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Pictured: Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine team members MUSCATINE, IA – The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine is pleased to announce the awarding of over $229,000 in grants to support local charitable programs and projects through the Impact and Racial Justice Granting Programs. The grants are aimed at a wide range of initiatives, including education, human services, health, culture, and racial justice. Each grant is a testament to the incredible depth of wor

MUSCATINE, IA - The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine recently approved its Board of Directors for 2026/2027. •Brandon Bullock – Chief Operating Officer, HNI Corporation •Dr. Naomi DeWinter – President, Muscatine Community College •Rich Dwyer (Chair) – Senior Vice President, KENT WORLDWIDE •Jodi Royal-Goodwin – Community Development Director, City of Muscatine •Angie Johnson – Vice President of Member and Community Relations, HNI Corporation •Cindy Mays – Retired Mark

Pictured above: The study abroad participants and trip chaperones pose for a photo with their Wanxiang Polytechnic student ambassadors at the train station. MUSCATINE, IA – Through the Sarah D. Lande Education Co., in partnership with Wanxiang America Corporation, eight students from Muscatine participated in a Study in China Experience. This immersive four-week program allowed students to explore China, study the Chinese language, participate in cultural experiences, and gai

Pictured to the left: The winners of the 2026 SPARK! Towhead Island Logo Competition. The team named “The Amazon Shoppers”, consists of students Lily and Tina, who proudly hold up shirts displaying their design. MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine recently concluded the 2026 SPARK! Towhead Island Logo Design Competition, a student-centered program designed to help sixth grade students learn about Towhead Island while exploring marketing, logo desig

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine has been awarded a $250,000 grant through the Community Foundation Climate Collaborative, supported by the McKnight Foundation, to advance innovative housing solutions that reduce carbon emissions while making homes more affordable to build, less expensive to own, and more resilient for generations of homeowners. The funding will support the Community Foundation's Rural Housing Innovation initiative, a cross-sect

June 5, 2026 MUSCATINE, Iowa In response to the heartbreaking events of June 1st, a fund has been established at the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine to support the families directly affected by this tragic loss. Charitable donations to the McFarland, Whitlow, and Harris Family Support Fund will help address immediate and ongoing family needs, including memorial-related expenses, through the coordination of Saints Mary and Mathias Church. Those who wish to show suppo

June 5, 2026 MUSCATINE, Iowa Nearly 120 Susan Clark Junior High students shared original data science research projects at the Reinvent Muscatine Civic Data Science Fair. Their research focused on the future of Towhead Island, a 129-acre island in the Mississippi River, recently donated to the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine. Students in Pamela Joslyn’s Technical Innovations classes worked in teams over the past six weeks to identify research questions, conduct surv

The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine and their affiliate, the Community Foundation of Louisa County, awarded over $684,000 in scholarships to graduates of Columbus Community, Louisa-Muscatine, Muscatine, Wapello, West Liberty, and Wilton High Schools. Over 210 scholarships were awarded through funds established by Community Foundation donors to support students pursuing post-secondary education. Muscatine Community College Foundation, HNI Corporation, and other loc

A new opportunity for homeownership is now available in Muscatine, as six newly constructed, energy-efficient homes are being offered for sale through a partnership led by the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, Muscatine Center for Social Action, and local collaborators. Designed for comfort, durability, lower entry purchase price, and long-term savings, these homes provide the opportunity for buyers to own new, high-quality, affordable housing. What truly sets these

Thank you to all our donors and partners who joined us on the Celebration Belle riverboat for our 2026 Annual Meeting on April 9, spotlighting an uncommon island gift, the splendor of the Mississippi River, and philanthropy in Muscatine County. The evening focused on a central theme: philanthropy is not only about what is given, but what it makes possible. “Tonight we’ve demonstrated how we are collectively transforming what philanthropy does, not just gives,” shared Charla S

In partnership with Muscatine Charities, Inc., we proudly presented the 2026 Tom Hendricks Community Service Award to the Fruitland Lions Club during our Annual Meeting on April 9 th . Established in 2016 by Muscatine Charities, Inc., the Tom Hendricks Community Service Award honors an outstanding nonprofit organization that leverages volunteerism to meet critical community needs and enhance quality of life. The award is named in recognition of Tom Hendricks’ decades of ded

Community leaders, conservation experts, educators, and local partners recently gathered for a Towhead Island Strategic Insights Workshop to explore a shared vision for the future of Towhead Island. The conversation centered around three key themes—youth education, conservation, and community benefit—with participants identifying immediate opportunities, long-term goals, potential barriers, and key partners working in these spaces. The workshop, facilitated by Nahant Marsh Ed

Collaborative partners gathered to celebrate the completion of a new housing triplex designed to increase access to safe, stable, and affordable rental housing for families with children attending Jefferson Elementary School. Pictured: Jamie Leza, Mike Nolan, Kandy Steel, Rich Dwyer, Jason Dornbush, Naomi DeWinter, Jen Petersen, Troy Ross, Nathan Billany, and Kent Pilcher This project marks the successful launch of a pilot initiative made possible through a $1.25 million gran

Below are audience questions from the Muscatine Community Summit on December 10, 2025, hosted by Collaborate Muscatine. Responses were contributed by members of Collaborate Muscatine. A recording of the event is available here . Muscatine Ambassador t-shirts are available for purchase here . How do you pick what gets lifted and who presents at these meetings? The Collaborate Muscatine Summit is tailored annually to communicate progress of aligned community priority goals and

The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine and our affiliate, the Community Foundation of Louisa County, are honored to steward a remarkable legacy gift that will impact generations to come. Through the thoughtful estate planning of Andrew Hafner, ownership of a farming corporation—including more than 300 acres of productive crop ground—has been entrusted to the Community Foundation to carry forward his philanthropic wishes. This gift established three permanent endowment

The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine is honored to announce a truly historic act of generosity and environmental stewardship. Through the Joe W. and Betty L. Rauch Memorial Fund held at the Community Foundation, Towhead Island, the iconic natural landmark located in the bend of the Mississippi River in Muscatine’s downtown, will be purchased and placed into the permanent ownership of the Community Foundation. This extraordinary gift ensures the island’s preservation

The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine recognizes the good work of fellow citizens and charitable organizations who are making a difference in Muscatine County through its annual Initiative Awards. Award recipients include: Shirley Jean Drake Great Initiative Award The recipient of the 2025 Shirley Jean Drake Great Initiative Award is Freda Sojka . As founder and co-director of Cedar River Haven, Freda has poured her heart into building a recovery community that provid

The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine recently hosted Empowerment Luncheons, sponsored by Geri Kent. These two biennial events bring together area middle school students and community leaders for meaningful conversations on leadership, resilience, and positive decision-making. EmpowerMENt Luncheon This year’s EmpowerMENt Luncheon featured keynote speaker Gage Huston , General Manager at Muscatine Power and Water, who shared a powerful message about perseverance, perso

We are pleased to announce the awarding of over $174,000 in grants to support local charitable programs and projects through the Muscatine Health Support Fund—the first round of grants since completion of the new Mulberry Health Clinic. The Muscatine Health Support Fund’s purpose is to encourage, assist, establish, maintain, and develop projects to improve the community health and aid the growth and development of the health care system for the City of Muscatine and the surro

Deb and Keith Porter know the importance of giving back, and they have chosen to do so with a Donor Advised Fund through the Community...