Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa

Kaye Englin named to become next Community Foundation President & CEO

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa board of directors is pleased to announce the selection of Kaye Englin to serve as the next President & CEO, effective by the end of May. Englin will replace Mary Ann Burk, who has served as President & CEO for 20 years and was the first staff person for the Community Foundation, hired in 1993.

“I am pleased that such a capable and experienced person is going to be leading the Community Foundation, to an even higher level of excellence, to benefit the citizens of the many communities we serve. Kaye has the passion and love for community that compliments her proven record of accomplishments in the area of development, finance, advocacy, leadership, and management. I look forward to working with her as we make this transition,” said Mary Ann.

Kaye joins the Community Foundation after serving as the Vice President of Advancement, Church Relations and Advocacy for Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) for nearly 11 years. In that role, she led the Advancement team to secure LSI’s charitable contributions and funding resources, including annual funds, capital campaigns, endowment campaigns and planned giving efforts. She also led the organization’s church relations, advocacy efforts and disaster response initiatives. During her tenure at LSI, her department secured over $35 million in support of the organization’s mission.

“Kaye's combination of business experience combined with a 11 year career dedicated to local philanthropic planning and management is a unique mix. Her background, combined with her passion for serving Northeast Iowa makes her a perfect fit as the next leader of the Community Foundation,” said John Monaghan, Community Foundation board chair.

Prior to joining LSI in 2002, Kaye worked in the financial services industry for over 15 years. Her work with her clients provided Kaye with excellent opportunities to gain valuable experience related to charitable gift planning. She also served as the chairman of Bremwood Lutheran Service’s board of directors, providing leadership for strategic planning, investment planning and fundraising initiatives.

“This position provides a unique and exciting opportunity for me to utilize my background and experience to help and provide a link between donors and important charitable needs for the benefit of the people and the nonprofit organizations in the 25 counties and communities served by the Community Foundation. I look forward to working with philanthropists and the Foundation’s community partners to move forward the vision of this excellent organization,” said Kaye.

Kaye and her husband John are native Iowans and both grew up on farms near Audubon, Iowa. They have lived in Waverly for 29 years and have two children. John is the Manager of Financial Services at Veridian Credit Union in Waterloo. Their daughter, Megan, is married to Justin Janssen. Megan and Justin live in Waterloo, Iowa and they have one daughter. Megan teaches third grade at Cedar Heights Elementary in Cedar Falls, and Justin is a school psychologist for Area 267. Kaye and John’s son, Jake, is a freshman at Iowa State University in Ames. Kaye enjoys spending time with family and friends, singing, traveling and jogging. She is an active member of Women in Philanthropy, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Leave a Legacy, Waverly Rotary Club, and Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Kaye will join Mary Ann on May 20 and they will work side by side to ensure a smooth transition. Mary Ann will retire effective May 31 and Kaye will assume full leadership.

Community impact funds created with estate gift

A generous gift came to the Community Foundation recently from the estate of Pauline Kober, a longtime resident of Waterloo. Kober left the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa a gift of more than $143,000, which will be split into two community impact funds to benefit citizens of Black Hawk County and citizens of Traer, Iowa.

Pauline was born and grew up in rural Traer, Iowa, daughter of Frank and Millie Vogt-Safley. She received her education at Gates Business College and in 1944 began working in the office at Rath Packing Company, where she worked until her retirement in 1984. Having no children or spouse, Pauline left her estate to the community, benefiting several charities including the Community Foundation.

“Pauline was aware that she had a good deal of wealth and was the last surviving member of a large family. She was always interested in what was going on in the community and realized a need to think through what legacy she might leave, representing herself and her family,” said Pauline's attorney, Jared Bauch.

During her retirement, Pauline volunteered at the St. Francis Hospital in the gift shop and mail sorting, and looked after elderly friends—running errands, cooking and making sure they were taken to doctor appointments. Long time friend, Anita Rau, remembers Pauline as a friendly and generous woman and a hard worker.

Because the funds are permanently endowed, the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa Board and the governing committee of the Tama County Community Foundation, an affiliate foundation, will be able to make grants from each community impact fund annually to benefit the changing needs of the communities in perpetuity.

“Rather than see her wealth dissipate to collateral heirs, with whom she had no contact, Pauline wanted to make sure there was a legacy left to the community that would continue to bear fruit,” said Bauch.

For more information about the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa and how you can give to or create your own fund, visit the foundation website at www.cfneia.org or call (319)-287-9106.

Americorps VISTA volunteer, Emma Lundgren shares experience with the Community Foundation

What do you do for a living?

This has been a sand trap of a question for me for the past six months; I try to avoid it because it takes too long to get back out. Even though I have been doing the same thing for these six months, I myself am only just now starting to understand it. So rather than continuing to avoid the question, I’ll take it head-on and try to sum up my work as thoroughly yet briefly as I can.

