Catholic Foundation Celebrates 10 Years of Grants

July 23, 2025

By Ann Pierson

Worthy causes were celebrated and funds were awarded at the 2025 Catholic Foundation of Southwest Iowa grants ceremony held in Des Moines at the Catholic Pastoral Center on Wednesday, June 25.

Seventeen organizations benefitted from the grants, including 10 parishes, two schools, one youth group, and four faith-based non-profit organizations.

This year, the Catholic Foundation of Southwest Iowa shared $122,199 in grant money – its highest grant distribution to date.

The Catholic foundation is a non-profit organization that began in 2012, with the intent to provide a connection of our Catholic faith to investment options and planned giving for parishes, organizations and individuals. The foundation began distributing these grants in 2016, marking this year as the 10th anniversary of the grant awards ceremony.

Grant applications are submitted electronically and then reviewed based on several criteria, including innovation, replicability, the number of people impacted by the grant, and the legacy the grant may have on the organization or greater Diocese.

This year’s grants came from two categories: Catholic Foundation General Grants and Parish Mission Renewal Endowment Fund Grants. Awards came from either of the categories, or a bit from each.

The Catholic foundation grants are funded through the organization’s annual budget. 

Parish Mission Renewal Grants are funded via the Parish Mission Renewal Endowment Fund, established thanks to generous gifts to the Ignite! capital campaign.

Four organizations benefitted from foundation grants, including Catholic Charities in Council Bluffs, Mary’s Helping Hands in West Des Moines, Shelby County Catholic School in Harlan, and St. Patrick Parish in Missouri Valley.

Ten parishes and schools received Parish Mission Renewal grants for a variety of projects, including technology upgrades, funding for faith-based lecturers and speakers, and educational resources in our schools.

Christ the King Parish and School received the largest grant to date from this category: over $33,000 to implement a collaborative project of white boards for use by the school as well as the parish adult and youth religious education programs.

Additionally, Iowa Catholic Radio, Pulse Life Advocates, and the Council Bluffs "Fully Alive" Youth Group benefitted from grants funded both by the foundation and Parish Mission Renewal.

Previously, the foundation categorized the grants into three groups: General Grants, Cornerstone Grants, and Parish Mission Renewal Grants. The Cornerstone and General Grants were funded by the Catholic Foundation. The removal of the Cornerstone Grant category now allows recipients who receive grants from the foundation up to $10,000 in any year moving forward to reapply the following year.     

The generosity given to the 17 organizations relate to the Catholic foundation’s mission of connecting the Catholic faith with investing and planned giving.

“It is our core mission to connect our faith to investing and planned giving. How better to do that than to reinvest in programs and services in our diocese?” said, Sue McEntee, the foundation’s executive director.

Organizations that wish to learn more about the application process for a grant are encouraged to visit catholicfoundationiowa.org/organizations/grant-program.

Scroll down to see the full list of grant recipients.