COMMUNIT Y Winter 2021 Newsletter
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Photo provided by Cornell College
John and Dyan Smith: Creators of Opportunity For John and Dyan Smith, charitable giving is a labor of love. For more than thirty years, they have supported a range of causes, projects, and organizations in the Cedar Rapids area. Today they are among the area’s leading philanthropists, though they did not set out with that goal in mind. The two met at Washington High School shortly after Dyan moved to Cedar Rapids from Charles City, Iowa. They started dating almost immediately— “It wasn’t quite day one,” John said, “but almost.” They continued to date while John attended Cornell College and Dyan the University of Iowa, and by the time graduation rolled around in the early seventies, they were married. They look back fondly on the time they spent in married student housing on Cornell’s campus. After spending a few years out east so John could earn an MBA from Cornell University, the two moved back to Cedar Rapids. John took a job at CRST, which his parents had started out of a chicken coup in 1955, and Dyan began her career as an elementary school educator.
Twenty years later, John was the CEO, leading CRST through a period of remarkably sustained growth. At the same time, the Community Welfare Foundation was undergoing the process of garnering enough public support to become the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. John and Dyan, who had been using a collection of spreadsheets to organize their personal and corporate charitable giving, were excited to learn about new ways of supporting the community. “I was one of the first board members when the Community Foundation became a public charity,” John said. “I had never heard of donor-advised funds. I just thought it was a great idea, and so I not only supported it, but I established one of the first at the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation.” This year, the CRST International Donor-Advised Fund celebrates its 30th anniversary. In that time, the fund has granted more than $6 million to 128 different organizations.
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“In business you have a plan, and you set goals,” the Smiths said. “We never did that with philanthropy.” Although they didn’t have a plan, John and Dyan learned a lot about responsible charitable giving over the years, and they have sought to teach their children about the process. “The idea that you would like to give money away is not as straightforward as people might think,” Dyan said. “Our children are all philanthropy minded anyway, but there are a lot of decisions to be made; there is work involved.” In recent years, the Smiths’ adult children have helped recommend grants from certain donoradvised funds, taking advantage of Family Philanthropy services at the Community Foundation, which establishes familial legacies through multi-generational charitable giving.
which Dyan helped start more than 25 years ago—provides a paid performance opportunity for graduate-level singers who are just starting out. “When you graduate with a vocal degree, you don’t necessarily jump into making money right away,” Dyan said. “This program provides a stipend to help them along the way.” For these young artists, Cedar Rapids is becoming a steppingstone to some of the largest stages in the country.
If someone gets an education, nobody can take that away from them. They will have that their entire life.
While the years have flown by for John and Dyan—who were surprised to learn they had been making grants through the Community Foundation for three decades— there was one year that was particularly memorable. “One of the things that sticks in my mind is the flood in —Dyan Smith 2008,” Dyan said. “I was really pleased to be able to give money to help meet the immediate needs of those who And perhaps it is this perspective that has allowed John and Dyan to be successful in business and were losing their homes.” philanthropy. Good leaders and good educators provide people with the tools they need to be But not all of the Smiths’ giving is in response to disaster—a large portion of it, in fact, is what you might successful, and that is what the Smiths’ giving has done. call proactive philanthropy. Recently, John and Dyan announced major gifts to support the futures of two “If someone gets an education, nobody can take that organizations that are very close to them—Cornell away from them” Dyan said. “They will have that College and the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. their entire life.” With help from a $4 million gift from the Smiths, the Whether it is through education, housing, or Cornell College Ingenuity Fund will help provide realhealthcare, the Smiths’ philanthropy, though not world experiences for students, such as internships, guided by a singular goal, aims to create opportunity. research opportunities, or off-campus courses. These experiences, called Ingenuity in Action, are a key part of “The number of lives impacted and opportunities the new Ingenuity curriculum. created through John and Dyan’s philanthropy is truly incalculable,” said Les Garner, President & CEO “This will differentiate Cornell from the rest of the liberal arts colleges in Iowa and the Midwest,” John said. of the Community Foundation. “Together, the funds they have established at the Community Foundation “Students are asking for things like this because they recently achieved the milestone of having granted know real experience makes them stand out, and Dyan $10 million. Our community’s future is brighter and I both agree. We really wanted to help build the because of John and Dyan Smith.” endowment for this program.” Similarly, the Cedar Rapids Opera Young Artists Program Fund will support an innovative initiative that brings aspiring, world-class singers to Cedar Rapids. The Young Artists Program of the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre— 3
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CRST Fund Celebrates Three In 1991, CRST International established one of the first donor-advised funds at the newly public Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. In the 30 years since, the CRST International Donor-Advised Fund has provided more than $6 million in grants to 128 different organizations. These grants have supported education, health, human services, and arts & culture, directly impacting countless lives in Linn County and beyond. Here are a few of the nonprofit organizations that have benefited from this fund.
Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre Founded in 1998, Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre is one of just two professional opera companies in Iowa. Through the Children’s Opera Tour, the young Artist Program, and a variety of performances, the organization brings world-class opera to thousands of patrons each year. “With yearly support of our nonprofit, CRST gives the community a gift of an opera company that brings art to life. CRST’s philanthropy will continue to grow young, aspiring musicians and help us grow into the next 25 years with stability and confidence.” —Daniel Kleinknecht, Founder & Artistic Director 4 Community
Decades of Charitable Giving Orchestra Iowa
United Way of East Central Iowa
For nearly one hundred years, Orchestra Iowa has been performing and growing in Cedar Rapids. Through adaptability and collaboration, Orchestra Iowa has become an integral part of the area’s cultural offerings.
Founded in 1914 as the United Charities Campaign, United Way of East Central Iowa has been evolving ever since to meet the needs of the community. Today, the organization offers programs that help low-income families achieve health, financial stability, and educational success.
“CRST’s generosity not only supports the region’s only professional symphony orchestra, but also the Orchestra Iowa music school, three youth choruses, and five education outreach programs. Their giving helps us bring the delight of live symphonic performance to over 50,000 people yearly, including over 17,000 area students!” —Jennifer Hartmann, Assistant Director of Development
“CRST understands the strong influence a locallyowned company can have on the community it calls home. Company leaders firmly believe in the potential we have as a community and encourage it to continually grow through CRST’s charitable efforts.” —Kristin Roberts, President & CEO
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Anthony Arrington, CDE Managing Partner, Top RANK Board Member, Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation
Learning Event Emphasizes Importance of Advancing Racial Equity in Linn County On Wednesday, November 17, nearly 80 people attended the Community Learning Series: Advancing Racial Equity in Linn County. The virtual event was the third and final installment of the Community Learning Series in 2021, which has focused on issues related to equity. At November’s event, Community Foundation staff shared data related to racial disparities in Linn County. Recent Census data shows that Linn County and Cedar Rapids are increasingly composed of people of color, who have long faced significantly more barriers to improving their quality of life than their White peers.
health outcomes, incarceration rates, and other key indicators. Given the persistent disparities and rapidly changing demographics, racial equity has emerged as a priority for the Community Foundation, which aims to support the long-term success of Linn County and its people.
The data shared comes from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Linn County Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Covering a wide range of social issues, the Community Learning Series used the data to highlight stark local inequities in household income,
By advancing racial equity, we raise the competitiveness, the innovation, and the spirit of this city. —Anthony Arrington
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“Over the last few years, the Community Foundation has been intentional in working to support racial equity in Linn County,” said Les Garner, President & CEO. “We have a shared future, and our community will only thrive if everyone in it has access to opportunities.” Attendees also heard from Community Foundation Board member, Anthony Arrington on his experiences as a Black father, husband, and entrepreneur in Cedar Rapids. “By advancing racial equity, we raise the competitiveness, the innovation, and the spirit of this city,” Anthony said in a video. “We can’t be silent anymore. That’s not to say we are not going in that direction, but there are people in this community that have power and privilege well beyond others, and it’s easy for them to be silent.” A panel of local leaders and Board members was also on hand to have a conversation with Les Garner, President & CEO of the Community Foundation, about how we can address the root causes of some of the disparities. Rod Dooley, Lead Pastor at New City Church and Diversity & Inclusion Professional, shared insights learned while working for equity in schools and building community in a congregation. Okpara Rice, CEO of Tanager Place, discussed how racial disparities in social determinants of health impact the mental health of our youth. Jasmine Almoayyed, Vice President of Continuing Education and Training Services at Kirkwood Community College, discussed some of the drivers of income disparities and spoke of local efforts to close that gap.
We have a shared future, and our community will only thrive if everyone in it has access to opportunities. —Les Garner
“Cedar Rapids is largely a manufacturing community, and warehousing and shipping are emerging as economic drivers as well,” Jasmine said while speaking about the labor shortage and how it may be an opportunity for Linn County. Many of these jobs require training or credentials that are unattainable for those already facing economic barriers, but new strategies are helping to connect people to these opportunities. “As a community, we’re finally at a place where learn and earn models will be seen as viable, necessary options.” At gcrcf.org/advancing-racial-equity-in-linn-county/, you can find a recording of the event, along with the “Advancing Racial Equity in Linn County” document which provides an overview of the data shared.
