A century of life becomes a lasting legacy for Black Hawk County.

Dorothy  Brecunier lived through more than a century of change. When she died in June 2025 at the age of 104, she left behind a life defined by family, service, and a deep connection to the Cedar Valley.

That connection now lives on as a lasting gift.

For Dorothy and her husband, Dick, Waterloo was more than where they lived. It was where they built their life together, raised their children, and formed friendships that would endure for decades. It was a place that offered opportunity, and one they believed was worth investing in.

They carried that belief into how they lived. After meeting at the University of Iowa during World War II, Dick and Dorothy returned to Waterloo to raise their family and build a life grounded in community. 

Both gave their time through the Hawkeye Chapter of the American Red Cross. Dick served on the YMCA board of directors, and Dorothy contributed her leadership to the YWCA and the Junior League of Waterloo-Cedar Falls.

Even as life took them beyond Iowa, the Cedar Valley remained home. 

When Dick died in 2011 after nearly 68 years of marriage, Dorothy continued to follow the community they loved, the people, the progress, and the opportunities for families to thrive.

She also made a decision that would carry their shared commitment forward.

Through the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, Dorothy established the Dick and Dorothy Brecunier Fund through a charitable gift annuity. 

The fund supports nonprofits serving Black Hawk County through the Community Foundation’s discretionary grant process, guided by local volunteers who understand the community and its needs.

It is a simple idea, rooted in a lifetime of experience. When you invest in your community, that investment continues to grow.

Dorothy believed in the place that shaped her family. Through this gift, that belief became something lasting, supporting neighbors, strengthening nonprofits, and opening doors of opportunity across Black Hawk County.

It is a legacy built on love for a community and one that will continue to make more possible for generations to come.

Don Tietz turns entrepreneurial success into lasting impact across Kossuth County.

In a Kossuth County cornfield during World War II, a six-year-old boy was helping his father pull burrs when his father stopped and shared words that would shape his life.

“He quoted from the Bible,” Don Tietz recalls. “‘Much is given, much will be required.’ And he told me, I’ve been given a lot. That weighed heavy on me.”

Nearly nine decades later, that sense of responsibility still guides Don’s generosity.

Born in 1936 and raised on a 160-acre farm, Don learned early that if you wanted something, you worked for it. By 16, he was a pilot. At 20, he was a police officer. Later, as an entrepreneur and developer, he built homes, businesses, and commercial spaces across Iowa.

“You have to see things that other people don’t see, and you have to have the initiative to make it happen,” he said. “I don’t work for money. I let money work for me.”

Through risk, discipline, and long-term vision, Don built success. But success was never the end goal.

After the death of his son and the retirement of his daughter, he began thinking about what his life’s work would mean beyond him.

 “I suddenly had nothing left except the assets that I accrued,” Don said. “That’s really been the purpose of my existence — to pass through what I’ve acquired and make it serve the purpose of what God put me here for.”

That purpose now lives in multiple places. Through the Donald Tietz Charitable Foundation and the Tietz Entrepreneurial Center at Iowa Lakes Community College, he supports innovation and community growth.

Through the Kossuth County Community Foundation, a local foundation of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, Don established four endowment funds supporting public safety, childcare, education, and community development.

For Don, trust is key to relationships. 

“We have a voice and help determine where the funds should be placed,” Don said. “The Community Foundation team does all of the due diligence.”

The Endow Iowa Tax Credit also allows him to give in ways that are generous and strategic, while maximizing his impact in Kossuth County for generations. “If you can give and receive a tax credit that helps you give more, you’re going in the right direction,” he said.

His giving reflects the values that shaped him and have led him to strengthen his community by investing in the next generation and creating lasting opportunities in the place he calls home.

“I’ve been given a lot and a lot’s expected of me,” Don said. “We’re not here just for our own self-fulfillment.”

Strengthening nonprofits that remove barriers and build pathways to financial stability

Veridian Credit Union is rooted in the belief that financial success should be within reach for everyone.

