The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa is excited to welcome Derek Kimball to our staff as the Director of Charitable Impact. Derek will focus on connecting people to the causes they care about most, in turn increasing the impact of the Community Foundation. His experience with the nonprofit community gives him knowledge of community needs and allows him to help identify philanthropic opportunities for those who want to give back to their community. Derek will primarily work with fundholders and donors in Black Hawk, Bremer, Butler, Franklin, Grundy, and Tama counties, and the Ackley community.

“I am very excited to be part of the incredible mission of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa," says Derek. "I truly believe in making our communities stronger, more equitable places, and I look forward to working with generous people who want to be part of enriching communities across Iowa.”

Derek joins CFNEIA after serving over five years as the Executive Director of Cedar Valley Angels, a nonprofit focused on the foster care community. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a teaching emphasis from the University of Northern Iowa. Derek lives in Waterloo with his wife, Kristen, and their five children.

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa is excited to announce that Sherita Jenkins has joined the organization as its Director of Community Impact!

Sherita brings over 15 years of nonprofit experience including extensive community and volunteer engagement. She most recently served as the Director of Community Volunteers for the Alzheimer’s Association, Iowa Chapter, and her resume also includes the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, and Horizons, a family service alliance in Cedar Rapids.

As Director of Community Impact, Sherita will oversee all grantmaking activities of the Foundation, with a focus on Black Hawk County, and will serve as a key leader in CFNEIA’s impact model in which asset development, grantmaking, and nonprofit relations are integrated to maximize our organization’s impact in our communities.

Sherita is a long-time resident of Cedar Rapids. She and her two young sons recently moved to Waterloo and are excited to dive into the community.

“I am incredibly excited to join the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa team and to be a resident of the Cedar Valley,” said Sherita. “I can’t wait to get to know my new community in-depth. I know the best way to do that is by having conversations with the people living and working here. As Director of Community Impact, I want to learn as much as possible to understand how the Foundation can partner to create the greatest impact.”

Please join us in welcoming Sherita to the CFNEIA team and our community!

The Iowa House of Representatives unanimously passed House File 710 and is on its way to the Senate floor for debate. This bill includes positive increases and benefits to both Endow Iowa and the County Endowment Fund Program and grantmaking through accredited Iowa community foundations. 

Share Your Voice: Help increase grant dollars for Iowa communities and keep Endow Iowa working for generous Iowans making an impact where they live.

Contact your local Senate representative to let them know the importance of these charitable programs and what they mean to you and your community.  You can find contact information for your Senator here. Below you will find information from CFNEIA and the Iowa Council of Foundations to help you share your message of how the Endow Iowa 25% state tax credit has impacted your giving and your community.

• CFNEIA & Iowa Council of Foundation legislative facts sheet
• Sample email message

We hope you will join us by sharing your voice and experience to create more charitable support for our communities through these two unique philanthropic programs.

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa exists to inspire people and connect resources to enrich our communities. While our work has been a catalyst for positive impacts since 1956, throughout our history we have evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of our region. Historic events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a renewed focus on long-overlooked systemic inequities, provided an opportunity to not only take responsive action but to reflect on who we are and who we want to be.

Through self-examination, meaningful conversations, and authentic listening, we unearthed essential ideas to help lead our understanding, thinking, and actions. From these core beliefs, a new set of values was established to define who we are as an organization and to serve as a guide to fulfilling our mission for the people and places we serve.

Our Values

We believe the most innovative ideas for addressing the community’s challenges come from within the community. We will develop deep connections with the communities we serve to create impacts leading to transformational change.

We believe everyone must have an equitable opportunity to thrive. We will work to dismantle barriers to equity with an intentional focus on advancing racial equity to create an inclusive and just society for all people.

We believe we must boldly take the lead on important community issues. We will ensure the resources entrusted to us support changemaking organizations and that we champion ideas and actions to make our communities better for all people.

We believe we have a responsibility to address the power dynamics and inequities present in philanthropy. We will earn the trust of our community by taking actions rooted in authentic listening, clear communication, fiscal integrity and sustainability, and a commitment to transparency.

Moving forward, we intend every action we take to be an extension of our values. We know the challenges of the future can only be addressed when we embrace the lessons of the past. We embrace that bold action can only be taken when we first listen and learn. We understand that work toward an equitable society can only happen when we lead and follow with trust. As we evolve, we continue to expect more from ourselves as an organization and set increasingly higher standards.

You inspire us to do more for our communities and these values unite us in our work. Together, we are here for good.

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa (CFNEIA) has announced that Shanda Hansen is joining the organization as the director of affiliate impact. Hansen will serve as CFNEIA’s first director of affiliate impact, a new position that will work to advance the organization’s community impact model by engaging volunteers and nonprofit organizations and leading grantmaking activities in CFNEIA’s affiliate community foundations across its 20-county region. Hansen most recently served as the community-based center director at Francis Lauer Youth Services, a program of YSS, in Mason City. Her first day with the Foundation was January 31.

“Shanda is a proven leader and has spent her entire professional career in the nonprofit community,” said Kaye Englin, president and CEO of CFNEIA. “Shanda brings expertise in community building and volunteer engagement and her role is critical to growing our impact across our affiliate region.”

Hansen holds a bachelor’s degree in social science from the Upper Iowa University. She lives in Rockwell, Iowa with her wife and two children.

