Healthy people. Thriving communities.

We advance system-change solutions that lead to health equity.

Our Work
Mid-Iowa Health Foundation Logo Mark of an abstract gray tree, green tiled leaves and an abstract teal bird flying off of it

Systems shape the social and economic conditions that determine our well-being. Often, they create barriers for people to access what they need to live healthy lives and to fully contribute in our communities.

Mid-Iowa Health Foundation elevates community-informed, data-driven efforts that address the social determinants of health.

How We Work

Stories of Action

Central Iowans are leading changes in our systems and communities to support lifelong health and well-being. We are proud to partner in this work.

Amplifying Philanthropy’s Impact

Iowa funders are making shifts to center communities and advance equity.

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Healthy Homes Redefines Community Collaboration

How working together to improve housing is leading to better health outcomes.

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A Food is Medicine Approach to Health Care

An incentive program has provided a model for increasing access to nutritious foods and improving health outcomes.

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Cultivating the Soil for Culturally Responsive Health Care

How DMU is transforming the way health sciences education is delivered

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Our Investments

We invest in ideas — and the people who drive them — to reimagine how our systems can create the conditions for children, families, and communities to thrive.

What We Fund

Health Initiatives

HealthConnect Fellowship

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UpLift – The Central Iowa Basic Income Pilot

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Disaster Recovery Fund

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Healthy Homes Des Moines

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Homeless Youth Demonstration Program

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Iowa Alliance for Healthy Kids

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NAMI and DMU Partnership

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The Latinx Project

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Trauma-Informed Juvenile Detention

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Trauma-Informed Supervision

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HealthConnect Blog

New connections and ideas can inspire creative approaches for improving community health.

Economic Burden of Health Inequities: 5 Insights to Inform Action

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Disability Rights Attorney Shares What Iowans Should Know About Medicaid

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Health Equity Work in Action: What Funders Should Know

Funder practices
Apr 5, 2023
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Basic Income: 4 Things to Know

Partnerships
Apr 4, 2023
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Prioritizing Advocacy: How a Nonprofit Created a Full-Time Role

Advocacy
Feb 1, 2023
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Meet the team leading UpLift – The Central Iowa Basic Income Pilot

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HealthConnect Fellows: Engaging authentically in systems change

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7 insights gained through a nonprofit merger

Foundation grants
Nov 17, 2022
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Six Elements to Consider with Community Conversations

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Community-Based Participatory Research: What to Know

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How student research informed the basic income project

Action planning
Sep 20, 2022
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How empathy is a part of systems-change work

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Making the Case: Communications Tactics that Work

Advocacy
Jul 26, 2022
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4 ways to measure system-change progress

System change
May 31, 2022
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Health disparities for Black pregnant Iowans: What you should know

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5 reasons why youth should lead systems-change work

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What we mean by 'system change'

System change
Apr 6, 2022
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4 insights from researching housing instability in central Iowa

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Iowa youth aging out of foster care: How are they doing?

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7 lessons learned from Sesame Street partnership

Foundation grants
Jan 31, 2022
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