What the public views as the Iowa Newspaper Association is really three corporations each with a different mission but all working for the newspapers of Iowa.

The Iowa Press Association (IPA) was founded in 1931 as a tax-exempt non-profit organization financed by member dues. The IPA’s primary mission was to protect newspapers interests in the Iowa Legislature and to hold an educational convention each year.

In 1950, the Association’s board decided it wanted to create an advertising service to provide additional advertising for members and non-dues income for the Association to reduce the need for regular dues increases. To do this and protect the association’s not-for-profit status, a wholly owned, for-profit, tax-paying subsidiary called the Iowa Press Advertising Service was created.

In 1983, the Iowa Press Association and Iowa Daily Press Association (IDPA) merged to form the Iowa Newspaper Association (INA). For over 50 years the IDPA had served most of the state’s dailies with an ad service, educational programs and other services. The Iowa Press Advertising Service was later renamed INA Services Company. Customized Newspaper Advertising (CNA), the Association’s ad service, is part of the INA Services Co.

In 1984, the Association’s board decided it wanted to create a way for members to make tax-deductible contributions to support enhanced programming. To do this and protect the association’s not-for-profit status, the Iowa Newspaper Foundation was created. Originally, the foundation concentrated on fund raising to underwrite affordable, high-quality educational opportunities for members and the general public. Its mission has been broadened by its board of directors over the years. Today it also is working to raise money to meet key challenges facing the newspaper profession in the future and to find ways to fund programs to help newspapers successfully deal with those challenges.