The Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation aims to continue the legacy of Martha-Ellen Tye by supporting and collaborating with programs, projects, and organizations seeking to improve lives in Marshalltown, Iowa, and San Antonio, Texas, and their surrounding areas. It focuses on educational, artistic, cultural, youth, and human services needs in these communities, prioritizing initiatives that help organizations build their capacity for significant, measurable change.
The Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation Grant program is designed to attract, develop, and retain individuals who contribute to a civic-minded, healthy, caring community and reinforce collective pride. It aims to enhance the unique identity of the community by expanding vibrant amenities. Though it has specific focuses, it remains open to supporting other areas of need as well. The types of support provided include program needs, organization and program startup or expansion, construction and renovation projects, specific programs, equipment and materials, and more. The foundation offers Outright Grants and Challenge Grants, the latter requiring matching funds to be raised. Grant amounts vary widely, with many between $10,000 and $20,000, and multi-year grants for capital projects ranging from $50,000 to $250,000.