Iowa Public Library Grant Award Program

About this program

The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust provides grants of up to $80,000 to Iowa public libraries for construction, renovation, furnishings, equipment, technology infrastructure, and multi-site resource-sharing initiatives, with projects serving youth especially encouraged. Eligible projects generally receive up to 20% of total need, and at least 50% of project costs must be secured or pledged before applying. Applicants must follow the Trust’s application guidelines; school/community joint library projects and requests focused specifically on accessibility are ineligible, and libraries must wait at least five years after receiving an award before reapplying. Evaluation considers local investment, volunteer involvement, usage and educational programming, long-term sustainability, and State Library of Iowa quality measures.