“The credit union was started by a group of employees from John Deere who wanted to make financial services more accessible for each other,” said Angela Weekley, Manager of Community Inclusion at Veridian Credit Union. “More than 90 years later, Veridian’s mission is to partner with our members to create successful financial futures.”

As a member-owned financial cooperative, Veridian’s success is directly tied to the strength of the communities it serves.

 “We’re a member-owned cooperative,” Angela said. “Giving back to the community is important to our members. For our communities to be strong, there has to be strong philanthropy and opportunities to partner with community organizations.”

That commitment led to the creation of the Veridian Credit Union Fund at the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, allowing Veridian to invest strategically in organizations removing barriers and expanding opportunity across the region. 

“Employment readiness and financial literacy are key to building a successful financial future,” Angela said. “It’s important that we support organizations offering those tools in our communities.”

Unlike many grant programs, Veridian’s fund supports organizations as a whole, not just individual projects. 

“Sometimes organizations will tailor a program to fit a grant,” Angela said. “We want to support organizations already doing the work. How do we support that work, let them decide what they need, and trust that they know what is best for these funds.”

This trust-based approach strengthens nonprofits across Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Through its partnership with the Community Foundation, Veridian benefits from grantmaking expertise and regional insight.

“The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa provides the expertise in grantmaking,” Angela said. “It’s truly a partnership.”

Since 2010, the Veridian Credit Union Fund has distributed more than $1.1 million to organizations expanding opportunity and building stronger communities. 

“To say that we’ve invested over a million dollars in communities where our members live and have the opportunity to thrive is powerful,” Angela said. “It’s proof that we are good stewards of our members’ money. We’re pouring it back into the community where they live.”

Organizations across Veridian’s region demonstrate this impact by supporting individuals on the path to stable housing, strengthening workforce readiness, and expanding opportunities for long-term financial stability.

“We want to do things that allow us to give people a hand up, not a handout,” Angela said. “Helping  people get to where they can sustain on their own and then reach back and help someone else.”

Through the Veridian Credit Union Fund and its partnership with the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, that cooperative spirit continues by strengthening organizations, removing barriers, and helping communities build successful financial futures.

A mindset of generosity leads a professional and personal purpose

Pat Monat learned early that what you earn matters, but what you do with it matters more.

She grew up outside Jesup, Iowa, where everyone in her family had a role on the farm. 

“I grew up on a dairy farm with seven siblings. We got up early, did chores every morning and night,” Pat said. “I think the hardest and best thing I learned was hard work.”

Her father also taught her how to manage money. When the milk check came in each month, the children received a small share.

“He made us save half, and we could spend half,” Pat said. “We learned how to budget and save money.”

Those lessons carried into her career. As founder of Milestones Financial Planning, Pat has spent decades helping families make important decisions about their futures. Over time, she realized the work depends on something deeper than financial strategy.

“Once you have that trust, it’s a very sacred thing,” she said. “Clients trust you with everything they do.”

That trust often opens the door to conversations about values and giving.

“Usually I know pretty quickly if someone is a giving person,” Pat said. “If they are, it becomes almost a challenge to figure out how we can help them give back.”

For many families, that path leads to the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. Through her service on the Foundation’s board of directors, investment committee, and as a long-time member of CFNEIA’s Women for Good program, Pat has seen how the Foundation connects generosity with local needs.

“I trust the Foundation totally,” she said.

That trust matters to the families she advises. Many want their giving to stay close to home, supporting the communities that have shaped their lives.

In 2020, Pat established the Patricia and Daniel Monat Family Fund, a donor advised fund with the Community Foundation, to do just that. More than a way to give, the fund is a way to involve her family in decisions that reflect their shared values.

“My goal was to start a fund my family could manage down the road,” she said. “I want to teach them how to explore their options and start giving back.”

For Pat, generosity is a natural extension of a life built on trust, responsibility, and relationships.

“I just like to see other people be successful,” she said. “Not everyone will succeed, but if you give people an opportunity, you’ve given them a chance.”