Making a Difference, One Grant at a Time

Every year, thanks to the Carma Mohler Grant funds invested with us, IUMF has the privilege of supporting organizations across Iowa that are working every day to ensure their neighbors have access to food. But a grant is more than a check - it's an investment in people, communities, and the belief that no Iowan should go hungry. This month, as we prepare to select our 2026 grant winners, we're taking a look back at several of last year's recipients to see how they put their grants to work:

Dysart UMC Community Garden

Dysart UMC's Carma Mohler Grant helped make fresh, locally grown produce more accessible to the community while reducing waste. When summer heat made outdoor storage impractical, the church adapted by using ventilated storage structures right next to the garden, and by publicizing pick-up times when produce would be available on the garden's picnic table. Leftover produce was shared with the church’s Mission Market and donated to Tama/Toledo’s Grow a Row Program, helping ensure that surplus food reached more families throughout the county. Grant funds also supported solar lighting and decorative improvements, encouraging the community to visit and engage with the garden and prayer labyrinth year-round.

Walnut Hills Garden of Faith, Food, and Learning

The Carma Mohler Grant helped Walnut Hills UMC purchase a new garden shed, providing much-needed space to safely store tools and equipment. Now in its tenth year, this joint venture between Walnut Hills UMC and the Chin Christian Church (a congregation of Burmese refugees who live in the Clive area) continues to provide fresh, culturally familiar food for its Burmese gardeners while creating opportunities for families from both congregations to share gardening traditions and build relationships with each other. What began as a shared gardening space has grown into a meaningful partnership that continues to nourish both families and community.

Woodward Community Food Pantry

The Carma Mohler Grant helped the Woodward Community Food Pantry provide a summer food program for children in Granger, Woodward, and Bouton when school-based meal resources were unavailable. Each week, volunteers assembled breakfast and lunch packages designed to provide three days of food, reaching over 65 children and their families throughout the summer. The grant helped ensure that local children continued to have access to nutritious, consistent meals during the summer months.

Southeast Linn Community Center

The SELCC's summer lunch program helps bridge the gap when school-based meal programs are unavailable, providing free, nutritious lunches to children, families, and community members throughout the summer. Meals are prepared by dedicated volunteers at the Community Center and served at multiple locations in Lisbon and Mount Vernon (including the UMC of Mount Vernon), making them accessible to families across the surrounding communities. With 60-70 people attending each day, the Carma Mohler Grant helped purchase food for this growing program that creates opportunities for neighbors to gather, share a meal, and build connections.

North Liberty Community Pantry

The Carma Mohler Grant came at an important time for the North Liberty Community Pantry as it moved to a new location and expanded its Growing Together Garden to nearly twice the size of its previous garden. Grant funds helped purchase compost, seeds, and plant starts, supporting the pantry’s efforts to provide fresh, nutritious food to local families. Since the garden began in 2015, it has become an important part of the pantry’s commitment to healthy eating and food security—and the expanded garden will help that impact continue to grow.

Across Iowa, organizations of all sizes are finding creative ways to make sure their neighbors have access to nutritious food. IUMF is grateful for the opportunity to support their work and to see how the generosity of the Carma Mohler Fund continues to help communities grow stronger and more food secure.

The application deadline is October 1, but if your organization is working to reduce hunger in your community, we invite you to visit our website to learn more about the Carma Mohler Grant program and apply next year!

More resources

Thompson & Associates: Episode Two of Fundraising Pair-a-Docs

Stelter: 4 Things Successful Nonprofits Have Figured Out

Stelter: Insights from Giving USA 2026