67 Eastern Iowa Organizations to Receive More Than $1.5 Million in DRA Grants

The Dubuque Racing Association will recognize 67 nonprofit and community organizations being honored for receiving a combined $1,511,154.50 in 2026 DRA grants, supporting projects and initiatives across Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. The organizations join together for a reception on Thursday, August 27th, at Reflections at Q Casino + Resort.

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The funding includes $1,261,154.50 awarded through the DRA's Core Grant efforts and another $250,000 awarded through Mission Grants. The investments support a wide range of work, including youth sports, education, health and human services, arts and culture, emergency services, civic projects, veterans programs and community development.

The three Mission Grant recipients include Dubuque Soccer Club, which received $100,000 for its plans for an indoor youth soccer facility; Dyersville Events, which received $100,000 annually, renewable for up to five years, for the Professional Ballpark at the Field of Dreams; and The Butler Children's Garden Foundation, which received $50,000 as the second-year installment of a previously approved multi-year commitment for Wanderwood Gardens.

The Core Grant recipients include 64 organizations. The DRA said 60 of those are new awards for 2026, while four organizations are receiving funding as part of previously approved multi-year commitments. The DRA said the Core Grant cycle drew 152 applications requesting more than $7.59 million. The organization ultimately approved nearly $1.3 million in funding. Iowa organizations received 88.3 percent of the Core Grant funding, followed by Wisconsin at 8.3 percent and Illinois at 3.3 percent.

Among the organizations receiving funding are:

• Andrew Volunteer Firemen Inc.: $2,913
• Bell Tower Productions: $8,400
• Camp Courageous: $20,000
• Carnegie-Stout Public Library Foundation: $40,000
• Cassville Fire & Rescue: $10,000
• City of Maquoketa: $25,000
• City of Peosta, DBA Peosta Community Centre: $10,000
• Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque: $40,000
• Community Solutions of Eastern Iowa: $10,000
• Dickeyville Grotto and Gift Store: $12,000
• Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Jackson County: $3,000
• Dubuque and Jackson County Habitat for Humanity, Inc.: $40,000
• Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens: $35,000
• Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce: $20,000
• Dubuque Area Labor-Management Council: $17,500
• Dubuque Area Library Information Consortium: $10,000
• Dubuque Area Swimmin' Hurricanes: $25,000
• Dubuque Arts Council: $10,000
• Dubuque Black Men Coalition: $5,000
• Dubuque Childcare Collaborative LLC: $46,962.50
• Dubuque Children's Zoo Booster: $9,475
• Dubuque Fine Arts Society Inc.: $7,000
• Dubuque Food Pantry: $35,000
• Dubuque Irish Hooley Inc.: $5,000
• Dubuque Jaycees: $20,000
• Dubuque Main Street: $25,000
• Dubuque Museum of Art: $20,000
• Dubuque Soccer Club: $100,000
• Dubuque Soil & Water Conservation District: $3,600
• Dubuque Symphony Orchestra: $30,000
• Dyersville Area Chamber of Commerce: $4,050
• Dyersville Commercial Club: $15,000
• Dyersville Events Inc.: $100,000
• Every Child Every Promise: $50,000
• Foundation for Dubuque Public Schools: $50,000
• Freedom Foundation: $5,000
• Friends of St. Mary's, DBA Steeple Square: $15,000
• Friends of the Mines of Spain: $40,000
• Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois: $35,000
• Guttenberg Economic & Industrial Development Committee: $20,000
• Honor Flight of Dubuque and the Tri-States: $20,000
• Inspiration Stables: $35,000
• Jackson County Veterans Memorial Park Inc.: $7,890
• Jamison Museum Association Inc.: $30,000
• JDLF Collective, Inc.: $12,500
• Julien Dubuque International Film Festival: $20,000
• Lafayette County Sheriff's Office: $12,000
• Moms Connect Dubuque: $10,000
• Monticello Fire Department: $10,000
• Nathaniel Morgan Memorial: $24,000
• Northeast Iowa Community College Foundation: $30,000
• Northeast Iowa Council, BSA: $6,500
• OAS Foundation: $15,000
• Opening Doors: $35,000
• People In Need (PIN): $5,000
• Regional Transit Authority 8: $20,000
• River Bend Food Bank: $10,000
• Riverview Center: $25,000
• She Unites: $2,500
• Southwestern School District: $30,000
• Special Olympics Iowa: $20,000
• St. Mark Youth Enrichment: $15,000
• The Butler Children's Garden Foundation: $50,000
• The Workshop: $15,864
• Two by Two Character Education: $10,000
• United Way of Dubuque Area Tri-States: $50,000
• Waypoint: $10,000

The awarding reception is scheduled for recipients and will include remarks from Q Casino + Resort President and CEO Anthony Williams, DRA board member John Sutter and Diamond Jo Casino Vice President and General Manager Wendy Runde. The event will conclude with photos of each recipient organization receiving a ceremonial check.

The DRA said its community giving is made possible through the continued success of Q Casino + Resort and Diamond Jo Casino. Since 1985, the organization has awarded thousands of grants totaling more than $68 million to organizations throughout Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.