Opportunity Overview
The Fayette County Community Foundation Grants – 2026 cycle supports charitable projects, activities, services, programs, and organizations that improve quality of life in Fayette County, Iowa. Health & Safety is an express Impact Priority, alongside Opportunity & Access, Vibrant Communities, and Youth Empowerment.
Funding and Deadline
Applications opened September 1, 2026 and are due October 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM. The controlling guidelines do not state a time zone. Requests must be between $1,000 and $10,000.
A minimum match equal to 25% of the requested amount is mandatory and must appear in the application budget. For example, a $10,000 request requires at least $2,500 in matching funds, for a total project cost of at least $12,500. Applicants are strongly encouraged to include detailed bids and estimates for equipment and labor costs.
Eligible Applicants and Restrictions
Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and government entities providing benefit to people in Fayette County. Certain other tax-exempt organizations may qualify when the project is charitable, and qualified fiscal sponsorship is permitted. Applicants must be current on state and federal reporting requirements and may not have past-due reports on prior grants.
One application per organization is allowed each year, except for government entities and fiscal sponsors. Government entities and schools may submit one application per department. Organizations that received funding may not apply again in the following year or cycle; government entities and schools may apply in consecutive years only through a different department. Political activity or lobbying, debt repayment, endowment contributions, re-granting, and expenses incurred before grant notification are ineligible.
Budget and Selection
Applicants must use CFNEIA’s current budget template and identify other funding sources that are secured or pending. Review criteria include organizational capability, feasibility, community need and outcomes, and the request budget, including the ability to leverage other funding or in-kind support. Priority is given to important county needs, additional matching or in-kind support, continuation plans, collaboration, and substantial county benefit.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 88/100. This is a strong county-level funding opportunity for eligible Fayette County healthcare and public-health organizations because Health & Safety is expressly prioritized and equipment may be part of a qualifying project when properly budgeted and documented.
N9+ Fit Score: 80/100, conditional. A partner-led rural-access or community-health project using Nonagon N9+ as a remote physical examination platform for guided examinations, vitals, and telehealth-enabled clinical encounters may be a legitimate fit when tied to a defined Fayette County health need. The Foundation does not expressly preapprove N9+, telehealth technology, or any named vendor, so applicant eligibility, project allowability, match, procurement, prior-cycle restrictions, and equipment estimates must be confirmed before advancing a specific technology purchase. Dr. Miltie direct applicant: FALSE because the program requires an eligible local applicant and a mandatory 25% match.
Applicant Qualification Gate
Before any applicant-specific work or ORIGINAL outreach, Atlas must verify the legal applicant entity, Fayette County benefit, current eligibility, prior-cycle restriction status, required 25% match, project-specific allowability, procurement requirements, verified business Contact, Email Opt-Out status, permanent-bounce status, and authoritative original-send history. No applicant is presumed qualified solely because it operates in Fayette County.
Next Action
Confirm the applicant did not receive Fayette County Community Foundation funding in the prior cycle, or for a governmental applicant that the same department was not funded; confirm the required 25% match, current budget template, equipment/labor estimates, legal applicant identity, and project-specific procurement before finalizing a package.
Official source: Fayette County Community Foundation.