Community Learning Series Event Panelists and Board Members
JASMINE ALMOAYYED
Vice President, Continuing Education and Training Services Kirkwood Community College
ROD DOOLEY
Lead Pastor, New City Church Diversity & Inclusion Professional
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OKPARA RICE
Chief Executive Officer Tanager Place
Q&A with Anthony Arrington At the Community Learning Series: Advancing Racial Equity in Linn County on November 17, Anthony Arrington shared his experiences of growing up as a Black man in Cedar Rapids. Anthony is a Managing Partner at Top RANK, a diversity focused professional search and consulting firm he co-founded. Ahead of the event, we sat down with Anthony to ask him a few questions. Here is some of what he had to say.
What was it like for you growing up in Cedar Rapids? What was your perspective, as a kid, of your neighborhood and community? I grew up in what is not uncommon amongst young Black men—the first ten years of my life, I was visiting my dad behind bars. My family was not wealthy, I was a welfare kid growing up. I carried the pink card in the lunchroom, when everybody knew who the welfare kids were based on the color of your lunch card. I had food on my table, and thanks to my extended family I was able to overcome some situations—but there were times it was a struggle. At what age did you begin to notice racial disparities? How did you notice them and what did that feel like? When I was in fourth grade and I was at Johnson Elementary, I got called into the principal’s office and asked if I’d like to go to another elementary school called Squaw Creek. There was a program out there called expanded pupils opportunity (EXPO)—apparently they thought I was advanced academically. I can still remember the first few weeks of school there, noticing that I was the only Black kid in my class, and I wasn’t used to that. That was one of those times where I was like, “Okay, yeah, there’s no Black kids in my class. Am I supposed to be different?” And that carried with me throughout my childhood. There were many scenarios like that where I was the only Black person in the room, particularly when it came to academics. What challenges have you experienced while trying to access healthcare? I had my legs amputated when I was 18 due to a nerve disorder. I remember my doctors telling me I should be able to live a pretty normal life, so a lot of that went into my decision to say, yeah, take my legs. Little did I know, the healthcare system was designed to give people like my family, that were on welfare, certain limits on what you could have
in terms of the types of prosthetic legs that you want to get. The assumption was that if you’re on welfare, you just need to be able to walk, not play basketball or run or ride a bike. How is it that the government gets to decide how “normal” I can live based on how much money my family has? Whether my parents had good jobs with good medical benefits? Because my parents did not have money, why did I have to suffer? What I learned through that process is how the disparities in the healthcare system impact people like me, particularly those who have grown up in disadvantaged environments to begin with. In your work as a DEI consultant, what are some of the trends, challenges, or prevailing attitudes you see? I praise what we call the three P’s in our world, and that’s power, platform, and privilege. The question is: what are you doing with your power, platform, and privilege? When you see right and wrong, are you calling it out? We can all do that. You may not be able to do it in certain communities around certain people, but I can, and I may not be able to talk to certain people that you can talk to and influence certain people that you can. I can’t blame people for the problems of racial inequality, but I certainly can
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hold people accountable for not finding solutions. And the difficulty really isn’t in finding a solution. The difficulty is, are you willing to be criticized along that road by those family, friends, and colleagues who do not agree with your efforts? Everybody has to look in the mirror at themselves and answer that question for themselves—What am I willing to do to champion racial equity in my community, and what am I willing to risk on my journey? What do you wish everyone in Linn County understood about racial equity and its impact? I wish everyone in Linn County understood that by advancing racial equity, we raise the competitiveness, the spirit, the innovation and the growth of this city—if we’re willing to put our egos down and understand that. And that’s not to say that we are not going in that direction, but there are people in this community that have power and privilege well beyond others, and it’s easy for them to be silent. I don’t mean that I need to start making you feel bad; blame and shame doesn’t get us anywhere. But we have to be bold in this community or we’ll continue to be stuck in the mud pretending like everything’s okay when it’s not.
Community Foundation Receives National Standards Reaccreditation
DonorsChoose Match Supports Linn County Classrooms
In November, the Community Foundation received reaccreditation by the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations™. The accreditation process provides quality assurance by verifying that foundations maintain legal, ethical and effective practices. The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation became accredited in 2005 when the program began, and has maintained accreditation since. For more information on the accreditation process and standards, visit cfstandards.org.
Since 2015, the Community Foundation has supported Linn County public school teachers by partnering with DonorsChoose — a national nonprofit that allows teachers to crowdsource funding for supplies, projects and equipment. Each year the Community Foundation has $25,000 available in matching funds from its Fund for Educational Excellence to match gifts to local classrooms. This year, the fund matched donor giving to 111 projects in 59 classrooms at 23 schools in Linn County.
