The company operates one of its largest data centers in Council Bluffs, and it is building a new data center in Cedar Rapids — part of a $7 billion investment in Iowa announced last summer that more than doubles what the Internet giant has spent in the state since breaking ground in Council Bluffs in 2007.
Additionally, across the the metropolitan area, Google operates and has expanded data centers in northwest Omaha and in Papillion, Nebraska.
Google has been adding capacity for its cloud and artificial intelligence services. It has also been investing money in the communities where it operates as well as building educational and training capacity. The company estimates it provided $2.1 billion in economic activity in Iowa in 2024.
The company said in a news release that its annual giving supports "working on issues like STEM education, efforts to bridge the digital divide, sustainability, efforts to strengthen the startup or small business ecosystem, and more." STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
"Collectively, the projects supported by this year’s funding will enable these organizations to serve hundreds of thousands of Iowans through educational programming," Google stated in the release.
This year's annual giving supports, among other nonprofits and initiatives:
- Community Foundation of Western Iowa by providing hourly prizes for the Giving Tuesday 712 program to amplify local philanthropic giving to nonprofit groups.
- Wings of Hope Cancer Support Center by supporting the center's efforts to provide Southwest Iowa families access to free educational and mental health resources.
- Glenwood Community School District by expanding hands-on STEM education and competitive robotics and by fostering technical skills for the digital workforce.
- Advance Southwest Iowa by supporting a new entrepreneurial hub in Council Bluffs, providing small businesses and startups with infrastructure and training.
- Together Omaha by establishing digital access points and technical resources for under-resourced families in living in the Council Bluffs-Omaha metropolitan area.
- Iowa Western Community College by launching an initiative to address critical labor shortages in the skilled trades through registered apprenticeships and other efforts.
- Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce by providing unding for membership and event support, such as backing the annual Legislative Coffee public forum series.
- Avenue Scholars Southwest Iowa by paying to support 75 students to attend an information technology boot camp and sponsoring two camp tracks focusing on IT.
- MICAH House by providing critical technology infrastructure and upgrades to provide unhoused people with case management, security and educational tools.
- United Way of the Midlands by providing hygiene kits through its Shine Bright program for students in the Council Bluffs, Papillion La Vista and Omaha schools
Google also supported the Iowa Jobs for America Graduate program, renewable energy education through KidWind, Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa and Kirkwood Community College, according to the release.
“Google has been proud to call Iowa home for nearly 20 years, and we are committed to giving back to the community through both grant opportunities like these as well as volunteer roles from our Googlers across the state,” Allyson Eastman, Google community and workforce senior manager, said in the release.
“These nonprofit organizations are on the front line helping to solve issues like the digital divide, skilled training needs and address other barriers to economic mobility across the state," Eastman said. "We are thrilled to support them and aid in their missions to provide economic opportunity for Iowans.”
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© 2026 The Daily Nonpareil, Council Bluffs, Iowa. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