“Joining the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa and helping carry out their mission to enrich communities aligns not only with my professional experience but it is something I have aspired to do throughout my career,” said Hansen. “I am especially passionate about creating thriving rural communities and working to enhance our relationship with our affiliate community foundations will create local and regional impacts.”

As a part of its ongoing effort to advance racial equity, the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa served as a lead partner and co-creator of the Advancing Equity in the Cedar Valley convening event. Over 110 individuals representing more than 65 Cedar Valley organizations came together on September 13 to celebrate equity efforts and to have collaborative conversations leading to actions for equity in Waterloo and Cedar Falls. A second session was also held as part of the Cedar Valley Economic Inclusion Summit.

“We recognize that to move the needle forward and achieve equity, it takes us all coming together. A more equitable community is possible when people and communities move beyond obligatory inclusion to true cocreation, and that is what the events are all about,” said Dr. Nafissa Cisse Egbuonye, Associate Vice President of Growth and Community Engagement at Molina Healthcare, CFNEIA Board Member, and Chair of CFNEIA’s Racial Equity Advisory Committee.

The event brought leaders together to share equity initiatives and collectively continue developing a strategic action plan for Black Hawk County communities. Three areas of energy to advance equity were identified using input from the event sessions:

• Mobilize and connect people, organizations, and resources to advance equity.
• Remove barriers by creating opportunities for equitable access to resources and capital.
• Support organizations and communities to develop equitable practices.

Lead partners joining the Community Foundation are Black Hawk County Public Health and Grow Cedar Valley.

More information on all of CFNEIA's work to advance racial equity can be found at cfneia.org/racialequity.

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa will celebrate Community Foundation Week, November 12-18, to recognize the increasingly important role that community foundations play in strengthening localities and addressing community needs.

For more than a century, community foundations have served as a trusted partner and resource for generous people, nonprofits, and communities. The effect of community foundations can be seen in the lives of millions and in the vibrant neighborhoods that continue to thrive through their mission-driven work. During Community Foundation Week, community foundations convene to share and reflect on the stories of impact from their recent work. 

Established in 1956, the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa serves a 20-county region with 23 affiliate community foundations led by over 350 local community volunteers. Since its inception, CFNEIA has granted over $114 million to organizations enriching the communities they serve and holds assets totaling over $143 million.

Community Foundation Week was created in 1989 by former president George H.W. Bush to recognize the work of community foundations throughout the U.S. and their collaborative approach to working with the public, private and nonprofit sectors to address community problems.

Community Foundation Week also coincides with National Philanthropy Day, November 15, which signifies the importance of coming together for the common good.

Visit the Council of Foundations' website to learn more about Community Foundation Week.

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa announced $390,000 in grants at its annual Celebration of Community event on Friday, November 4, at the Diamond Event Center in Cedar Falls. The grants were awarded to four organizations including Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, City of Waterloo, North End Cultural Center and Lime Springs Betterment Foundation.

“This celebration and the grants announced tonight are a great reminder of the difference we can make in our community when we work together,” said Kaye Englin, CFNEIA president and CEO. “The Community Foundation is only able to impact communities because of the partnerships of people and organizations who truly care about where they live, and we are thankful to be part of fulfilling this vision of creating vibrant communities of thriving people.”  

The University of Northern Iowa Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center received a $250,000 grant toward its recently announced capital campaign to renovate and expand current facilities. The $14.9 million project will feature event space additions, upgrades to the facility’s interior and exterior, and improvements to seating. The project will create approximately 14,000 square feet of new and renovated space. These upgrades will elevate the Gallagher Bluedorn to a state-of-the-art facility that will continue to provide world class performing arts for the Cedar Valley and the state of Iowa.

The City of Waterloo Leisure Services Commission received a $100,000 grant to its Make a Splash campaign to transform Gates and Byrnes parks. Pools at each park are over 40 years old and $8 million in renovations will be made at each park. Plans for Gates Park include a splash pad, inclusive playground, lighted basketball courts, a multipurpose soccer field and more. A new aquatic center will be built at Byrnes Park and will include a four-lane, 25-yard lap pool and 0-depth entry play pool. These improvements encompass community input and are focused on enhancing the quality of life of all residents of Waterloo.

North End Cultural Center received a $30,000 grant to help build capacity for the volunteer driven organization focused on restoring pride in the diverse cultures of Waterloo’s northeast side. The funding was directed to hire the organization’s first full-time staff person to expand its impact. This organization focuses on Waterloo’s Black community, building on its strengths, amplifying diverse voices and viewpoints, and provides access to all residents.

CFNEIA also awarded a $10,000 grant to the Lime Springs Betterment Foundation, a group committed to improving the quality of life in Lime Springs to attract and retain citizens of this rural Iowa community. The funds were directed to the Lime Springs Endowment Fund, a fund of the Howard County Community Foundation, which is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. The $10,000 grant was part of an incentive program to help the community-led effort to reach a $100,000 goal for the fund designated to supporting community betterment activities in the Lime Springs area.

“These organizations are taking bold moves to make our communities better places for all people and we are honored to be part of their work,” said Englin. “As a local funder, we know we must also take action to lead. The grants awarded tonight are one way we carry out our commitment to our community, especially in our initiative areas of enhancing the arts, advancing racial equity and nonprofit capacity building.”

Since 1956, CFNEIA has granted over $114 million to organizations across its 20-county region and holds assets totaling over $143 million. To learn more about the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa and its impact go to cfneia.org.

See event photos on our Facebook page: facebook.com/CFNEIA