Community Foundation Seeks Diverse Pool of Board and Committee Members Do you have a deep commitment to your community and an attitude of service? The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation is looking for a fruitful and diverse pool of committee and Board members. If you are interested in serving your community through a volunteer leadership position, we want to hear from you! An Indication of Interest form has been developed at www.gcrcf.org/board-and-committees/. Please complete this form and submit it to info@gcrcf.org to be added to our nomination pool.
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Foundation 2 Receives Grant to Support Group Violence Intervention Implementation On November 11, the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation approved a $200,000 grant to Foundation 2 from the Creating Safe, Equitable and Thriving Communities (SET) Fund. This is the only grant being awarded from the SET Fund this fall, and it will help Foundation 2 implement the Group Violence Intervention (GVI) model through a variety of collaborations. Since 2019, the SET Fund has been making grants to local nonprofits working to reduce youth violence in Cedar Rapids. In 2020, the SET Policy Committee began actively pursuing outside support for implementing GVI. Created by the National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC), GVI is an evidence-based, multi-sector approach to violence that has been successfully implemented in several major cities across the U.S. In September of 2020, the SET Fund received an anonymous $465,000 grant to fund technical support from the NNSC and increase the pool of funding available for local organizations. “GVI significantly increases our community’s capacity for disrupting cycles of violence,” said Rachel Rockwell, SET Program Officer and GVI Implementation Manager.
“We have people and organizations committed to ending violence, and this model provides the framework and coordination necessary for taking on such a complex problem.” This summer, the Community Foundation released a request for proposals from organizations or collaborations looking to launch, implement and sustain the support and outreach components of GVI. “The support and outreach components of GVI are designed to address the many factors that contribute to group violence,” Rachel said. “They include anti-violence messaging, case management for high-risk community members, training and development for GVI stakeholders, and crisis response.” Per the application, Foundation 2 will hire an additional Community Outreach Worker and a Support and Outreach Specialist. The organization will also work with local nonprofits and government groups to offer anti-violence messaging and training for engaged social service agencies, law enforcement, and other partners.
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STAFF NEWS Michelle Beisker Honored as Women of Influence On November 3, Michelle Beisker, Senior Vice President of Development, was named one of the Corridor Business Journal’s 2021 Women of Influence. This award was presented to ten women who have made a difference in the Corridor as role models and leaders in their fields and community. Michelle joined the Community Foundation in 2014 and has since built an asset development strategic plan. Michelle is successful in asset development because she cares deeply about our community, as evidenced by her service at several local organizations. Congratulations, Michelle!
Susan Willey to Retire in January In January of 2022, Director of Planned Giving Susan Willey, JD, will retire from the Community Foundation. Susan joined the organization in 2014 after serving as a tax attorney in both the public and private sectors. As a vital member of the development team, Susan has used her expertise to help donors plan their estates and develop their charitable goals. “While I congratulate Susan on her retirement, I must also say that she will be dearly missed,” said Les Garner, President & CEO. “She has the expertise necessary to help donors make efficient and effective gifts, but she also has a deep appreciation for our community. This has made Susan an invaluable asset in our efforts to improve the quality of life in Linn County.”
Laura Booth Promoted to Director of Family Philanthropy
Dahlia Latif Promoted to Development Officer
America Manjarrez Joins Community Foundation
In this new role, Laura will lead the Family Philanthropy team, be the liaison for professional advisors and serve as the primary planned giving resource for the Community Foundation. Congratulations, Laura!
In this new role, Dahlia will strengthen the Community Foundation’s relationships with individual and corporate fund holders. Congratulations, Dahlia!
America Manjarrez has joined the Community Foundation as Office Manager. America will manage the Foundation’s facilities and provide support for leadership, including the Board of Directors. Welcome, America!
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324 3rd St. SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401-1841 319.366.2862 / gcrcf.org
Where charitable gifts multiply for community good.
UPCOMING E VENTS
Nonprofit Know-How: Nonprofit Know-How: Prioritizing Equity in Your Linn County Nonprofit Grants at the Community Foundation in 2022 Thursday, December 16, 2021 12 – 1 p.m. via Zoom
Monday, January 24, 2022 12 – 1 p.m. via Zoom
Nonprofit professionals will hear from the Community Foundation about our learning and strategies to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in our organization and community.
This learning opportunity will inform the nonprofit community about updates to the grant programs offered at the Community Foundation in 2022.
To RSVP for either event, visit gcrcf.org/events.
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