About UDMO

Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc. (UDMO) is one of 16 community action agencies (CAAs) in Iowa and one of approximately 1,000 community action agencies across the United States. CAAs are nonprofit private and public organizations that were established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 to fight America's War on Poverty.

CAAs provide services to more than 13 million low-income people annually in 96 percent of the nation's counties. During the 2022 fiscal year, UDMO served 18,928 individuals in 8,640 households in Northwest and North Central Iowa. Of these households, 63% (5,477 households) had incomes below 100% of the federal poverty level ($27,750 per year for a family of four).

Community action agencies across the nation share the common goal of self-sufficiency for the families they serve. UDMO promotes self-sufficiency by providing a variety of programs to fight poverty, improve health and increase educational attainment for family members of all ages.

UDMO provides these services to families in 12 Northwest and North Central Iowa counties:

Buena Vista
Clay
Dickinson
Emmet
Hamilton
Humboldt

O’Brien
Osceola
Palo Alto
Pocahontas
Webster
Wright

60th Anniversary Logo - Transparent Background

Our Mission

UDMO is dedicated to helping build stronger communities by addressing the effects of poverty on individuals and families.

Our Vision

UDMO will strengthen communities through:

  • The promotion of leadership and a positive environment, achieve goals and break down barriers;
  • The building of partnerships to maximize community resources;
  • The bridging of communication between clients, partners, and staff;
  • The creation of an environment in which diversity in all its forms is valued and encouraged;
  • Fiscal excellence and responsibility are valued and maintained; and
  • Diversified resources are developed to meet community needs.

Through these actions, UDMO will continue to evolve and grow in order to serve communities.

Our Promise of Community Action

Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.