IOWA — In a press release this (Thursday) morning, officials with Google said the tech/search engine company – “As part of its annual giving,” awarded more than $1 million to Iowa non-profit organizations across the state last year to support education and community initiatives.  In this area, the recipients and projects include:

• The Community Foundation of Western Iowa: As the exclusive hourly prize sponsor, Google is amplifying local philanthropy by providing matching incentives that help dozens of Western Iowa nonprofits reach their annual fundraising goals.
• Glenwood Community School District: Funding to expand hands-on STEM education and competitive robotics opportunities for students, fostering the technical skills necessary for the future digital workforce.
• Advance Southwest Iowa: Funding to support a new entrepreneurial hub in Council Bluffs, providing small businesses and startups with the physical infrastructure and digital training needed to accelerate the local economy.
• Together Omaha: Funding to help establish digital access points and technical resources for under-resourced families in Council Bluffs and Omaha.
• Iowa Western Community College: Funding to help launch a multi-year initiative at Iowa Western Community College to address critical labor shortages in the skilled trades, establishing a sustainable pipeline of certified professionals through registered apprenticeships, hands-on training, and long-term workforce development across Southwest Iowa.
• Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce: Funding for membership and event support
• Avenue Scholars SW Iowa: Funding to support 75 students to attend an IT boot camp, and two camp tracks focusing on information technology.
• MICAH House: Funding to support the critical technology infrastructure and IT upgrades necessary for MICAH House to provide case management, security, and digital educational tools for families experiencing homelessness.
• United Way of the Midlands: Funding to help provide hygiene kits for Council Bluffs, Papillon and Omaha students.

Other recipients from across the State, include:

• Wings of Hope Cancer Support Center Inc.: Funding to support the Wings of Hope Cancer Support Center, ensuring that Southwest Iowa families have continued access to free, vital emotional and mental health resources.
• iJAG: Funding to help equip 11th and 12th-grade students with career-readiness skills and industry-recognized micro credentials to bridge the gap between education and high-demand employment in rural Iowa.
• KidWind: Funding to support hands-on renewable energy education and student challenges, introducing K-12 students to the clean energy infrastructure and skilled trades pathways essential for a sustainable future.
• Kirkwood Community College: Funding to help launch a rapid-response Innovation Fund to create new degree and certificate programs that align student training with the specific technical needs of the regional data center industry.
• Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa: Funding to support three Junior Achievement initiatives—JA BizTown® Mobile, JA Finance Park® Mobile, and JA Career Inspire®—to introduce 10,355 students from over 25 schools to digital economy concepts, financial literacy, and high-demand STEM career pathways.

Google says it’s “Community giving program supports eligible organizations and initiatives directly impacting the immediate community surrounding a Google data center, along with other initiatives around the state.” The funds are awarded to nonprofits working on issues like STEM education, efforts to bridge the digital divide, sustainability, efforts to strengthen the startup or small business ecosystem, and more.  Collectively, the projects supported by this year’s funding will enable these organizations to serve hundreds of thousands of Iowans through educational programming. In addition to grant funding, Google has supported numerous organizations through event sponsorships this year.

Google first broke ground on its Council Bluffs data center in 2007, and has established a long-term commitment to the state since then. Last spring, Google announced $7B of new investment in the state, including a new data center in Cedar Rapids. In 2024, Google helped provide $2.1 billion of economic activity for thousands of Iowa businesses, nonprofits, publishers, creators, and developers. To learn more about Google’s commitment to Iowa, visit https://economicimpact.google/state/ia/.