1126 COMMUNITYSummer2022Newsletter
President & CEO, Dr. Les Garner, Jr. His Retirement
“It has been an honor to serve as the leader of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation,” says Les. “I am proud of the organization and its efforts to strengthen our community through philanthropy. The collective efforts of the Board of Directors, a talented staff, and innovative donors and nonprofits have been inspiring. I am optimistic about the future of the Community Foundation and Linn County.”
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Les joined the Community Foundation in 2010 after serving as President of Cornell College for sixteen years. Before that, he was President of North Carolina Wesleyan College and served as assistant professor of business administration and director of the Young Executives Institute at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He also served as special assistant to the director at the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria.
Les led the Community Foundation through three strategic plans, more than doubling the organization’s assets from $91 million in 2010 to $223 million in 2022. Annual grantmaking increased from $6.3 million in 2010 to $12.6 million in 2022 and the staff grew from 13 employees to 21. 2
For the last twelve years, the Community Foundation has benefitted from the leadership of Dr. Les Garner, Jr. Through some of the largest challenges our community has ever faced, Les led our organization with grace, compassion, and wisdom. After a long and illustrious career, Les will retire in June of 2023.
“I have loved working with Les for the past 12 years,” said Karla Twedt-Ball, Senior Vice President, Programs and Community Investment. “Under Les’ leadership, the Community Foundation has helped position the community for the future through a number of efforts. He will have a long lasting legacy in our community.”
The Board of Directors will oversee the search process, which will begin in January 2023 with the goal of filling the position by June 2023.
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Within the Community Foundation, Les’ innovative leadership has had a tremendous impact. Initiatives during his tenure include an upgraded data software system, an expanded menu of investment options, increased involvement in community learning, and stronger supports for nonprofits through grantmaking and the Nonprofit Network. By all accounts, Les leaves the Community Foundation in a good position to continue supporting Linn County far into the future.
Some of those efforts include the micro-lending program for Cedar Rapids entrepreneurs, the expansion of the Kids on Course University summer programs, the third-grade reading proficiency program called Reading into Success, and the Creating Safe, Equitable and Thriving Communities Fund for youth violence prevention efforts. Many of these are direct results of Les’ ability to convene and connect with Whenpeople.donors came to the Community Foundation with an interest in funding a microloan program for local entrepreneurs, Les brought the idea to life. “He began investigating how to create such a program and eventually formed a partnership with the City of Cedar Rapids, the Public Library, Kirkwood SBDC, the local SCORE chapter, and the East Central Iowa Council of Governments,” said Jean Brenneman, Chief Financial Officer. “While all the partners have contributed to the success of the program, I truly believe it would not have gotten off the ground without Les’ entrepreneurial, convening, and storytelling skills.”
“We appreciate Les giving us time to prepare the Community Foundation for his departure,” said Okpara Rice, Board Chair. “He has been a convenor and collaborator that has led the Community Foundation through tremendous growth over the past 12 years.”
For now, Les will continue to lead the Community Foundation and provide support during the transition.
Kim Brown Crisis Counselor Foundation 2 Crisis Services
“Minnie Rubek was an unsung heroine in our community,” said Carrie Walker, Nonprofit Network Manager. “Her gifts made a lasting impact on our organization and community; the Spirit of Minnie Rubek honors those who are following in her Spiritfootsteps.”ofMinnie
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Rubek honorees will be recognized at the Nonprofit Party at the Lodge on Thursday, September 8 at Wanatee Park’s Prairie Oak Lodge. All nonprofit professionals are invited to join the celebration from 4:30 to 6 pm.
CentralClientJanetAllianceGrossCoordinatorFurnitureRescue
Dawn D’Amico Human Resources and Payroll Horizon,ManagerAFamily Service
Brad Bezilla Children’s Services Clinic Director Balance Autism Cedar Rapids
Abbie Covenah Director of Operations United Way of East Central
Nonprofit Professionals to be Recognized for Going ‘Above and Beyond’ 2022 Spirit of Minnie Rubek Honorees SpiritofMinnie RubekHonoree GreaterCedar Rapids CommunityFoundation 2021
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Even in the nonprofit sector, where service to the community is the norm and the people are mission-driven, there are those who stand out and go the extra mile. These are the people who work day in and day out to have an impact on their organizations, colleagues and communities. We are excited to recognize a few of these individuals who have remained quietly committed to local nonprofit organizations.
