. The country distribution does not show any non-U.S. grantmaking.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gdmcf Charitable Trust
What kinds of work does Gdmcf Charitable Trust support?
Its active programs cover nonprofit capacity building, leadership and systems change, strategic alignment, endowment building through agency funds, designated funds, and support for long-term community grantmaking through legacy planning. The topic taxonomy also includes community development in Greater Des Moines, scholarships and student support, field-of-interest fund management, and responsive funding for emerging community needs.
How large are the foundation’s typical grants?
The grant-size distribution is high-dollar: the 25th percentile is $2,451,987, the median is $4,724,354, and the 75th percentile is $6,996,721. That places its recent awards in the multi-million-dollar range rather than among smaller competitive grants.
Does the foundation accept unsolicited requests?
Yes. The active program descriptions for Agency Funds, Capacity Building Grants, Legacy Fund / Legacy Society, Leadership Grants, Strategic Alignment Grants, and Designated Funds all indicate that unsolicited requests are accepted.
Is the grantmaking recurring or one-time?
The recent record shows repeated support to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines in 2023 and 2024, including one very large general-support grant and a smaller follow-up grant. That pattern indicates an ongoing funding relationship rather than a single isolated award.
Where does the foundation give?
Its giving is local, with 100% of listed grants going to recipients in Iowa. The geographic scope of the active programs centers on Greater Des Moines and Central Iowa.
Latest 990 Filing
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Oportunidades de Subvenciones Abiertas
Financiamiento actual y próximo de Gdmcf Charitable Trust al que tu organización sin fines de lucro podría postularse.
Abierta ahoraCierra en 4 días (1 oct 2026)Monto: 100 mil US$+
Leadership Grants (Better Together Fund)
Housing and transportation accessInclusive community developmentCommunity health and resilience+3 más
¿Quién puede postularse? Projects must align with the Community Foundation’s grantmaking priorities and community plans and demonstrate potential for systems change and/or significant influence on community outcomes. Ongoing annual operating and program expenses, capital infrastructure projects without strong alignment to grantmaking priorities, and sectarian religious programs promoting a particular faith are ineligible. Potential applicants must explore project alignment with a member of the Community Impact Team before submitting an LOI.
Fecha límite: 2026 fall cycle: LOI due October 1 at noon; finalist application due November 6 at noon; finalist presentations November 18; awardees notified December 9. Spring cycle LOI was due April 8, 2026.
Abierta ahoraRecepción continua / abiertaMonto: Hasta 25 mil US$
Strategic Alignment Grants (Better Together Fund)
Strategic alignmentNonprofit collaborationOrganizational coordination+4 más
¿Quién puede postularse? Projects must involve two or more nonprofit organizations exploring coordination or collaboration to enhance systemic support, align operations or programming, or deepen partnerships. Ongoing annual operating and program expenses, capital infrastructure, sectarian religious programs, tactical purchases, and certain planning or governance activities are ineligible. Projects must not be solely for strategic planning, succession planning, fund development planning, business planning, or board governance, which are directed to the Capacity Building Grant program.
Fecha límite: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; decisions are communicated in approximately 10 business days.
Abierta ahoraRecepción continua / abiertaMonto: Hasta 8 mil US$
Capacity Building Grants (Better Together Fund)
Board and governance strengtheningInternal managementStrategic planning+3 más
¿Quién puede postularse? The program focuses on organizations serving Greater Des Moines. Eligible projects include strategic planning and visioning, succession and talent pipeline planning, financial scenario or business planning, and fund development or marketing strategy development. Ongoing annual operating and program expenses, capital infrastructure, sectarian religious programs, tactical purchases, and projects focused on strategic alignment between multiple organizations are ineligible.
Fecha límite: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; decisions are communicated in approximately 10 business days.
Designated giving to specific nonprofitsSustained annual support
¿Quién puede postularse? Donors designate an eligible nonprofit organization to receive distributions from the fund. The nonprofit must be a qualified charitable organization under applicable law.
¿Quién puede postularse? Nonprofit organizations seeking a professional endowment vehicle and fund administration. Agency funds can be established by eligible nonprofit organizations; further details available from the Community Foundation staff.
Las fechas límite y los requisitos de elegibilidad son un resumen de fuentes públicas y pueden cambiar — confirma siempre los detalles en la página oficial de solicitud del financiador antes de postularte.
