The Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded a $250,000 grant to the Iowa Rural Development Council to continue its support for businesses, startups and entrepreneurs through its Rural Business Initiative program. The Rural Business Initiative, which started as a pilot program in 2024, will provide grants of at least $30,000 to community organizations that work with small businesses, dollars that can be directed to local businesses for capital costs, soft costs, training or strategic planning. Non-metro communities under 20,000 that are within at least 50 miles of a Wells Fargo Bank branch are eligible to apply. “This is a great opportunity to continue the work we started with pilot communities in Minden, the Ottumwa region, Perry and West Branch,” Iowa Rural Development Council board President Mark Reinig said in a prepared statement. “We are excited to build on what was started last year and share the experiences of the pilot communities with a new cohort.” The Iowa Rural Development Council will select four to five rural communities for grants. The application window opened Monday. Information on the application process for communities to express their interest can be found here or by visiting www.iowardc.org.
