Donor Stories
Bill and Barbara Clark's Vision Lives On for Their Community
The Clarks established the Barbara and Bill Clark Fund during their lifetime, recommending grants to nonprofits they loved that created a stronger Cedar Valley. The couple, who met in 1951 while Bill was at Harvard...
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Donor Stories
Thoughtful Generosity with a Grateful Heart
Ken and Ruth Procter call Decorah home. Ruth was born and raised in this hub of northeast Iowa, went to college here, and was a teacher for 38 1/2 years, most of them as a...
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Donor Stories
Making Dreams Happen
Don and Shirley Kniss were never blessed with children of their own, but Shirley considered all her students her children. During her 35-year teaching career, primarily at Waterloo’s Kingsley Elementary School, Shirley influenced, nurtured, and impacted over three generations...
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Donor Stories
A Rooted Legacy
Waverly was a young community in the late 1800s when the Rathe family made it their home and a generational tradition of giving back began. Today, the community is thriving and Dr. Ann Rathe, a psychiatrist at Waverly Health Center,...
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Donor Stories
A Pillar of Generosity
Pauline Barrett was a pillar of generosity in the Cedar Valley. The impact of her giving, along with that of her husband Dr. Sterling Barrett, has rippled across the community they loved.In 1994, Pauline established the Pauline R. Barrett Fund...
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Donor Stories
A Sweet Connection
Gary and Becky Bertch are known for their generosity. As owners of Bertch Cabinets in Waterloo, the couple has made national news by taking employees on week-long cruises to show their appreciation. So, it’s no surprise the family’s generosity extends...
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Donor Stories
IRA Rollover Helps Keep Nonprofit Singing into Future
Bob Richardson loves to sing and has been a chamber choir member of Bel Canto Cedar Valley since its inception in 2012. So, when Bob and his wife, JoDee, heard the Bel Canto Board of...
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Donor Stories
Volunteering Sparks Vision for Legacy of Giving Back
When their daughter passed away, Ken Cutts and Patricia Achey-Cutts knew they could react in one of two ways. “We could have gone down the rabbit hole or to the light,” said Patricia. The couple...
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Donor Stories
Gratitude
Steve and Stacie Brass are successful business owners with lots of responsibility, but it’s clear the priority and heart of their 22-year marriage is their children, Alyssa, 19, Nick, 16, and Lindsey, 10. “Between business,...
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