Mid-Iowa Health Foundation

Mid-Iowa Health Foundation (MIHF) was established in 1984 following the sale of Northwest Community Hospital, making it one of Iowa's longest-standing hospital conversion foundations. Headquartered at 3900 Ingersoll Ave in Des Moines, MIHF holds assets of approximately $17.9 million (FY2023) and functions as a pure grantmaker — not an operating foundation — concentrating exclusively on central Iowa health equity.

The foundation's giving philosophy is explicitly equity-oriented and underwent a formal strategic pivot in 2017 when the board committed to addressing social determinants of health, centering racial and economic equity, and investing in systems-level change rather than direct service delivery. First-time applicants must internalize this distinction: MIHF is not funding clinical interventions or one-time programs. It funds the infrastructure, coalition-building, policy change, and community power that shifts how systems serve underresourced populations over time.

MIHF strongly favors established relationships built through pre-application consultation. Application instructions explicitly direct organizations to discuss ideas with staff before submitting. This is not a formality — staff consultations genuinely shape whether an inquiry will proceed. The top grantees by total cumulative dollars all reflect multi-year partnerships: The Harkin Institute (4 grants, $380,934), Iowa ACEs 360 (11 grants, $115,833), Iowa Public Radio (3 grants, $140,000), and Orchard Place (10 grants, $35,000).

The primary vehicle is the HealthConnect Innovation Grant, awarded on a rolling basis with quarterly reviews and no fixed deadlines. Applications begin with a Google Form inquiry, proceed to full submission via GrantInterface.com upon staff invitation, and may include site visits for larger requests. MIHF also runs a HealthConnect Fellowship that invests in individual community health leaders.

For first-time applicants, three things matter most: demonstrating authentic community engagement (not just "input"), articulating specific health equity outcomes tied to data, and proposing an approach that creates system-level change rather than fills an immediate service gap. Organizations working with Black/African American, Latinx, immigrant, refugee, and low-income communities in Polk County and surrounding central Iowa counties are well-positioned. MIHF explicitly does NOT fund religious activities, capital campaigns, endowment campaigns, for-profit entities, individuals, scholarships, disease-specific general operations, or fundraising events.

MIHF's annual grantmaking has been relatively stable over its recent history, typically ranging from $424,000 to $690,000 in direct grants paid per year under normal operating conditions, with a dramatic outlier in FY2022 when direct grants paid reached $2.1 million — driven primarily by the $740,268 Central Iowa Basic Income Pilot (UpLift) co-funded through The Harkin Institute at Drake University ($380,934) and the University of Pennsylvania ($359,334).

Among 198 documented grants in the database, 192 (97%) went to Iowa-based organizations, underscoring the hyperlocal central Iowa focus. The average grant is approximately $14,692, with a median of $8,750. The practical distribution ranges from small director-designated awards ($250–$2,500) to major multi-year program grants exceeding $100,000. Five-year grants-paid trend:

• FY2019: $688,975 paid / $1.22M total giving
• FY2020: $637,846 paid / $1.16M total giving
• FY2021: $657,844 paid / $1.21M total giving
• FY2022: $2,103,496 paid / $2.65M total giving (UpLift spike)
• FY2023: $424,202 paid / $1.08M total giving

The FY2023 decline in grants paid likely reflects the wind-down of the UpLift pilot and a return to baseline capacity. With total assets of $17.9M and net investment income of $355,186 in FY2023, sustainable annual grantmaking capacity is approximately $500K–$1M per year.

By program area, the grantee list reveals strong concentration in youth mental health and trauma-informed care (Iowa ACEs 360, Please Pass the Love, Orchard Place), maternal and child health (Iowa Dept. of Public Health doula programs, Healthy Birth Day, Everystep), health equity for marginalized communities (Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, Proteus Inc., Al Exito), social determinants including transit and housing (DART $100,000, Commonbond, Homes of Oakridge), and economic mobility (UpLift Basic Income, By Degrees Foundation's 529 savings program at $50,000). Iowa Public Radio's $140,000 in health reporting grants reflects a distinct media/journalism investment thread unique to MIHF's portfolio.

MIHF is classified under NTEE code X99 (Religion — Other) in the IRS Exempt Organization Business Master File, a legacy designation reflecting its origins as a hospital conversion foundation rather than its actual programmatic work. MIHF explicitly excludes religious programming from funding consideration. This classification groups MIHF alongside foundations whose work is primarily faith-based, creating a misleading peer cohort by mission — though asset scale is comparable.

