The mission of the Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation is to perpetuate the generosity and giving philosophy of Martha-Ellen Tye by providing support for and working with programs, projects, and organizations that are striving to make a better life for the people of Marshalltown, Iowa, and San Antonio, Texas and their surrounding areas.

The Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation particularly seeks to address the educational, artistic, cultural, youth, and human service needs of communities in these geographic areas, and prefers to support initiatives that enable recipient organizations to build their own capacities to produce significant, measurable change.

Please follow the proposal outline in preparing your grant request. Download the Proposal Outline here.

We review grant proposals four times during the year. Deadlines for receiving proposals are March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions within one month of each deadline.

The Foundation does not consider support for:

• Ongoing operating needs unless they are an essential part of a specific new or expanded program proposed for funding.
• Annual campaigns
• Requests for less than $1,000
• Individuals
• Faith-based programming or purposes
• Organizations that discriminate directly or indirectly against individuals or groups based on religious beliefs, race, gender, ethnic or national origin, or sexual orientation
• Organizations without IRS determined status as 501(c) (3), except for units of government (i.e. schools, colleges, city and county governments)

Grant awards differ significantly.  Many are in the $10,000 to $20,000 range. Multi-year grants, which are normally awarded for capital projects, range in size from $50,000 to $250,000.

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions within one month of each deadline.

The best answer to this question will come from a phone conversation with Executive Director Heidi Pierson Dalal at the Foundation office.  You may reach her at (641) 752-8340.

The Foundation encourages applicants to contact Executive Director Heidi Pierson Dalal at (641) 752-8340 to discuss proposals before submitting them.  This is the best way to make sure that proposals are complete and ready for review.

The geographic focus for grantmaking is Marshalltown, Iowa. Proposals from outside Marshalltown will not be considered for funding.

Founded in 2010, S.T.E.P. (Students Teaching & Empowering Philanthropy) is a program at Marshalltown High School run by youth for the purpose of nurturing philanthropy in youth, developing leaders and allowing youth to identify new community opportunities or expand on existing ones. 

This year-long program, sponsored by the Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation and Community Foundation of Marshall County, empowers and challenges high school students to address, identify and seek solutions to community needs. This program culminates with the students awarding $10,000, ($5,000 from the Youth Philanthropy Fund of the Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation and $5,000 from the Community Foundation of Marshall County) to non-profit agencies in Marshall County.