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MidAmerican Energy Foundation

Annual Giving
$6.2M
Grant Range
$1K - $1.0M

MidAmerican Energy Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $6.2 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not specified (rolling basis)
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $1,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and South Dakota (MidAmerican Energy service territory)
  • Total Assets: $40.2 million

Contact Details

Overview

The MidAmerican Energy Foundation was established as the philanthropic arm of MidAmerican Energy Company, a Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary based in Des Moines, Iowa. With assets totaling $40.2 million, the foundation distributed $6.2 million in charitable grants in 2024. The foundation is funded entirely by MidAmerican shareholders, ensuring that charitable giving does not impact customer utility bills. The foundation focuses its giving through the CARES framework: Community Enhancement, Arts and Culture, Environmental Respect, Education/STEM, and Safety. Recent grants have ranged from small community projects of $1,000 to major multi-year commitments exceeding $1 million, with particular emphasis on supporting communities within MidAmerican Energy's four-state service territory.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates on a rolling basis with no fixed deadlines, accepting applications year-round via email submission. Grant amounts vary significantly based on project scope:

  • Small Community Projects: $1,000 - $10,000 (local fire departments, civic organizations, community improvements)
  • Mid-Range Grants: $15,000 - $100,000 (nonprofit programs, arts organizations, educational initiatives)
  • Major Grants: $250,000 - $1,000,000+ (transformational community projects, capital campaigns)
  • Disaster Recovery Grants: $500 - $10,000 (emergency relief for weather-affected communities)

Application method: Email submission to Foundation@MidAmerican.com with no formal online portal.

Priority Areas (CARES Pillars)

Community Enhancement – Supporting public spaces for learning and connection, including parks, recreation facilities, community buildings, and civic infrastructure projects.

Arts and Culture – Celebrating the diverse heritage and artistic expression of customers through support for performing arts, museums, cultural programs, and heritage preservation.

Environmental Respect – Advancing clean energy initiatives, tree planting programs (Trees Please! grants), and green community projects.

Education/STEM – Supporting student development, financial literacy programs, leadership development, university programs (particularly engineering and technical teams), and K-12 educational initiatives.

Safety – Backing first responders, fire departments, emergency services, and programs making sports and recreation accessible for people of all abilities.

What They Don't Fund

  • Fraternal organizations with membership-based dues
  • Individual sports teams or team walks
  • Faith-based organizations
  • Organizations outside MidAmerican Energy's four-state service territory (Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota)
  • Private foundations (must be classified as public charity under 501(c)(3))

Governance and Leadership

The foundation's board includes:

  • William Fehrman – President/Director
  • Steven Evans – VP Taxation/Director
  • Paul Leighton – Secretary/Director
  • Tim Grabinski – Treasurer
  • Robert Berntsen – Director
  • Thomas Specketer – Director

Kathryn Kunert, VP of Economic Connections and Integration at MidAmerican Energy, frequently represents the foundation in grant announcements. She has stated: "MidAmerican is a partner in many ways—beyond providing reliable, sustainable energy, we contribute vital resources to strengthen our communities through employee involvement and financial support."

On major projects like the MLK Park in Davenport (which received $250,000), Kunert emphasized: "This piece of land will be much more than a downtown Davenport park – it will be a regional park with a purpose."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are accepted year-round on a rolling basis. There is no online portal or formal application form. To apply:

  1. Send an email to Foundation@MidAmerican.com including:

    • Organization name and mailing address
    • Project description and timeline
    • Amount requested
    • Total project cost
    • Funds raised to date
    • Intended use of requested funds
    • Copy of IRS Tax Determination Letter (required for all 501(c)(3) organizations)

  2. The board reserves the right to request additional information before making a decision.

  3. Awards are made at the discretion of the board of directors.

Decision Timeline

The foundation does not publish specific decision timelines. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year, with grants typically announced quarterly. Based on press releases, the foundation announces grants in batches representing second quarter, third quarter, and fourth quarter awards, suggesting a quarterly review cycle, though applications can be submitted at any time.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. The foundation does not publish data on the number of applications received versus grants awarded.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policies are not explicitly stated. Organizations should contact the foundation directly at Foundation@MidAmerican.com or 515-252-6570 to inquire about reapplication guidelines if an initial request is unsuccessful.

Application Success Factors

Based on analysis of funded projects and foundation statements, successful applications typically demonstrate:

Geographic Alignment: Projects must serve communities within MidAmerican Energy's service territory (Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota). The foundation shows particularly strong support for smaller Iowa communities and rural areas within their service footprint.

CARES Framework Connection: Applications should explicitly connect to one or more CARES pillars. Recent successful grants include:

  • Community Enhancement: North Side Community Recreation Center ($1,000,000), City of Aplington Pool Committee ($25,000)
  • Arts and Culture: Des Moines Performing Arts ($15,000), Des Moines Metro Opera ($5,000)
  • Environmental Respect: Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation ($250,000), Trees Please! program grants
  • Education/STEM: East High School Alumni Foundation ($250,000), Junior Achievement programs ($5,000-$35,000), university engineering teams ($2,500)
  • Safety: Multiple fire departments ($2,500-$8,000), Hope Ministries ($100,000)

Community Impact Focus: The foundation prioritizes projects with broad community benefit rather than narrow populations. Kunert's emphasis on "strengthening our communities" and "employee involvement" suggests they value projects where MidAmerican employees live and work.

Leveraging and Partnership: While not explicitly stated, many funded projects appear to be part of larger funding efforts where the foundation grant represents one component of total project funding. Applications should clearly state "funds raised to date" and "total project cost," suggesting the foundation wants to see evidence of community support and other funding sources.

Responsiveness to Community Needs: The foundation's $100,000 disaster recovery commitment in 2024 and specific disaster recovery grant program ($500-$10,000 range) demonstrates responsiveness to urgent community needs, particularly in weather-affected areas.

Accessibility and Inclusion: The foundation specifically mentions supporting "those committed to making sports and recreation accessible for people of all abilities," suggesting applications addressing accessibility and inclusive programming align with their values.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No deadline pressure: With year-round rolling applications, you can submit when your project is ready rather than rushing to meet a fixed deadline, but allow time for potential quarterly review cycles.

  • Email simplicity works in your favor: The informal email application process means you don't need elaborate online submissions, but you should still be thorough, professional, and include all required documentation (especially the IRS determination letter).

  • Geographic focus is critical: You must serve communities within MidAmerican Energy's service territory (Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota). The foundation shows particularly strong support for Iowa communities.

  • Connect clearly to CARES pillars: Don't make reviewers guess which pillar you fit—explicitly state your connection to Community Enhancement, Arts and Culture, Environmental Respect, Education/STEM, or Safety.

  • Wide grant range means scalability: The foundation funds everything from $1,000 fire department equipment grants to $1 million capital projects, so tailor your request to actual project needs rather than guessing what they "typically" fund.

  • Demonstrate community partnership: Including information about total project cost and funds raised to date suggests they value seeing community buy-in and collaborative funding approaches.

  • Don't overlook disaster recovery opportunities: If your community has experienced severe weather events (tornadoes, floods, extreme wind), specific disaster recovery grants of $500-$10,000 are available for recovery projects.

References

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