Community and Stewardship
Branching Out
A nationally-recognized community grant program to plant trees and improve energy efficiency in Iowa.
Through Branching Out, your community can work together with Alliant Energy and Trees Forever to fund and implement tree-planting projects.
Celebrating more than two decades of plantings, Branching Out encourages energy efficiency, environmental awareness, and community stewardship in Iowa.
The benefits of trees are many!
- Planting trees provides more shade and cools the air, helping to lower energy costs and reduce peak electric demand.
- The trees planted represent an energy savings of over 14 million kilowatt-hours (kWh). That’s the equivalent of removing 7,800 vehicles from Iowa roads each year.
- Branching Out also helps diversify the tree population, which limits the negative impacts of pests like the Emerald Ash Borer. A diverse urban forest is the best way to ensure resiliency when faced with tree diseases and pests.
- See our list of recommended tree species.
Branching Out is offered to Iowa communities where Alliant Energy provides service. We provide grants of up to $5,000 per community for community-based, tree-planting projects like schools, libraries and community buildings and streets.
Projects must provide energy-saving benefits to the community.
Trees Forever administers and facilitates the program, providing educational and planning support.
- Online application (save a tree!) Fill out the online application form on the Trees Forever website.
- Paper application. Download and complete the paper application form.pdf. Mail it, along with the documentation it requests, to:
Trees Forever
c/o Branching Out
770 7th Avenue
Marion, Iowa 52302
Grants are awarded once per year. You can submit your application at any time, however, and we’ll hold onto it until the grant cycle opens.
| Planting dates | Application deadline | grants announced | funding awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Anytime in 2021
|
November 1, 2020 | February 2021 | April 2021 |
| 2022 | November 1, 2021 | February 1, 2022 | April 2022 |
|
Applying Organization |
City / Town |
Funding |
Project Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Amana Colonies |
Amana |
$5,000 |
Replaces trees in Middle Amana Community Park lost to oak wilt and the derecho. |
|
The Ames Foundation |
Ames |
$10,000 |
Replaces neighborhood trees lost to the derecho. |
|
City of Burlington |
Burlington |
$5,000 |
Plants trees on streets and around public buildings. |
|
Cedar Rapids Community School District |
Cedar Rapids |
$5,000 |
Replaces trees lost to the dercho on school campuses. |
|
Meadow Creek Homeowners Association |
Cedar Rapids |
$3,803.85 |
Replaces trees lost to the derecho. |
|
Mount Mercy University |
Cedar Rapids |
$2,555 |
Replaces trees on campus lost to the derecho. |
|
Quail Ridge Homeowner’s Association |
Cedar Rapids |
$5,000 |
Replaces trees lost to the derecho and the emerald ash borer. |
|
Regency South Owner Associates |
Cedar Rapids |
$3,000 |
Replaces street trees and shade trees lost to the derecho. |
|
Southerland Square Association |
Cedar Rapids |
$2,560 |
Replaces trees lost to the derecho. |
|
Indian Hills Community College |
Centerville |
$4,750 |
Diversifies campus tree canopy. |
|
Clinton Trees Forever |
Clinton |
$5,000 |
Replaces street trees and others lost to the derecho. |
|
City of Cresco |
Cresco |
$3,000 |
Replaces trees lost to the emerald ash borer. |
|
Creston FFA Chapter |
Creston |
$5,000 |
Replaces trees lost to the emerald ash borer. |
|
City of Dows |
Dows |
$680 |
Replaces trees in City Park. |
|
City of Dysart Tree Board |
Dysart |
$2,200 |
Replaces trees lost to the derecho. |
|
City of Ely |
Ely |
$10,000 |
Replaces trees lost to the derecho. |
|
City of Fairfax |
Fairfax |
$10,000 |
Replaces trees lost to the derecho in parks and public areas. |
|
Maharishi International University |
Fairfield |
$5,000 |
Replaces street trees to diversify city’s tree canopy. |
|
Farley Trees Forever |
Farley |
$2,380 |
Replaces trees lost to emerald ash borer, along with trees that were removed for road project. |
|
Imagine Grinnell |
Grinnell |
$10,000 |
Replaces trees lost to the derecho. |
|
City of Hiawatha |
Hiawatha |
$10,000 |
Replaces trees lost to the derecho. |
|
City of Hills |
Hills |
$4,690 |
Replaces street trees and others lost to the emerald ash borer. |
|
Jefferson Tree Committee |
Jefferson |
$4,000 |
Replaces trees lost to the derecho. |
|
City of Little Rock |
Little Rock |
$4,000 |
Replaces trees in cemetery, along streets and in other locations. |
|
City of Lone Rock |
Lone Rock |
$1,075 |
Diversifies and enhances the tree canopy to improve energy efficiency. |
|
Friends of Ledges, Inc. |
Madrid |
$1,965 |
Plants new trees in the Ledges State Park campground. |
|
City of Marion |
Marion |
$8,500 |
Replaces trees lost to the derecho. |
|
The Granger House Victorian Museum |
Marion |
$1,500 |
Replaces trees lost to the derecho. |
|
City of Marshalltown |
Marshalltown |
$10,000 |
Replaces trees lost during the 2018 tornado and the 2020 derecho. |
|
City of Mason City |
Mason City |
$2,500 |
Plants street trees and neighborhood trees. |
|
North Iowa Area Community College |
Mason City |
$2,500 |
Plants trees on campus and along bike path. |
|
Trees Forever Mechanicsville |
Mechanicsville |
$1,000 |
Replaces trees lost to the derecho and the emerald ash borer. |
|
Moravia Community Betterment |
Moravia |
$675 |
Plants trees to diversify the city’s tree canopy. |
|
City of Muscatine |
Muscatine |
$5,000 |
Replaces trees lost during a sewer project over the past several years. |
|
City of New Albin |
New Albin |
$1,797 |
Diversifies the city’s tree canopy and replaces trees lost to storms or disease. |
|
City of Oelwein |
Oelwein |
$5,000 |
Replaces trees lost to emerald ash borer. |
|
City of Palo |
Palo |
$5,000 |
Replaces trees lost in the derecho. |
|
Shellsburg Area Community Group |
Shellsburg |
$8,843 |
Replace trees in city parks, City Hall and other public spaces. |
|
Lutheran Lakeside Camp |
Spirit Lake |
$5,000 |
Replaces trees lost to emerald ash borer. |
| City of Stratford |
City of Stratford |
$5,000 |
Replaces dying or diseased trees and those lost to emerald ash borer. |
| Villisca Lions Club |
Villisca |
$3,000 |
Replaces trees lost to emerald ash borer. |
| City of Washington |
Washington |
$4,300 |
Plants trees around Municipal Building, three schools and along city streets. |
|
Wellsburg Community Visioning |
Wellsburg |
$1,000 |
Replaces trees in City Park. |
|
Scattergood Friends School |
West Branch |
$5,000 |
Replaces trees lost to the derecho. |
|
City of West Branch |
West Branch |
$5,000 |
Plants trees in neighborhoods and on city streets. |