I am an AmeriCorps Volunteer In Service To America (VISTA), serving a year with the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. AmeriCorps VISTA is a national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. VISTA members commit to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, strengthen community groups, and much more. Around 7,000 VISTAs serve the United States every year, 73 are in Iowa, and 9 of them are currently in community foundations across Iowa.

The purpose of my service this year is to build the capacity of the community foundation—that is, my work serves to improve the organization’s ability to do the work it is already doing, and so allowing for its further growth through bettered resources and additional staff time.

Specifically, I have been working with the Community Foundation’s affiliates, which operate on a county- or city-wide level. Each affiliate has a local governing committee representing their geographic area to promote endowment building, community grantmaking, organizational collaboration and public leadership with professional assistance from CFNEIA staff. I, along with the Director of Affiliate Outreach, communicate and meet directly with the local governing committees to make sure they have the tools they need to be able to communicate the community foundation’s opportunities to their local public. For them, I have created and updated committee development documents, like an orientation manual and a committee member “job description.” I also send a semiweekly e-newsletter to the committee members, which forwards information from the CFNEIA office and from the Iowa Council of Foundations.

In addition to working with affiliates, I also work on projects that assist the CFNEIA office staff. I have created a new monthly report form for affiliate development associates to more efficiently and comprehensively track their fund development work, and I have computerized several forms that formerly were only available on paper.

I have also been able to use some of my practiced skills within this position. I majored in writing when I was in college, so I have been trusted to write some press releases, donor vignettes, and grant stories, which have been featured in local newspapers, and in CFNEIA’s quarterly newsletters, reports, and website.

As a VISTA at the Community Foundation, I have gotten to work in a wide variety of contexts—anything from learning to run Excel macros and maintaining a website to giving presentations to committees and planning an educational luncheon. From week to week I get a good mix of office work and personal interaction with the people I am working to support.

This whole year for me is an unusual conglomeration of organizations, tasks, and responsibilities, but through it I have gained knowledge and experience with nonprofits, financial planning, and office protocol that I don’t think I would have gotten anywhere else. I think I will be better prepared for future jobs because of my time as a VISTA with the Community Foundation—whether or not I can adequately explain what I did.

Community Foundation names Burk as interim President & CEO

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa names Mary Ann Burk as the interim President & CEO following the resignation of Brad Patterson, President & CEO. A search for a new President & CEO will begin immediately.

Please contact John Monaghan, Community Foundation Board Chair, at (319)-240-2708 for more information.

Community Foundation approves more than $393,000 in grants

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa held its fall grant award ceremony Wednesday, January 23, announcing grants approved in excess of $393,000, to 42 area nonprofits. The next deadline to apply for a Community Foundation grant is April 1.

The Community Foundation is able to award these grants because of donors who have contributed to discretionary funds that allow the Community Foundation Board of Trustees to make grants requested by Black Hawk County nonprofits through a grant application process. Donors who have advised funds are also notified of grant applications that need funding and this year, nearly $84,000 was contributed by donor advisors to help meet the needs requested by local nonprofit agencies.

Linda Laylin, Executive Director of the Cedar Valley Growth Fund accepted a $10,000 grant that will help economic development in the Cedar Valley by providing financial and technical assistance to small businesses through revolving loans and micro loans. “This grant means so much—not only for the investment in our organization, but the endorsement from the Community Foundation,” said Laylin.

Allen College received a $12,000 grant for their ACE-SAP Free Clinic, which provides health care services at the Salvation Army in Waterloo. The clinic fills a vital need for low-income, uninsured persons, and it provides service-learning opportunities for Allen students who are supervised by faculty.

Cedar Valley Friends of the Family received a grant of $10,000 to support their Safe Shelter, which is located in Waverly, but is the closest domestic abuse shelter to Black Hawk County. Nearly 75% of individuals served by CVFF are from Black Hawk County. The Shelter has 21 beds and certified advocates are on call 24 hours to assist victims and their families.

In addition to the YWCA Latino Services, Cedar Valley Friends of the Family, and the Cedar Valley Preschool and Child Care Center, the following is a complete list of Black Hawk County discretionary grantees receiving funding from the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.

