About Us

We are committed to strengthening our community’s health.

Mid-Iowa Health Foundation formed in 1984 through the endowed proceeds from the sale of Northwest Community Hospital. Over decades, the Foundation has continued the hospital’s commitment to support the health of our community.

Our Vision

Greater Des Moines is a healthy community

Our Mission

To serve as a catalyst and partner for improving the health of children and families in Greater Des Moines.

Our Role

We fulfill our mission through three primary areas of work.

Work in ActionMeet Our Team

Strategic Investments

We advance system-change solutions that address the social determinants of health and ensure central Iowans can access what they need to live healthy lives.

Learning and Connections

Participating in and providing opportunities to listen, share knowledge, and collaborate with our community informs our strategic investments and grows a network of champions in support of health equity.

Governance with Integrity

Our mission and guiding principles drive how we do our work and how we manage and invest our resources responsibly for our community.

Guiding Principles

Our actions are guided by these principles:

  • We believe good health is a balance of physical, social, and emotional states.
  • We understand social, economic, policy, environmental, and cultural factors shape health outcomes. We commit to more deeply understanding and responding to the system-driven conditions that result in health inequities.
  • We believe the Foundation’s governance, priorities, and actions should be informed by the voices of the people our mission strives to serve. We commit to bringing diverse partners together and to respect all voices as we work together to address complex challenges.
  • We believe in working alongside and building trusting relationships with grantees, partners, community members, and topic experts to inform how we respond and adjust to community needs.
  • We believe in focusing the resources of the Foundation toward those members of our community who are most underserved and are currently or historically marginalized.
  • We believe it is our responsibility to maximize Foundation impact through continuous learning with local, regional, and national partners. Through this learning we will strive to be nimble and responsive to our community and grantees, ensuring optimal Foundation operational, relational, and governance practices.
  • We believe the resources of the Foundation are a public trust to be managed, invested, and used responsibly according to the Foundation’s mission.
  • We are dedicated to serving as a grant-making foundation with complementary roles in convening, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration to fully advance our mission.
  • We commit to operating the Foundation in perpetuity, with the understanding that an opportunity to make significant, long-term impact may warrant investment above that which is required.

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