Rural Healthcare Grants

The St. Luke’s Foundation Rural Healthcare Grant Program provides financial support to emergency medical service providers and transportation programs in rural areas of eastern Iowa. This program is designed to enhance the capacity and capabilities of emergency responders operating in resource-limited rural environments. St. Luke’s Foundation, a private philanthropic entity associated with UnityPoint Health, focuses on improving community health and wellness through targeted investments in healthcare infrastructure and education. The Rural Healthcare Grant initiative directly supports efforts to increase the readiness and effectiveness of first responders and transport services in critical rural service regions. The grant program covers a range of allowable uses that are vital for the delivery of prompt and effective pre-hospital emergency care. Eligible expenditures include the acquisition of emergency care equipment for use in the field, training programs to enhance emergency personnel’s medical skills, and life-support training devices such as CPR manikins. Additionally, the program offers support for mileage reimbursement in Non-Emergency Transportation Programs that serve rural populations. These expenditures are aimed at improving emergency preparedness and medical response across underserved areas. However, the program does not provide funds for basic infrastructure such as vehicles or their repair, furniture, fundraising initiatives, capital or endowment campaigns, individual beneficiaries, political advocacy, or general operating costs. This matching grant opportunity provides a maximum award of $6,000 per applicant, and it operates on a 1:1 matching basis. For every dollar requested, applicants must contribute an equivalent amount from other funding sources. The Foundation will not fund more than 50% of the total project cost. This cost-sharing requirement is designed to encourage local investment and sustainability of funded initiatives. The application process requires a detailed project and organizational budget, quotes for equipment, proof of licensure with the State of Iowa, and evidence of legal nonprofit status or formal government agreements, such as a 28E Agreement. Eligible applicants must operate within specific counties in Iowa: Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Delaware, Iowa, northern Johnson, Jones, and Linn. Acceptable applicants include ambulance services, paramedics, fire and rescue departments, both transporting and non-transporting first responders, and Non-Emergency Transportation Programs. Applications are due by 3:00 p.m. on Monday, May 11, 2026. All submissions must be physically delivered or mailed, including an original and nine copies of the application form, ten copies of the organization's 2026 budget and relevant licensure, and applicable documentation for equipment quotes. Applicants are required to report on the use of awarded funds by March 2, 2027, including a narrative update, matched funding documentation, receipts, and photographs of purchased equipment when relevant. Failure to provide this report will result in ineligibility for future funding. All questions about the application and review process should be directed to Tonya Arnold at UnityPoint Health St. Luke’s Foundation by phone at (319) 369-7572 or email at [email protected]. Award notifications and performance timelines are not specified but are implied to follow the submission and review period after the deadline. There is no stated recurrence pattern for the grant cycle.