Your donations via A Community Thrives help Iowa nonprofits close crucial funding gaps

Missy Keenan
·3 min read

About 750 nonprofits from across the country —17 of them in Iowa — are participating in A Community Thrives, a grantmaking and crowdfunding initiative that, like the Des Moines Register, is part of the USA Today Network.

Supported by the Gannett Foundation, the participating organizations will raise funds for community-building programs via their official A Community Thrives challenge pages through 8 p.m. Aug. 12. You can donate to a participating organization at acommunitythrives.mightycause.com.

All participating organizations will keep the crowdfunding money they raise and some also will share $2 million in grant funding from the Gannett Foundation. The grants are scheduled to be announced in October.

Among Iowa organizations participating is The Arc of Southeast Iowa, based in Iowa City. The Arc supports individuals with disabilities and their families with a variety of programs for all ages, including an inclusive child care program serving children with and without special needs. It's the focus of the group's A Community Thrives fundraising this year.

Among Iowa organizations participating in A Community Thrives in 2022 is The Arc of Southeast Iowa. The Arc, based in Iowa City, supports individuals with disabilities and their families with a variety of programs for all ages, including an inclusive child care program serving children with and without special needs. It's the focus of the group's A Community Thrives fundraising this year.

The Arc’s child care program currently serves 30 children in the Iowa City area, but there is a long waiting list of families who need child care and don’t have any other appropriate options. The Arc plans to more than double the program to about 70 kids and needs to expand the size of its facility to accommodate the increased enrollment.

The initial cost of the expansion was estimated to be about $500,000, which The Arc already had secured through fundraising and grants. But with rising inflation, particularly in the construction industry, the cost now is expected to be more than $700,000.

Emily Haworth’s 3-year-old son Nolan, who has special needs, has attended The Arc's child care program for two years.

Emily Haworth’s 3-year-old son, Nolan, who has special needs, has attended The Arc of Southeast Iowa, based in Iowa City, for two years. She said: "He has grown in confidence and ability every week he has been at The Arc." The Arc is raising money through the A Community Thrives program to expand its child care facility.
Emily Haworth’s 3-year-old son, Nolan, who has special needs, has attended The Arc of Southeast Iowa, based in Iowa City, for two years. She said: "He has grown in confidence and ability every week he has been at The Arc." The Arc is raising money through the A Community Thrives program to expand its child care facility.

“At The Arc Nolan is in a substantially different environment than he would be at a traditional day care center,” Haworth wrote in a letter. “There is a lower ratio of staff to students, allowing for more one on one time. Every staff member and teacher at The Arc is aware of Nolan's medical past and can quickly react if medical attention is needed. Beyond their capability to respond to Nolan's medical needs is their willingness to. We have been denied care at other day cares as the provider was not willing to take on Nolan, describing him as a liability.

“Nolan has access to educational materials and staff that he would not have the ability to explore outside of The Arc. The Arc provides an all-inclusive experience where Nolan can interact with other children with varying degrees of ability. He learns from them, and they learn from him. He has grown in confidence and ability every week he has been at The Arc.”

Iowa organizations participating in A Community Thrives

Go to acommunitythrives.mightycause.com to contribute to these organizations during the fundraising period (Through Aug. 12). 

  • Central Iowa Wind Ensemble, Ankeny

  • Civic Music Association, Des Moines

  • Community Healthcare Resources, Bettendorf

  • Everybody Wins! Iowa, Des Moines

  • Family Promise of Greater Des Moines, Des Moines

  • Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa, Urbandale

  • Highland Park Community Development Association Inc., Des Moines

  • Home Allies Inc., Ames

  • Iowa Service Dogs, West Des Moines

  • Kingdom Living Iowa, Des Moines

  • Martha's House of Hope, Ames

  • Shalom Community Impact Center, Urbandale

  • Shelter House, Iowa City

  • The Arc of Southeast Iowa, Iowa City

  • The Center for Afrofuturist Studies, Iowa City

  • United Upper Nile South Sudanese Community Association in Iowa, Des Moines

  • YMCA of Greater Des Moines, Des Moines

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 17 Iowa nonprofits raising needed funds through A Community Thrives