June 5, 2017

Michelle Temeyer, Executive Director, Waterloo Community Foundation

Boot Camp – sounds scary, doesn’t it?  We all remember when summer meant going off to church camp or 4-H camp or the family fishing vacation at Camp Wherever!  The same initial feelings of leaving home, meeting new people, and missing the comforts of home all left – stage right, while attending the Community Foundations Boot Camp hosted by the Iowa Council of Foundations!

I should have known that the camp advisors had arranged for every comfort of home.  Upon arrival, we had a big delicious spread of food, the same “get your name tags and registration materials here” message and then – the room – where we spent the next two days learning together as a team.  This may seem like a dramatic way to describe a camp experience, but it was reminiscent of many days, and for me, years gone by…..

Beyond the atmosphere of safety and collaboration, the presenters were savvy, knowledgeable, candid in their assessment of foundation operations, and forthcoming about the work that lies ahead for all of us.  They reminded us of our awesome obligation to the communities that we serve and that there are never enough tools in the old toolbox to carry on our work.    Kelly Shrock, Terri Johnson and Tony Macklin (conference leaders at the Cedar Rapids location Boot Camp) each exemplified excellence – kudos to the fine team! Oh, I forgot to mention that we inherited a great notebook of samples, references, and more reading materials -which I’m taking time to peruse them occasionally.  No sense reinventing the wheel on some matters!

Beyond the “book learning”, Boot Camp offered us an opportunity to learn from colleagues around the state – what works and what doesn’t work; unique challenges they face and how they “make hay” out of those opportunities.  We learned that community foundations have great latitude to adjust and formulate a solution that meets the needs of our particular communities. We also learned the awesome opportunity we have to shape a better Iowa.

Just like the hand molds that we made at camp, we can now “go home” and put that indelible mark on our communities.  Boot Camp was an opportunity to grow and learn – now it is time to reflect on the experience, plan a course of action and move forward with new energy!

Kari McCann Boutell, President, Iowa Council of Foundations

The Iowa Council of Foundations Board of Directors recently awarded nine community foundation capacity building grants. The purpose of this grant program is to support opportunities for qualified community foundations and their affiliates to engage in activities that enhances their ability for sustainable endowment growth/building. Capacity building includes a wide variety of activities. I wanted to highlight a few of this year’s grants to get you thinking about opportunities for your foundation in the future:

• The Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation received funding to support the development of new marketing materials. They will focus their efforts this year on their Business Partners in Philanthropy program, which is designed to engage business partners in funding GPCF operations and investing in the organization’s mission. We liked this proposal because it seeks to increase their donor base by targeting a specific group of donors  – businesses.
• The Okoboji Community Foundation received funding to support marketing and planning efforts for their Emerging Leaders Program. The Emerging Leaders seeks to engage people age 25-40 in the community foundation and broader nonprofit community in the Okoboji area. They anticipate this group will bring innovative ideas and energy to connect other potential volunteers/board members/donors in their age range to new and existing philanthropic initiatives. We liked this proposal because it grows the human capital and capacity of the community foundation by bringing more people into their mission and engaging this unique population in philanthropic priorities in their region.
• The Story County Community Foundation received funding to support their efforts in hiring their first, full-time executive director this year. The Story County Community Foundation has effectively used capacity building grant funding in the past to grow their staff capacity through professional development, community outreach opportunities, and now they are ready to take the next step. We liked this proposal because it seeks to grow their staff capacity while simultaneously strengthening their development efforts and endowment building.

As a reminder, we will host a fall Capacity Building Grant Program cycle in October this year, which will give you another opportunity to apply for this type of funding. This grant program requires a 50% match for every dollar you receive in grant funding. I encourage you to begin thinking of ways these dollars can help grow your community foundation’s capacity and accelerate your endowment growth. If you have any questions or would like some coaching on your proposal, please contact us.

MJ Smith, Director of Affiliate Foundations, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque

Recently we were approached by an attorney who served clients with a bold philanthropic vision. The More Moments More Memories fund was the idea of Christi Shaw and Shelley Shaw, sisters who grew up in Clayton County. Their mission, to support individuals’ travel to cancer clinical trials, is inspired by both their late mother, Karen, and their other sister, Sherry, who has experienced the significant hardships of cancer. Christi and Shelley deeply understand, personally and professionally, the ongoing needs of cancer patients and the sad reality that those with financial means are better able to access quality solutions.

