KDSN Radio

GRINNELL, IOWA – The Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC) announced the selection of ten local leadership initiatives to receive funding for trainings that focus on skills and professional development.

The SPARK Leadership Grant Program is targeted toward rural communities that want to host soft skills-based leadership trainings. Funded by Alliant Energy, the program aims to strengthen leadership capacity and collaboration across rural Iowa.

“Alliant is proud to partner with the Iowa Rural Development Council to support leadership training around our state as we continue to live out our purpose of serving our customers and building stronger communities,” said Dennis Jordan, Alliant Energy Director of Customer, Community, and Economic Development 

Communities selected for SPARK grants of up to $2,500 are:

“We were thrilled with the number of outstanding applications we received for this first round of SPARK Grants,” said IRDC Board Chair Mark Reinig. “The grant recipients will be holding trainings that, among other things, support that community’s vision for expanding local leadership and their ability to address existing gaps.”

The IRDC is a statewide public-private non-profit organization focused on rural vitality and local capacity that will sustain and grow Iowa’s small towns.