Arts & Culture:

Cedar Falls Community Theatre, Inc.- Access to the Arts
Hawkeye Community College – Hawkeye Celebrates the Arts! 2012-2013 Artist Series
Metropolitan Chorale
Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area – Seasonal Youth Camps
The Arc of Cedar Valley – Adaptive Recreation Program

Community Betterment:

Build Our Ballpark
Cedar Valley Growth Fund, Inc.
City of Hudson – Hudson Underpass/Sergeant Trail
Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa – CFNEIA Opportunity Fund
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church – Community Center

Education:

Afro American Community Broadcasting, Inc. – KBBG-FM Stop Gap Request
Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health Center, Inc. – Community Education
Cedar Valley Preschool and Child Care Center – Healthy Environment = Healthy Kids!
Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa – CFNEIA Opportunity Scholarships
Harbaugh-Wiliams Fund – Harbaugh-Williams Education Promise Fund
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Northeast Iowa – Managing When Cash-Strapped classes and counseling
Covenant Medical Center – RSVP Primetime Program
Greater Cedar Valley Alliance Foundation, Inc. – Leader in Me-Leader Valley
Grin and Grow – “GAP” Scholarships for low-income children
Grout Museum District – Museum School
Operation Threshold– Housing and Fair Lending Counseling Program
The Job Foundation – Financial Stewardship Mentoring Program
Volunteer Center of the Cedar Valley – Service-Learning: Engaging Youth in Service to the Cedar Valley
Waterloo Community School District – Standardized Dress Code Assistance Program
Waterloo Junior Golf Association – Rebuilding Waterloo Junior Golf Association

Health:

Allen College – ACE-SAP Free Clinic
Allen Health Systems, Inc.-Allen Child Protection Center
Family YMCA of Black Hawk County – Improved cycling equipment

Human Services:

Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa -Community and School-Based Mentoring
Cedar Valley Friends of the Family-Programming support
Champions of Austism & ADHD – b-Calm Units for Autism Center
Christian Community Development – House of Hope
Communities in Schools – CLS/Success Street
Comprehensive Systems– Kitchen Renovation
East Side Ministerial Alliance – Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
Family & Children’s Council – Parent Connection Program
Girls Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois – Black Hawk County Girl Scouting
Hawkeye Valley Area Agency on Aging – Hot-Shot Delivery System Truck
Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity – Americorps & staff support
New Directions Community Services – Anger Management Program
North Star Community Services – Building on Excellence –North Star’s Vision for the Future building improvement project
YWCA of Black Hawk County – Latino Services

Community Foundation makes $200,000 grant to Food Bank capital campaign

The Community Foundation is pleased to announce a contribution to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank’s capital campaign. During a press conference Thursday morning, the Foundation presented $200,000 to the Food Bank’s executive director, Barb Prather and board chair, Jeanne Miller.

With the $200,000 grant, the Community Foundation has received naming recognition for the Food Bank’s Commercial Kitchen. The kitchen will be used to prepare meals for the Kids Cafe program, which provides meals to area children. It is hoped that the kitchen will eventually be used to offer cooking classes and nutrition education activities to clients of the Cedar Valley Food Pantry.

“The CFNEIA board of directors has decided to periodically make proactive strategic grant investments in key areas to strengthen the wellbeing of the Cedar Valley. Investing in the Food Bank of Northeast Iowa’s new facility and the YWCA capital campaign are examples of these high impact strategic investments,” said Brad Patterson, President & CEO of the Foundation.

The Community Foundation also gave a $100,000 grant to the YWCA of Black Hawk County in December towards their capital campaign to repair renovate its aging building. Both grants come from the Foundation’s Mission Fulfillment Fund, which will be used to make larger, high-impact grants to address pressing community issues.

Tax extension to help donors give more for less

Legislation Permits Tax-free Charitable Transfers from IRAs

On January 2, President Obama signed into law the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, extending the IRA Charitable Rollover provision through December 31, 2013. The law allows persons 70 ½ and older to rollover up to $100,000 from an IRA directly to a charity, tax-free—bypassing income tax. The law was not extended for 2012, however part of the new extension allows individuals who received an IRA distribution in December 2012 to elect that distribution as a 2012 IRA charitable rollover in the individual transfers the amount in cash to an eligible charity, like the Community Foundation by February 1, 2013.

“Extending this provision of the law is a very positive thing for charitable entities like the Community Foundation,” said Brad Patterson, Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa President and CEO.

If an IRA is transferred to a permanent endowment fund with an Iowa community foundation that meets national standards, it is eligible for a 25% state tax credit on the tax-free rollover gift through the Endow Iowa Tax Credit program.

The Community Foundation can help donors execute the transfers and choose from several charitable fund options for their gift. Donor Advised Funds do not qualify for tax-free IRA transfers.

“Even though the provision has been extended again, it is time limited, especially for those wanting to take advantage of the rollover in both 2012 and 2013,” said Patterson. “For anyone interested in establishing a permanent legacy in this community, this is an excellent opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting gift to the community.”

To contact the Community Foundation for more information or to make a gift, please call

(319) 287-9106 or visit us online at www.cfneia.org.