Karen Shaw, died of breast cancer in 1996. At the time, the sisters, growing up in Clayton County, Iowa, were told there was nothing more anyone could do to save their mother’s life. She suffered through chemotherapy, radiation, and bravely fought to stay alive. What the sisters did not know was that there were clinical trials available at the time in other parts of the country. If they had known, and their mother had been given the option to take advantage of those trials, she might have lived to see her youngest daughter graduate from college on Mothers’ Day and attend the funerals of her parents, who instead had to endure the loss of their child.

Sadly, cancer touched these three sisters’ lives again when Sherry was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Currently, as a high-risk patient, she is running out of options and must travel many states away to gain access to new solutions to save her life.

Fortunately, her sisters were able to put their careers on hold to support Sherry through a clinical trial and other innovative treatments.

Christi was President of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in the U.S. and Shelley was Senior Director – Global Marketing at Baxalta. As pharmaceutical industry executives, they had both the institutional knowledge and experience to become effective patient caregivers and advocates for their sister. As they navigated through the healthcare system, it became clear to them that most families in similar situations do not have their unique experience or ability.

The Shaw sisters are passionate about their belief that lack of financial resources or lack of awareness about potential solutions should never stand in the way of creating More Moments and More Memories for families.

We were inspired by these sisters and their dedication to helping others in similar situations.  Donors and their passions come in many forms, and as community foundation advisors, we are lucky to get to help guide them on their path to making a difference through philanthropy.

Kari McCann Boutell, President, Iowa Council of Foundations

Last Tuesday I joined 25 Grade Level Reading (GLR) Leaders from across Iowa at the Capitol for our lunchtime GLR Day on the Hill. We used this fact sheet to help tell the story of 12 Iowa communities that are working to support third grade reading efforts across the state. As I watched clerks and pages collect slices of pizza for their respective legislators, I stood wondering “is this really the best way to make sure our voice is heard?” I am not sure it was and we are already planning for other ways to share our important work next session; however, I do think it is the  combination of each of our efforts that make a difference in public policy work.

As we prepare for our Community Foundation Legislative Breakfast later this month, know that you can be actively engaged in advocacy efforts before, during and after the event to make sure your voice is heard. Here are some ideas:

• Attend a Town Hall meeting or Legislative Breakfast in your community when your legislators are in your community.
• Write an Op-Ed in your local newspaper explaining how the County Endowment Fund and Endow Iowa programs have benefited your communities and county. Let me know if you’d like ICoF to guest author!
• Visit the Capitol for face-to-face interactions. 10-15 minutes can be the best way to communicate with your representatives.
• Make a call to your representatives. This can be an effective way to be engaged around issues that are important to you professionally as well as personally.

However you choose to advocate, please engage. Your local voice, perspective and opinions are important to our state and federal legislators. As we seek to protect and preserve policy that helps philanthropy do its best work in Iowa and around the country, we are asking you, our valued partners and members, to join us.

Nicole Brua-Behrens, Executive Director, Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation

For those of us working to change our communities for the better, meeting with state and national legislators is so important!  I know this, yet it is one of those activities that makes me break out in a cold sweat.  I recently discovered that preparation and a “posse” makes the task bearable, even enjoyable!

Last October, Representative Guy Vander Linden accepted an invitation to meet with a small group including two Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation board members, Kari McCann Boutell, President of Iowa Council of Foundations and me.  The goal of the meeting was to discuss the impact of the state’s Endow Iowa Tax Credit program on our little slice of heaven-Poweshiek County.   My nerves where calmed during the meeting because Representative Vander Linden was very engaged and asked great questions, but also because the posse was there around the table supporting one another.  Kari provided state level historical and current information about the program, the foundation board members described why they support endowed funds, and I rounded out the conversation with examples of endowments and how they affect Poweshiek County communities, making them better places to live for all ages.  We provided data and anecdotal information and answered questions.  The meeting lasted no more than an hour and Representative Vander Linden thanked the group and reiterated the importance of speaking with legislators face to face-really making a connection and providing information about the impact of their decisions at the local level.

Your organization needs you to connect with those who will affect funding and legislators need you to tell them how the programs and funding impact our counties and communities.  If you are planning a visit with a legislator to talk about a community foundation issue I would recommend reaching out to Kari McCann Boutell for coaching and guidance and gathering together a few board members or community members to reiterate your message. Creating your own posse will ease your fears and also make the meeting more worthwhile for your legislator.