Amber Franzen Associate Executive Director Aging Services
Sarah Dawson Scout Executive/CEO Hawkeye Area Council, Boy Scouts of America
Summer 20225 Dave Mather Director of Ministry Support Team St. Paul’s United Methodist Church & MetroFoodJackieFoundationStallmanPantryManagerCatholicOutreachBobHeblExecutiveDirectorDiscoveryLiving,Inc. Michelle Waldron Strategy Director Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa Tora Phelps SupportedSpecialistEmployment The Arc of East Central Iowa Clint Twedt-Ball Executive Director & Founder Matthew 25 LauraMediatorMartin Kids First Law Center Achissa CatherineEducationMushimiyimanaCoordinatorMcAuleyCenterChelseyStecklyProgramSupervisorYPNJackieLeeSeniorAccountantWaypoint Dianne Wasson Transitions of Care and Continuum of Care Mercy Medical Center Jill O’Hara, CDA, RDA, EFDA Dental Clinic Manager Eastern Iowa Health CenterDental Health Clinic Karen Takes Project HisMedicalMargieTanagerCoordinatorPlaceLeonardCoordinatorHandsFreeClinic To learn more about each honoree, please visit www.gcrcf.org/2022-minnie-rubek-honorees/.
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More than 30 years ago, while working as a CPA for McGladrey LLP, Michael Stallman started on his philanthropic path. A client was in the process of establishing Discovery Living, a local nonprofit helping adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities live meaningful lives in mainstream society. After helping with some of the paperwork, Michael eventually took on a more active role.
Discovering A Passion for
“I’ve been on the board there for about 35 years now,” Michael said. “Back then, people didn’t necessarily want group homes in their neighborhoods, so it wasn’t always easy.” Still, the dedicated board and staff were able to grow the organization—today they serve 150 people at 34 Linn County locations. After more than two decades of donating his time and talents, Michael got an opportunity to give back even more—not only to Discovery Living, but to other organizations he cared about as well.
“We received an annuity from my father and used that and some converted mutual insurance company stock to establish an endowed fund,” Michael said. “We didn’t really need the additional taxable income at that point, and this way we could use it for charitable gifts in the future.”
Michael Stallman
“We looked into establishing a nonprofit for this purpose, but it isn’t easy,” Michael said. “The Community Foundation was a much better option, and this fund now provides scholarships for students who work at the camp.”
The designated fund makes annual distributions to the Hawkeye Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, and those grants support the Camp Staff Alumni Scholarships Program. As an endowed fund, it will make those distributions forever. To date, the fund has provided more than $6,000 in scholarship funding.
In recent years, cryptocurrency—or crypto—has grown in popularity with both investors and philanthropists. The Giving Block, which helps nonprofits fundraise through digital assets, processed $5 million in contributions in 2020, compared to $100 million in “Cryptocurrency2021. remains a developing industry, but its growth cannot be ignored,” said Michelle Beisker, Senior Vice President of Development at the Community Foundation. “Many foundations are beginning to accept these assets, and gifts of crypto have become popular with donors. We accept a wide range of gifts to make it easy for donors to strengthen our community, and adding crypto to that list will help ensure we are prepared for Linn County’s future.”
Shortly after establishing the donor-advised fund, Michael teamed up with John to establish the Howard H. Cherry Reservation Camp Staff Alumni Fund. The camp serves eastern Iowa scouts and is partially staffed by former scouts who are on In response to donor requests, the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation is now accepting gifts of cryptocurrency. There are many different types of cryptocurrency, but each is a digital asset made for exchange across computer networks.
To learn how you can make gifts of crypto—or any other asset—to the Community Foundation, contact us at 319-366-2862 or info@gcrcf.org. summer break from college. John is an Eagle Scout, long-time troop leader, and now a father to young scouts, and he was looking for a way to support the summer camp staff program.
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Now Accepting Gifts of Cryptocurrency
Opting for an endowed donor-advised fund, Michael was able to make a single tax-deductible gift to the Community Foundation upon receiving the annuity without deciding yet which organizations the fund would support. The flexibility of making annual grant recommendations has allowed him to support organizations that are important to him, including the schools his seven grandchildren attend. Because the fund is endowed, it will make grants to the community forever, and Michael looks forward to getting his three adult children involved in the process. With a range of family philanthropy services, the Community Foundation can provide guidance as families enter into these discussions. In fact, the Stallmans have already started having those conversations. “As we were growing up, both of our parents were quite active in charitable organizations,” said John, Michael’s son. “We were always encouraged to stay involved and support the community where we could. They set great examples for us kids—and for a lot of others as well.”
Working Toward Equity from the Inside Out
The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation exists to strengthen Linn County and improve the lives of its residents. Everything we do is in pursuit of a vibrant and inclusive Linn County where all people thrive—and those efforts begin at home.
