Funding Renewal for Iowa Cancer Consortium Fuels Local Cancer Survivorship and Prevention Work
CORALVILLE, IA – August 14, 2025 – The Iowa Cancer Consortium announced the recipients of over $200,000 in grant funding through its FY26 Iowa Cancer Plan Implementation Grant and FY26 Cancer Survivorship Grant. Nine organizations across the state were awarded up to $25,000 each for their projects that run through May 31, 2026, with topics ranging from supporting cancer survivors to helping Iowans test their homes for radon.
“We are happy and relieved to be able to fund these worthy projects,” said executive director, Kelly Wells Sittig. “Funding delays and uncertainty at the federal level over recent months made it unclear if the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) would be able to issue our contract this year. But two weeks into the new fiscal year, Iowa HHS allowed award of the contract that provides 70% of the Consortium’s annual operating budget.”
Iowa HHS funding that supports the Iowa Cancer Consortium comes from a mix of federal funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state funds.
Grant funding this year will support two statewide projects, along with projects that target 78 specific counties across the state.
Most of the $200,000 awarded will go towards programs that support cancer survivorship. According to the Iowa Cancer Registry, there are over 171,000 cancer survivors currently living in Iowa. And because Iowa has the second-highest cancer incidence rate in the country, but thankfully the mortality rate remains low, that number will likely grow over the next several years.
Awarded organizations with projects supporting cancer survivors, caregivers, and their families are: Above + Beyond Cancer to bring their successful Des Moines area programming to Cass Health in southwest Iowa; After Cancer, Inc., to create patient education for navigating sexual intimacy after cancer treatment; Cancer Support Community Iowa & NW Illinois to continue their statewide expansion providing virtual support groups and education; Can Do Cancer to expand their support services for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy for any cancer type; Clay County Public Health to launch a breast cancer support group with Abben Cancer Center; Iowa Community HUB to grow a robust referral network for cancer survivor support services statewide; and MercyOne Waterloo Cancer Center to operate a food pantry for the second year.
The remaining grantees include the American Lung Association to provide 1,000 free radon test kits for Iowa residents and promote their ‘Clean Air School Challenge,’ and the Iowa Medical Society to partner with Knock and Drop Iowa to educate Latino communities about human papillomavirus (HPV), cervical cancer, and the HPV vaccine.
“Solving Iowa’s second-in-the-nation cancer crisis and supporting cancer survivors in our state will take a concerted group effort,” says Wells Sittig. “The Iowa Cancer Consortium is well suited to administer these funds and support these projects. We have a network of over 700 cancer control professionals and advocates, including almost 70 organizations.”
If you’d like to hear about future grant opportunities, sign up to receive updates from the Iowa Cancer Consortium at www.canceriowa.org/newsletters.
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About the Iowa Cancer Consortium
The Iowa Cancer Consortium is Iowa’s statewide comprehensive cancer coalition. As a leader in cancer control, the Iowa Cancer Consortium offers the state’s key cancer partners access to resources, expertise, and non-competitive collaboration across traditional boundaries for a bigger impact in cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, quality of life, and health equity. Learn more at https://www.canceriowa.org.