House of Hope to re-design with $10,000 grant

House of Hope received a $10,000 grant from the Women’s Fund, a permanent endowment held at the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, to use for a collaborative project with Iowa State University’s Interior Design Program that will enhance the design of its facilities and provide seminar training for staff in Trauma Informed Care. The grant was awarded at the December luncheon of Women in Philanthropy, a leadership initiative of the Community Foundation designed to educate and inspire women to become leaders in philanthropy. Approximately 40 Women in Philanthropy members gathered at Sunnyside Country Club on Tuesday to learn about the project and award the grant.

House of Hope’s project includes plans to modify three spaces within the house—the community kitchen, the donation room and the office. Changes to the office will allow staff to meet with women applying for service in a private and secure space. The donation room will become a multipurpose room for group meetings as well as a reception area. The kitchen will be modified to allow more families to prepare meals each night with the addition of a second stove and countertop. Landscape design is also in the works.

Executive Director, Barbara Dee said, “The women are most excited about the upgrades that will be made to the kitchen. All the families cannot cook meals each evening, and many nights, one of the families has to find a meal to make in the microwave.”

The changes to the house coincide with House of Hope’s newer Trauma Informed Care (TIC) approach to helping its clients. Trauma Informed Care is acknowledged as a preferred service delivery method offering many benefits including evidence that TIC helps staff feel better equipped to respond to families, families have better outcomes, crises occur less often, and families become more likely to maintain housing stability.

“The grant will help us create spaces that are conducive to healing and allow families to be partners in their own recovery,” said Dee.

Work will begin in January, when ISU students return to class. They will submit their designs to House of Hope and modifications to the house are set to begin in February or March. Volunteers from the community will be called upon for additional help.

The income from the Women’s Fund benefits projects that address issues that lead to long-term change for Black Hawk County and Cedar Valley women, girls and their families in the areas of: education and literacy; poverty and homelessness; violence and safety; and health and healthcare. Women in Philanthropy members are the advisers to the Women’s Fund and form a grant review committee to decide where to allocate its available grant dollars.

Women in Philanthropy meets quarterly to keep women informed of issues affecting women and girls in the Cedar Valley. Membership is open to all women interested in learning with philanthropy.

To learn more, please e-mail Ali Parrish, Director of Development, or call at 319-287-9106.

Camp Courageous wins $5,000 on Giving Tuesday

Camp Courageous of Iowa has won a $5,000 grant to their permanent endowment fund from the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa through a Facebook contest that was set to celebrate the first annual Giving Tuesday.

Ten nonprofits were selected to enter the contest on a first-come, first-served basis. Photos of the participants and a brief description of their organization were posted on the Community Foundation’s Facebook page. Voting began on Friday, November 16. The nonprofit photo to receive the most “likes” by 3pm on November 27, would receive a $5,000 grant to their permanent endowment fund. More than 1,700 Facebook users logged in to support their favorite nonprofit during the week of voting.

Giving Tuesday is a national movement to encourage giving back and philanthropy awareness. The movement encourages families, communities, companies and organizations to find simple ways to give back. More than 1,000 nonprofits have partnered, pledging their Giving Tuesday activities on the Giving Tuesday website, http://www.givingtuesday.org.

Governor Branstad, Iowa Economic Development Authority, and ICoF announce $11 million for community foundations

County Endowment Fund Program Powerful Tool in Supporting Philanthropy

Governor Terry Branstad and officials from the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Council of Foundations (ICoF) announced the funding of the 2012 County Endowment Fund Program. Approximately $11 million in funding will be distributed to 85 community foundations across the state.

“Iowa has a long history of strong communities that support their own,” said Governor Terry Branstad. “The funding that will go to community foundations as part of the County Endowment Fund will help ensure these community organizations will continue to be strong today and into the future.”

Each of the 85 community foundations participating in the program will receive approximately $126,000; the organizations will then grant 75 percent of those funds to charitable projects and programs in their counties. The remaining 25 percent will be used to grow a permanent, unrestricted endowment fund intended to attract additional donations and provide a source of permanent funding for charitable projects in the county.

The source of funding for the program is eight-tenths of one percent of the state’s gambling revenues. The program distributes an equal allocation to a community foundation located in counties without a state gaming license. Fourteen counties were not eligible for the funding because state-licensed gaming facilities are located in those counties.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority works closely with the ICoF to coordinate the program and determine the community foundation recipients of the funding. The ICoF is a membership organization of grantmaking foundations across Iowa with a mission of promoting philanthropy and effective grantmaking in the state.

“Community foundations across Iowa are committed to making our state a better place to live and work. The County Endowment Fund Program strengthens and supports their efforts. Our organization is proud to to be involved in this program – and even more proud of what it means for Iowa,” said Laura Sauser, president of ICoF.

To find a list of the community foundations that received funding for the 2012 County Endowment Fund Program, please visit http://www.iowacommunityfoundations.org/2012-recipients.aspx.