The Iowa 4-H Foundation was formed in 1949 for the purpose of raising and disbursing funds for the benefit of Iowa 4-H youths with the initial goal of raising funds to create a state 4-H camp. The first tract of land for the camp was purchased in 1950 along the Des Moines River near Madrid in central Iowa and in 1951 the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation provided a no-interest loan to purchase an additional 557 acres of land. The total land amassed for the project at this point exceeded 1200 acres. The Iowa 4-H Camping Center (later called the Iowa 4-H Center) opened in 1952.

Improvements to the Iowa 4-H Center continued throughout the following decades. A swimming pool (1953) and bath house (1992) were constructed at the Center, and by 1967 the Foundation had completed construction of five separate camp villages: Birch, Elm, Hickory, Maple, and Oak. Linden Lodge, the camp administration building, was built in 1963 and a new central kitchen and dining hall was completed in 1998.

The Foundation also supports Iowa 4-H members through financial assistance. The first Iowa 4-H scholarships were established in 1985. The following year a financial aid program was created to help youth pay registration fees for 4-H events and programs. The Iowa 4-H Foundation pays registration fees for Iowa delegates to the National 4-H Congress and also provided special financial assistance to 4-H families directly affected by the flood of 1993.

Constructed in 2003, the Extension 4-H Building on the campus of Iowa State University is the culmination of years of collaboration between Iowa State University Extension and Iowa 4-H. The building houses ISU Extension personnel and Iowa 4-H Foundation staff and is a testament to the close cooperation between these two organizations.

The Iowa 4-H Foundation is a non-profit organization overseen by a volunteer governing board of 35 trustees. Foundation staff includes an Executive Director and four supporting staff members. The Iowa 4-H Foundation website can be found at: http://www.iowa4hfoundation.org/.