Scholarships and Grants

The St. Luke's Foundation Rural Healthcare Grant Program supports:

• Equipment for emergency care in the pre-hospital environment.
• Training for emergency personnel to gain or enhance their skills.
• Basic, life-support training equipment such as Hand-Only CPR, Little Anne, Manikins.
• Mileage reimbursement for Non-Emergency Transportation Programs.

Eligibility

Applicants must be in a rural community serving Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Delaware, Iowa, northern Johnson, Jones and Linn counties.

Eligible entities include Ambulance Services, Paramedics, Fire and Rescue Departments, First Responders (Non-Transport and Transport Agencies) and Non-Emergency Transportation Programs.

Matching Grant Guidelines

Maximum grant request is $6,000. The grant will not fund more than 50% of the grant project. The grant is made on a matching basis whereby St. Luke’s Foundation will award one dollar ($1) for every one dollar ($1) raised.

Timeline

• May 11, 2026 at 3 p.m. – Application Due
  
  

Questions? Please reach out to Tonya Arnold at tonya.arnold@unitypoint.org or 319-369-7572.

2026 Rural Healthcare Grants Application

The use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) can literally mean the difference between life and death. Roughly 70 percent of cardiac arrests happen outside of a hospital. A staggering 70 to 90 percent of individuals with an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest will die before reaching the hospital.

Having an AED on site as well as trained individuals who can use the device is critical for these types of medical emergencies. Nine in 10 cardiac arrest victims will survive if they receive a shock from an AED within the first minute of their attack.

Grant Purpose

As the area’s nationally recognized leader in heart care, UnityPoint Health - St. Luke’s created the Heart Saver Grant Program with a goal of using early intervention to save lives in cases of cardiac arrest and traumatic injury.

Through the generosity of St. Luke’s Foundation, the St. Luke’s Heart Saver Grant Program will award Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and training for up to 50 eligible organizations.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for this Grant program, applicants must be:

• Non-profit organizations
• Government entities
• Public or private schools
• Located in Benton, Cedar, Delaware, Iowa, northern Johnson, Jones or Linn counties
• Requests from individuals and/or families will NOT be considered

If your organization is selected to receive an AED, an authorized individual must sign a Grant Agreement as a condition of the donation and prior to receipt of the item(s). As part of the Grant Agreement your organization assumes full responsibility for all aspects of your AED, which includes regular maintenance of the electrodes and batteries, and for compliance with all relevant laws, regulations and standards of care applicable to your organization.

Amount of Funding

St. Luke’s has pre-purchased the AEDs. Grant recipients will receive:

• One Zoll Automatic External Defibrillator with display case and signage (also includes Pedi-Padz II for pediatrics).
• Participation in a one-hour training session for at least two individuals (maximum of four) from your organization on the proper use and maintenance of the AED. Please note, this training session does not provide a certification for CPR.

Application

Applications will be available soon. 

Grant Application Deadline

Monday, March 23, 2026 at Noon

Please provide the original grant application and nine copies to:

UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Foundation
Attn: Heart Saver Grant Program
810 1st Avenue NE, 2nd floor
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

Award Notification

April 2026

Eligibility

St. Luke's School of Nursing Alumni are eligible to apply for scholarships to continue their education thanks to the Charlene Allely Revocable Trust. Alum may apply for $500 scholarships towards CEU registration fees. This scholarship can be used for travel or lodging needed to attend the CEU. The CEU scholarships may be applied for throughout the year and do not have be health related.

Alum choosing to continue their formal education are eligible for $500 scholarships. The scholarships do not have to be used toward health-related coursework. Scholarships will be awarded according to the school year – usually twice yearly. Applicants may reapply annually for scholarships.

Timeline

• Applications accepted anytime.

2026 Charlene Allely Alumni Scholarship Application

The St. Luke’s School of Nursing Alumni Association provides scholarships to individuals pursuing a nursing degree at any level. Dollar amounts vary based on funds available and number of scholarships awarded annually.

Eligibility

St. Luke's School of Nursing Alumni Scholarships provide scholarship funding from St. Luke’s School of Nursing Alumni Association to individuals pursuing a nursing degree (such as LPN, RN, BSN, MSN, DNP or PhD).

Recipients must be in one of the following categories with preference given to:

1. St. Luke’s School of Nursing Alumni
2. Children or grandchildren of St. Luke’s School of Nursing Alumni
3. UnityPoint Health – Cedar Rapids employees

Timeline

• February 23, 2026 — Applications are due to St. Luke's Foundation

Questions? Please reach out to Tonya Arnold at tonya.arnold@unitypoint.org or 319-369-7572.

2026 School of Nursing Alumni Scholarship Application

St. Luke's Auxiliary provides scholarships to UnityPoint Health – Cedar Rapids volunteers or auxilians as well as a child of a UnityPoint Health – Cedar Rapids team member or auxilian who is pursuing a degree in nursing or other clinical/health profession.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet one for the first two criteria below:

• Be a Unity Point Health – Cedar Rapids volunteer or auxilian pursuing a degree in nursing or other clinical/health profession.
• Be the child of a UnityPoint Health – Cedar Rapids team member or auxilian pursuing a degree in nursing or other clinical/health profession.
• Applicant's parent/guardian must work in an eligible UnityPoint Health – Cedar Rapids department. See page 10 of the application for the list of eligible and in-eligible departments.
• Be enrolled in an accredited college or university listed on the application. Please note, this scholarship is awarded in May 2026. Funds from this scholarship should be used for the student's summer or fall 2026 tuition or spring 2027 tuition.

Timeline

• February 23, 2026 at 3 p.m. – Applications are due to St. Luke's Foundation
• April – Award Notice Sent
• May 6, 2026 at 4 p.m. – Scholarship Ceremony at Sinclair Auditorium at Coe College
  
  

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure all components of the scholarship application is complete. Failure to submit a complete application may result in the application being deemed ineligible. The scholarship is competitive, and all eligible applications will be evaluated against a standardized scoring system. All eligible applicants may not receive funding.

Questions? Please reach out to Tonya Arnold at tonya.arnold@unitypoint.org or 319-369-7572.

2026 St Lukes Scholarship Application (for Non-Team Members)