Otto Schoitz Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $3,500,000 (2024)
Total Assets: $61,000,000
Decision Time: Not publicly specified
Grant Range: $378 - $736,000
Median Grant: $25,000
Geographic Focus: Cedar Valley Region (within 30 miles of Waterloo, Iowa)
Grant Cycles: Spring and Fall (twice annually)

Contact Details

Address: Waterloo, IA
Phone: (319) 232-2870
Email: info@ottoschoitzfoundation.org
Website: https://www.ottoschoitzfoundation.org
Grant Portal: Available through their website for application submissions

Overview

The Otto Schoitz Foundation was established in 2016 with an initial endowment exceeding $50 million following the transfer of Iowa healthcare facilities ownership by the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters. The foundation is named after Otto A. Schoitz, a Danish immigrant and local philanthropist who became Waterloo's top benefactor during his lifetime, with his most notable contribution being a donation for the Charlotte Lee Schoitz Memorial Hospital in honor of his late wife. Since inception, the foundation has awarded over $25 million to benefit the Cedar Valley community. With current assets of $61 million and annual giving of $3.5 million (5.8% giving rate), the foundation partners with not-for-profit organizations to improve the health and wellbeing of all individuals in the greater Cedar Valley Region, defined as the geographical area within 30 miles from the center of Waterloo, Iowa.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates two competitive grant cycles annually:

Spring Cycle: In Spring 2025, awarded $3,434,000 to 27 organizations
Fall Cycle: In Fall 2024, awarded $542,000 to 18 nonprofits

Applications are submitted through an online grants management system accessed via their grant portal. First-time applicants must create a grant account in the system.

Priority Areas

The foundation's funding preferences favor proposals that:

Improve residents' quality of life and better the Cedar Valley community
Meet the needs of vulnerable populations and create equitable opportunities, particularly related to racial/ethnic equity
Address root or primary causes of health and wellbeing challenges
Show evidence of success and impact
Impact Waterloo specifically, given greater community need
Share funding with others through collaborative approaches

The foundation focuses on funding local nonprofit organizations providing transformative services across the social drivers/determinants of health (SDOH), which are root causes in an individual's health and wellbeing and include conditions in which we are born, live, learn, work, play, and age.

Recent funding has emphasized:

Creating social connectedness and building avenues for increased opportunity, especially for vulnerable and marginalized persons
Projects to nurture the needs of children and their families
Addressing food insecurity
Supporting newcomer communities
Creating a more inclusive community

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation does not publish a comprehensive exclusions list, key restrictions include:

Geographic limitation: Organizations must serve the area within 30 miles from the center of Waterloo, Iowa
The foundation objectively distributes funds to aligned organizations that do not discriminate on any basis prohibited by applicable law

Governance and Leadership

Leadership

CEO: Cathy Showalter (September 2024 - present)
Former CEO: Shelli Panicucci (2017 - 2024, first CEO of the foundation)
Grant Coordinator: Amy Wiles

Board of Trustees

Dennis D. Clark, Chairman (DC Industries, Waterloo)
Eric Locke, Secretary
Mike Mallaro, Treasurer
Hugh Field
Becky Mudd
Donna Nelson
Robert Petersen
Dr. Douglas Stanford
Cathy Young

Leadership Perspective

Shelli Panicucci stated regarding the foundation's commitment: "The Otto Schoitz Foundation grant award to the 1619 Freedom School reflects our commitment to fund excellent organizations working to reduce disparities in our community."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

First-Time Applicants: Create a grant account in Otto Schoitz Foundation's grant management system by clicking the Grant Portal button on their website
Letter of Inquiry (LOI): Complete the LOI application to begin the process
Application Cycles: Submit during Spring or Fall cycles - both are open to all enrolled applicants
Communication: The foundation utilizes its online grants management system to generate email communication from info@ottoschoitzfoundation.org

Decision Timeline

Specific timelines from submission to decision are not publicly disclosed. The foundation awards grants twice per year in Spring and Fall cycles. Applicants can sign up to receive email updates including reminders of key deadlines.

Success Rates

While the foundation does not publish overall success rates, grant statistics show:

2024: 55 awards
2023: 56 awards
2022: 50 awards
2021: 43 awards

The foundation received applications and made awards totaling $3.5 million in 2024 across 56 grants, with a median grant of $25,000.

Reapplication Policy

The foundation does not publish specific reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants. Interested organizations should contact foundation staff at (319) 232-2870 for guidance.

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's stated preferences and funded projects, successful applications should:

Demonstrate clear alignment with health and wellbeing: Projects should directly address how they improve health outcomes or wellbeing for Cedar Valley residents
Focus on social determinants of health: Applications addressing root causes such as housing, food security, education, economic stability, and social connectedness are prioritized
Emphasize equity: Particularly demonstrate how the project creates equitable opportunities related to racial/ethnic equity
Target vulnerable populations: Show how the project meets the needs of marginalized or underserved community members
Provide evidence of impact: Include data and metrics demonstrating success and measurable outcomes
Prioritize Waterloo: Projects serving Waterloo directly are favored due to greater community need
Show collaborative approach: Demonstrate willingness to share funding or partner with other organizations

Recent funded projects include:

Friends of the Family ($736,000 for programmatic support)
Peoples Community Health Clinic ($375,000 for capital)
Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity ($365,000 for programmatic support)
The 1619 Freedom School ($26,000)
Boys and Girls Club of the Cedar Valley
Family Crisis Centers, Inc.
Jesse Cosby Center
Inclusion Connection

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Geographic focus is critical: Your organization must serve the area within 30 miles of Waterloo, Iowa, with preference for projects impacting Waterloo directly
Root causes matter: Frame your project around addressing social determinants of health rather than just symptoms
Equity is central: Explicitly address how your project creates equitable opportunities, particularly for racial/ethnic equity
Wide grant range: Awards range from $378 to $736,000 with a $25,000 median, so tailor your request appropriately to project scope
Two shots per year: With Spring and Fall cycles, you have two opportunities annually to apply
Use the grant portal: First-time applicants must create an account in their online system - start this process early
Evidence-based approaches win: Show data demonstrating your organization's track record of success and measurable impact

References

Information accessed December 2025