“Learning requires asking questions,” Les said. “We’re asking ourselves challenging questions at the Community Foundation, and we’re reaching out to groups that may not have felt connected to our organization in the past. We want to know how we can better serve everyone.”
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The primary role of the Community Foundation is a funder. Our unique position in the community allows us to act as a convener, a catalyst, and a place for ongoing dialogue on challenging issues. We can partner with donors who truly want to empower disadvantaged communities; we can shine a light on disparities and provide support for emerging solutions; we can rethink our policies and practices to promote Foundationequity.staff and board members took a closer look at the barriers some in our community face. “Unfortunately, many of our systems have built-in barriers for certain groups, and addressing those barriers is no small task.” As a acknowledgeorganization,philanthropicwethat the Community Foundation exists in a nation in which certain groups of people have been disadvantaged.historicallyAsour nation comes to terms with this truth and entrenchedacknowledgesdisparities,it may seem difficult to see how philanthropic organizations can find a path forward and address these problems.
Through two recent outings— to the African American Museum of Iowa and the LGBTQ+ Youth Center at Tanager Place—Community
Equity is a
Community Foundation staff and board members at the African American Museum of Iowa. The group toured Mapping Exclusion: Redlining in Iowa, and talked with Museum staff about their role in preserving and celebrating Black history.
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“Equity is a simple concept—it is acknowledging that equitable outcomes may require differentiated treatment,” said Les Garner, President & CEO.
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DonorsChoose is a national nonprofit, founded in 2000, that allows teachers to crowdsource funding for supplies, projects and equipment. Donors can give to schools in their area, to teachers they know, or to any classroom with an unmet need. The Community Foundation has partnered with DonorsChoose since 2015.
Casey
The Community Foundation’s Fund for Educational Excellence, which provides a portion of the matching grants, was established in 1990 to support teachers in creative, innovative, and effective classroom projects. Additional support comes from the Peggy Fashimpaur Kahr Fund for Arts Education and the Community Foundation’s unrestricted funds. Currently, $25,000 in matching grant funds are available through DonorsChoose for the 2022-23 school year.
Staff at the African American Museum walked us through Mapping Exclusion: Redlining in Iowa, and helped us understand how racist lending practices in the mid twentieth century are still affecting communities across the country. Redlining pushed some neighborhoods deeper into poverty and made it harder to access things like healthcare, food, and in recent years, even internet service.
Welcome New Program Officer Casey Baustian Team Up with the Community Foundation to Support Linn County Teachers Baustian, MSW Program Officer
The Community Foundation is excited to announce that Casey Baustian, MSW, has joined our team as a Program Officer. Casey will manage a portfolio of grant funds, initially focusing on the Creating Safe, Equitable and Thriving Communities (SET) Fund and the implementation of Group Violence Intervention (GVI) strategies.
The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation is once again partnering with DonorsChoose to match donations to classroom projects of teachers in Linn County public schools. The one-to-one match began on August 1, 2022.
To view a list of classroom requests from teachers in Linn County, visit donorschoose.org.
“I’mteam.very excited to work with the many dedicated individuals who are having a positive impact across Linn County,” Casey said. “I look forward to getting to know the nonprofit organizations that are serving our community.”
With a diverse background working in medical social work, education, harm reduction, and restorative justice, Casey is sure to be a true asset to the Community Foundation’s grants
Organizations like the African American Museum and Tanager Place are working to serve, educate, and empower our communities; by supporting Linn County’s nonprofits, we can help build a more equitable future.
At Tanager Place’s LGBTQ+ Youth Center, we heard from staff who provide vital resources for LGBTQ youth and their families. LGBTQ youth are at higher risk for a wide range of negative outcomes, such as homelessness, suicide, and violent victimization, but resources like the Center can help mitigate these risks by connecting them to each other and their communities.
The Community Foundation has made a commitment to equity, and we will continue to search for collaborative, empowering ways to serve our community.
In the years leading up to this, the federal government had reduced some of the infrastructure in place for refugee services. By the time the refugees arrived, many service providers were overwhelmed by the combined challenges of the lingering pandemic, supply chain delays, reduced workforce, and decreased government funding.
“Horizons was notified that transportation for Afghan refugees was causing significant barriers to accessing social services, medical services, and employment,” said Kelzye Bedwell, Director of Financial Stability at Horizons. “Through a collaborative conversation between the Community Foundation, Catherine McAuley Center, Eastern Iowa Health Clinic, Catholic Charities and others, we determined that Neighborhood Transportation Service’s (NTS) microtransit model could help.”
