Southwest Iowa Coalition

The Southwest Iowa Coalition is a nonprofit 501(c)(6). It is a volunteer-based, grassroots, rural issues organization with membership throughout 16 counties in southwest Iowa.

The board of directors can range from five to 22 to ensure equitable representation of its membership. An executive board is comprised of the president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary. Members can work through committees which address specific initiatives that correspond to their experience and interest.

The Coalition has its office in Red Oak at
2011 N 8th Street behind the high school in the Red Oak Tech. Center

Public hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Phone: 712/623-5521
E-mail: swico@swico.org
PO Box 292
Red Oak, Iowa 51566

There is one part-time membership coordinator. All other committee and event work is volunteer initiated and implemented.

Members pay dues on an annual basis. Individuals may join for $50. A sliding scale is applied to businesses, nonprofit organizations, counties and cities depending upon their size. Please check with the office to inquire about your dues.

Regular Meetings & Events Include

Taste of Southwest Iowa

Generally scheduled the first week of March during the legislative session, the Southwest Iowa Coalition offers an opportunity each year for our regional food producers to bring taste samples to the Capitol's Rotunda and showcase their goods at the Taste of Southwest Iowa. The event is designed to raise awareness about our area's superior products and innovative value-added agricultural processes. A SWICO delegation meets throughout the day in prescheduled meetings with the Governor, house leadership and senate leadership.

Rural Issues Summits

More than 350 people attended the first “Rural Economic Development Summit” organized by Senator Charles Grassley in January 1995. The Coalition continues to host rural issues summits to address cutting-edge solutions to area development challenges.

Annual Legislative Agenda Day

Each year, the Southwest Iowa Coalition members and the Wallace Foundation for Rural Research and Development document a set of legislative priorities. Legislators are invited for lunch and a presentation of those issues identified by the groups.

Candidate Forums

During an election year, candidates running for office throughout the region are invited for dinner and a casual forum. These events, like all SWICO events, are open to the public.

An Historical Perspective

SWICO was formed in 1991 as a loosely based group of concerned citizens. The first meeting included 33 people from Shenandoah, Corning & Red Oak with discussion focused on topics of water and transportation.

An invitation only introduction meeting to the Coalition brought almost 75 people to Corning in November of 1992. The common concerns of this group included rural challenges involving transportation, housing, water, telecommunications, distance learning, physician recruitment, IDED allocations, agriculture, and community specific topics.

From 1993 to 1994, a grass-roots recruiting effort of regional leaders was able to bring a loose knit group of individuals together representing 14 counties. The Coalition's original boundaries were from I-80 south to the Missouri border and I-29 to I-35. The constituency represented, (exclusive of the Council Bluffs, IA metroplex), almost 150,000 people.

By 1994, a dues paying membership in SWICO numbered almost 175. Senator Charles Grassley organized the first "Rural Economic Development Summit" held in Red Oak in January 1995; over 350 people attended. Sen. Grassley followed the summit with a personal visit to Washington DC; over 20 SWICO members were in attendance.
A Formalized Approach to Doing Business began to evolve and implemented from 1995 to 1996 that included the writing of by-laws and articles of incorporation.

Recognizing the need for a financing arm for the organization, the Grow Iowa Foundation, Inc. was formed with $200,000 in seed money from participating counties and $800,000 from USDA.

SWICO is a designated 501(c)(6) governed by a board of elected officers. SWICO's membership now stands at 350 individuals and has a mailing list of over 600 contacts. SWICO's standing committees are:

The Coalition contracts the services of a part-time coordinator.
All other participation is on a volunteer basis.