Pioneer Seed Grants for Iowa 4-H Club Community Improvement Projects

The objective of these grants is to stimulate local 4-H clubs in Iowa to plan and carry out communitygarden improvement activities by providing “seed money” needed to make the projects successful. Pioneer will provide up to $5,000 to selected 4-H clubs in Iowa. Awards will be made directly to the clubs through the Iowa 4-H Foundation from Pioneer as soon as selections are made. Grants will range from a minimum of $50 to a maximum of $500.

Pioneer Seed Grant Information for Iowa 4-H Club Community Improvement Project

Applications Due to County Offices by January 16

Clubs should submit their applications to their county office by January 16. A county staff member must review all applications submitted from the county’s clubs, write appropriate comments where indicated, and sign below their comments. Pioneer Seed Grant completed applications and support letters should then be emailed to the state 4-H office with Pioneer Seed Grant in the subject line.

Awards Announced Mid-April

Final decisions will be made by a committee of volunteers and staff members. All applicants should receive letters by mid-April. If awarded a grant, a check from the Iowa 4-H Foundation will accompany the letter. A copy of the letter will be sent to the adult leader and county Extension staff member named in the application.

Grant Reports Due to County Offices by October 11

You are required to submit a report after your project is completed so keep good records along the way. Your records and the final report could/should include the following items that apply to your project.

  • The total cost of the project (including in-kind donations).
  • The total number of youth volunteers and the total number of adult volunteers.
  • The total number of hours of youth volunteers and total hours of adult volunteers.
  • Tell us about any challenges that happened during the project. Share how you addressed them.
  • What did your group learn from the total experience?
  • Tell us about any plans for future community service projects.
  • Include newspaper clippings, photos, etc. related to your project.

Extension offices should mail or email the reports to the state 4-H office with Pioneer Seed Grants indicated on the envelope or in the subject line.