The sudden influx of refugees, combined with these existing challenges, made the resettlement process even more complicated than usual. Earlier this year, as the federal supports that were in place began to taper off, transportation suddenly became a major barrier for refugees still navigating the resettlement process.
Recognizing the urgency of this need, the Community Foundation provided a $27,000 grant to fully fund the service for ten weeks while more sustainable funding options were explored. Within two weeks refugees had access to free rides to and from essential services.
“NTS’ new service has transported clients to prenatal care appointments, English as a second language classes, employment, and much more,” Kelzye said. “The creative solution that emerged from crisis led to a long-term and expanding service that will increasingly and efficiently remove barriers for new Iowans in our community.”
In the final months of 2021, shortly after the Taliban toppled the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, some 75,000 refugees arrived in the United States. More than 600 refugees came to Iowa, and a number of these were resettled in Cedar Rapids.
The creative solution that emerged from crisis led to a long-term and expanding service that will increasingly and efficiently remove barriers for new Iowans in our community.KelzyeBedwell, Horizons
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Collaborating to Serve Afghan Refugees
NTS began in 1995 as a solution to transportation barriers to employment in Cedar Rapids. In 2021, NTS started a partnership with technology company Via, increasing the types of services they provide and allowing them to react quickly to changing circumstances in our community. With Via, NTS could use a web-based translation service for refugees needing Refugeestransportation.arrivinginCedar Rapids will always have a need for transportation—to government offices, medical appointments, and a wide range of other services—and having this program in place will help make these new Americans feel welcomed.
While these scars will be visible for years to come, grants from the Disaster Recovery Fund continue to help our community heal and recover.
Established within a week of the storm, the Disaster Recovery Fund initially made grants to provide basic needs to the community’s most vulnerable. Nonprofit organizations could apply to the fund, and grants were also made to meet needs identified by community partners, such as Linn Area Partners Active in Disaster Working(LAP-AID).with
“Preparedness goes a long way in the immediate aftermath of a disaster,” Carrie said. “Having the Disaster Recovery Fund in place, ready to accept and distribute funds, will be a big help when our community eventually faces another disaster.”
Grants for Tree Purchase, Planting and Care City of Hiawatha $10,000
City of Mount Vernon $5,000 Monarch Research Project (for trees in rural Linn County) $13,000 Trees Forever (ReLeaf Cedar Rapids) $225,000 Trees Forever
Final Grants Distributed for Derecho Recovery
LAP-AID, other funders and local leaders, the Community Foundation was able to help prioritize needs and increase recovery efficiency. This collaborative approach helped establish programs such as PATCH (Providing Assistance to Community Homeowners), which offers housing repairs, loan assistance and case Whilesupport.itis difficult to say at any point that we have fully recovered from a disaster, we can say that the most pressing needs have been addressed. As such, the Disaster Recovery Fund is no longer accepting applications. This month, a final batch of grants totaling $293,000 has been made to support the purchase, planting and care of trees throughout Linn County.
Two years after 140 mph winds tore through eastern Iowa, the damage wrought is still visible. Some 65% of the local tree canopy was lost, the stumps and broken branches serving as a reminder of what was once there.
“It will be a long time before our tree canopy is restored,” said Carrie Walker, Nonprofit Network Manager and 2022 LAP-AID Chair. “But like all trees, these are being planted for the next generation, and as a community we will get to watch them grow.”
City of Marion $40,000
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Through recovery efforts after the 2008 flood and 2020 derecho, and through partnerships with regional and national organizations, the Community Foundation has learned a lot about philanthropy’s potential in disaster preparedness, response and recovery. In accordance with best practices in the field, a small portion of the Disaster Recovery Fund will remain available for future disasters, and the fund itself will serve as a readily available resource for when it is needed.
Thursday, September 8, 4:30 – 6 p.m. Wanatee Park, Prairie Oak Lodge in Marion A celebration of the nonprofit sector and its outstanding professionals! Nonprofit professionals are invited to join us for complimentary appetizers and drinks, and to celebrate the 2022 Spirit of Minnie Rubek honorees. To RSVP, visit gcrcf.org.
UPCOMING EVENTS
324 3rd St. SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401-1841 319.366.2862 / gcrcf.org Where charitable gifts multiply for community good.
STAY CONNECTED! We encourage you to join our Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages for regular news, updates and stories about the impact of giving and grantmaking in our community Nonprofit Party at the Lodge
Fall Grant Deadline
Friday, October 4, 2022, 4:30 p.m. CST Visit gcrcf.org for information on available grants and how to apply. 2022
