Better Health Foundation announces grant awards

The Better Health Foundation (BHF) is helping area nonprofit organizations by investing in programs and services that contribute to the region’s health.

The independent, private foundation recently announced Capacity Building and Service Support grant awards totaling $1 million for 19 area nonprofit organizations. Total grant awards since the foundation launched in 2023 now exceed $5.3 million.

“When we began awarding grants in 2023, it was our goal to distribute up to $4 million in our first two years of operation,” the foundation’s CEO Melinda “Missy” Gowey said. “To exceed that goal by $1 million speaks both to the needs being identified and addressed every day by our grantee partners, and to the commitment of the Better Health Foundation Board of Directors to make health and wellness available to all in our community.”

The next opportunity for nonprofit organizations to apply for BHF funding begins with Letters of

Inquiry for Innovation grants opening Jan. 15, 2026. The Innovation grants will range from $100,000 to $200,000 for programs and services aligned with BHF’s funding priorities of mental and behavioral health, maternal and child health, and risk reduction of obesity and diabetes.

These 2025 Capacity Building and Service Support Grants were awarded this month to the following organizations:

• $20,000 to Autistic & Loved to hire a part-time behavior specialist to lead age-specific social and support groups for autistic children, tweens, teens, and their parents and caregivers. The specialist will expand Summer Enrichment and Social Support Group programs to year-round offerings that improve mental well-being, peer connection, and family resilience.
• $75,000 to Bethany for Children & Families to hire its first major gifts officer with a focus on major donor recruitment and grants management.
• $64,000 to ChildServe Foundation, Inc. to support the development of their new center, ChildServe Davenport, which will provide services for children with special healthcare needs, including an Autism Day program, a comprehensive childcare program for children ages 2 to 5.
• $75,000 to Community Health Care, Inc. to hire a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner to serve its new Muscatine, Iowa clinic – home to one of the state’s lowest provider-to-patient ratios. The program will close urgent access gaps for patients navigating poverty, trauma, and language barriers.
• $15,000 to Hawkeye Area Community Action Program to expand the Connections program to screen food-insecure neighbors in Cedar County for mental health concerns and social needs. The project will connect more neighbors to care earlier, reduce stigma, and build stronger, more stable futures.
• $75,000 to the Heart of Hope Ministries to purchase fresh, low-sodium, and low-sugar foods and sustain staff who operate the only evening food pantry in Rock Island’s West End. The grant is intended to help neighbors eat better, live stronger, and avoid preventable illness.
• $60,000 to MercyOne Genesis Foundation to continue offering Family Connects’ in-home nursing visits to new parents delivering at MercyOne Genesis Silvis. The evidence-based program offers families the support they need when transitioning home with a new baby.
• $47,000 to Narratives to sustain and expand trauma-informed coaching, peer groups, and mentorship for young adults navigating poverty, lack of insurance, and untreated mental health challenges.
• $18,850 to Pregnancy Resources to help underserved parents gain access to essential resources. The grant will serve the needs of at least 400 pregnant/postpartum women over the next 12 months, secure distribution of an additional 400 cans of formula and ensure 50 more families receive essential newborn care items.
• $75,000 to Project Now to hire its first dedicated development professional to launch a coordinated, sustainable fundraising program serving Rock Island, Mercer, and Henry counties in Illinois. The position will help it diversify its revenue, grow traditional fundraising, and fully leverage federal grants, so at-risk children and families continue receiving life-changing services.
• $10,000 to River Bend Food Bank to support its hunger relief efforts by providing food to a network of area food pantries.
• $75,000 to SAL Community Services to hire a full-time licensed clinical social worker to provide on-site mental health services at the organization’s four early childhood centers. The therapist will offer trauma-informed care, early intervention, and family engagement to more than 700 children.
• $30,000 to Spring Forward Learning Center to expand emotional support services during summer programs and provide staff with training in the areas of Trauma Informed Care, Mental Health Literacy, and Social-Emotional Learning strategies.
• $37,000 to Tapestry Farms to support a full-time position that helps refugee moms and their young children – from Syria, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and other war-torn countries – access the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) nutrition program.
• $50,000 to The Center for the Peer-to-Peer Support Program that delivers evidence-based, cost-effective support through trained individuals with lived experience. Designed to reduce isolation and promote sustained recovery, the program builds resilience and trust.
• $50,000 to Together Making a Better Community (TMBC) for Healthy Kids Hub, a year-long initiative addressing pediatric health through monthly campaigns at the TMBC walk-in clinic hub. Partnering with schools and community groups, TMBC provides screenings, education, and mental health support where families come together.
• $75,000 to Unity House of Davenport to hire an in-house drug and alcohol counselor to provide individual and group therapy for men in recovery housing. On-site counseling during the high-risk early months of sobriety will reduce relapse, address co-occurring mental health needs, and build essential coping skills.
• $75,000 to Vera French Foundation to fund an opioid/substance use disorder case manager and drug court liaison to help people seeking mental illness care secondary to an opioid or substance use disorder diagnosis. 
• $75,000 to YWCA of the Quad Cities to improve maternal and child health by transforming its Empowerment Centers into community hubs offering free essentials (nutrition, hygiene, childcare items), health education, and peer connections. To better serve women and families in poverty, the YWCA will provide transportation support to increase access and more than double its monthly reach.

Better Health Foundation accepts requests from qualified 501(c)3 organizations in Cedar, Clinton, Louisa, Muscatine and Scott counties in Iowa, and Henry, Mercer, Rock Island and Whiteside counties in Illinois. Award criteria and instructions on applying can be found at www.thebetterhealthfoundation.org. To receive more information about the grants, contact Elaine Schilling, [email protected], or call the Better Health Foundation at (563) 383-6065.