HEALTHY FAMILIES
Diverse. Equitable. Included.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have been an increasing focus of the Foundation in 2019. While this is an ongoing commitment, we've made progress in diversifying our board and staff as well as incorporating DEI principles into our grantmaking practices. We cannot expect our grantees to do something that we ourselves are not commited to, and therefore, we want to lead by example. Below are examples of these practices in action.
Diversity: ONE Iowa Equity: Bridges Out of Poverty Inclusion: Centro Latinoscroll to discover
Latino families choose to move to and live in Council Bluffs because of the employment opportunities and affordable housing. These two things make the quality of life and standard of living quite attractive. We are grateful for the funding from the Iowa West Foundation, which allows us to better serve our mission: educating and empowering Latino individuals and families towards thriving, self-sufficient and healthy lives.
RAMON CALZADA
Executive Director, Centro Latino
ONE Iowa
Diversity is not just another name for race or ethnicity, but includes the representation of all our varied identities and differences (such as gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, socio-economic status,etc.). The Iowa West Foundation believes in the importance of engaging and understanding a variety of perspectives, one example of which is illustrated in a $16,000 grant to ONE Iowa for a needs assessment of the LGBTQIA community in Western Iowa.
Bridges Out of Poverty
Equity is not just a synonym for equal, as it includes the provision of access to information and resources for all of our citizens, especially the disadvantaged. The Iowa West Foundation supports ideas that create opportunities for individuals and families to improve their circumstances, one example of which is illustrated in a $100,000 grant to the "Bridges Out of Poverty" program in Council Bluffs.
Centro Latino
The concept of inclusion involves a community culture where everyone feels a sense of belonging and it cannot happen without the consistent invitation for contribution and participation of all people, including our growing, minority population of Latinos. The Iowa West Foundation believes every person’s voice adds value, which is why we have provided at least $75,000 in operational funding to Centro Latino for the past six years.
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