These NTEE-matched peers share asset scale ($18M–$21M) but not programmatic mission. MIHF is distinctive within this cohort for its transparent, open application process, explicit health equity framework, and published strategic priorities — most NTEE-peer foundations in this category are invitation-only or do not publish open application portals. Among central Iowa health funders more broadly, MIHF occupies a unique niche: it is one of the few foundations of this asset size with a publicly accessible rolling application pathway. Organizations that have reached the boundaries of MIHF's priorities should consider the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines (which appears in MIHF's own grantee list at $34,300) as a complementary funder with overlapping community health interests.

The most significant recent program launch is the MIHF Small Business Owners Fellowship, announced February 5, 2026. This new fellowship extends MIHF's equity lens into entrepreneurship and economic advocacy, building on the foundation's 2021–2022 interest in economic determinants of health through the UpLift Basic Income Pilot.

On February 20, 2026, MIHF published "Maternal Mental Health Systems Change," signaling continued investment in maternal health infrastructure at a systems level — moving beyond its prior discrete program grants (e.g., $70,000 to Iowa Dept. of Public Health for a doula project, $9,334 to Healthy Birth Day Inc.) toward policy and structural change. A January 16, 2026 post titled "Finding Nature in Every Space" introduces environmental health accessibility as an emerging thematic interest.

The HealthConnect Fellows program remains active in mid-2026, with fellows contributing public thought leadership as recently as June 24, 2026 ("The Things We Don't Say"). This program is a key pipeline into the foundation's grantee ecosystem.

Leadership note: Dr. Nalo Johnson is the current President at $150,000 annual compensation (FY2023 990). A CEO position posting surfaced in search results — applicants should confirm current staff contacts by calling 515-277-6411 before submitting inquiry forms, as staff continuity affects relationship-building timelines.

The UpLift Central Iowa Basic Income Pilot — MIHF's largest single initiative, totaling over $740,000 to Harkin Institute and University of Pennsylvania in 2021–2022 — appears to have concluded its active funding phase with no recent mentions.

Pre-application consultation is mandatory, not optional. MIHF's application instructions explicitly state that organizations should contact program staff at 515-277-6411 to discuss ideas before submitting. Staff currently listed include Denise Swartz and Suzanne Mineck — confirm current contacts given possible leadership transition. This call shapes whether you proceed. Organizations that submit cold inquiry forms without prior consultation report lower engagement from staff.

Lead with systems change, not program delivery. MIHF's 2017 strategic pivot moved it away from direct service grants. Your proposal must explain not just what your program does, but how it will shift policies, practices, or resource flows in ways that outlast the grant. Compare approved grant descriptions: Iowa ACEs 360 funded a "Continuum of health systems change: prenatal to children's service systems" — not individual trauma counseling sessions.

Use precise health equity language. MIHF explicitly applies a "health equity lens" and targets "health disparate populations." Name the specific demographic served (Black/African American, Latinx, immigrant, low-income, refugee) and cite local data on the disparity you are addressing. Generic geographic framing ("central Iowa residents") is insufficient.

Authentic community engagement is a gating criterion. The foundation's guiding principles require centering the voices of those directly affected. Describe your specific engagement structures — community advisory boards, co-design processes, lived experience stipends — not just outreach activities. Proposals that treat community members as beneficiaries rather than co-designers will not advance.

Size your first ask conservatively. The median grant is $8,750 and average is $14,692. For first-time applicants, an initial request of $15,000–$40,000 with clear, measurable milestones is better positioned than a $100,000+ ask. MIHF's largest cumulative grantee relationships (Iowa Public Radio at $140,000, Iowa ACEs 360 at $115,833) were built over multiple grant cycles spanning several years.

Timing strategy: Applications are reviewed quarterly. Ask staff for the next review cycle cutoff at time of inquiry submission. Plan 3–5 months from inquiry to award decision for typical grants; larger or more complex proposals may involve a site visit, extending the timeline by 4–8 weeks.

Hard exclusions to avoid: Religious activities, capital campaigns, endowment campaigns, debt reduction, fundraising events, for-profit structure, scholarships, conference registration fees, and disease-specific general operating support will result in immediate disqualification.