Jason Neises, Community Development Coordinator, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque

There’s something special about living in rural Iowa, but how well do we tell our stories about life in small towns? Do we have a good understanding of the value of this lifestyle? How do we attract and retain new residents who share these values? On May 16, over 70 community leaders gathered at the Edgewood Locker Event Center to work together on finding some answers.

Last year, the Clayton County Foundation for the Future did some informal research about the hopes and dreams rural residents had for their community. One of the recurring themes was to attract and retain new and returning residents. The affiliates team at the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque decided to convene a regional meeting around that topic to get a variety of community leaders engaged in developing some strategies. We wanted to explore why people had returned to their hometowns after living elsewhere and better understand what communities could do to encourage and support these new and returning residents to establish their lives in small towns.

We invited Ben Winchester, Research Fellow at University of Minnesota Extension, to present about the research he’s done about rural vitality. He has discovered that many of our rural communities are actually seeing a brain “gain” (not the “drain” that we often lament) when people return to raise their families in their hometowns. Ben is convinced that rural communities need to craft their own narrative about the high quality of life and benefits of living in small towns. As we’ve seen in the national media, if we don’t tell our story other people will, which has led to a prevailing narrative about our “dying” rural communities. Rather than complaining that we live in the “middle of nowhere,” we need to map out our assets and amenities and start talking about how we actually live in the “middle of EVERYWHERE” and have good access to jobs, schools, health care, dining, cultural attractions, outdoor recreation, shopping, and other elements that contribute to a high quality of life.

We also convened a panel discussion with rural residents who moved back to their hometown after living elsewhere, or consciously chose to move into a rural community. Each person had a different reason for moving back, including: proximity to family; cost of living; simpler and slower pace; natural beauty; and safety. Not only was it good to hear their motivations for moving back, but we were inspired by their commitment to increasing the quality of life in their communities to make it easier for other people to choose a life back in their hometown.

Another panel included representatives from agencies that provide resources for communities that need to change their narrative or improve quality of life in ways that would allow and encourage movement into small towns.

• I presented about the Community Heart & Soul program that helps small towns focus on what matters most to their residents and craft a blueprint for the future around these deeply-held values.
• Karla Organist introduced us to the Institute for Decision Making – Business & Community Services at the University of Northern Iowa which delivers tailored and innovative planning, technical assistance, applied research, and training to small towns throughout Iowa.
• Chuck Connerly gave an overview of the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities which matches University of Iowa faculty, staff, and students with urban and rural communities to complete projects that enhance the sustainability of Iowa’s communities, while transforming teaching and learning at the university.
• Lora Friest from the Northeast Iowa RC&D spoke about ways they recognize opportunities and provide leadership to make Northeast Iowa a vibrant, place-based model for the nation and work with partners from throughout the region to explore economic development opportunities while at the same time protecting and enhancing natural resources.

Throughout the day summit participants worked in small groups to brainstorm ideas they’d like to try in their hometowns. It was wonderful to see the creativity and collaboration from community leaders as they shared ideas and began to apply their learning to dream up innovative ways to keep their small towns vital and thriving. Everyone walked away with new connections to like-minded leaders who could be partners as we work to create a more positive narrative for our region. This discussion will help us use the philanthropic resources in our counties to support initiatives that increase the quality of life and livability in our rural communities.

To learn more about what we discovered at the summit, please contact me.

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The Iowa Council of Foundations is pleased to announce that Ben Winchester, Research Fellow at University of Minnesota Extension will be our opening keynote at the 2018 Connect Community Foundations Conference in Johnston on September 18.

Kari McCann Boutell, President

Iowa Council of Foundations

Last week I attended the Grantmakers for Effective Organizaitons (GEO) national conference in San Francisco. The convening brought together over 950 people to discuss ways grantmakers can be more effective and impactful in their work. During graduate school I had the opportunity to work for GEO for for two summers as a Summer Associate. As I listened to reflections at the conference as part of GEO’s 20th Anniversary celebration, I couldn’t help but notice one thing that sets GEO apart from other national organizations: GEO continues to double down on what the grantmaking practices they believe (and what nonprofits have affirmed) are important.

GEO can be credited for significant shifts in the philanthropic field as it relates to the types of funding and supports grantmakers are providing grantees. A few GEO hallmarks include:

• Capacity Building – When grantmakers support capacity building, nonprofits can build their skills and expertise to tackle important issues.
• Collaboration – When grantmakers build productive partnerships (and support nonprofits to do so) we see real change.
• Flexible, Reliable Funding –  When we give flexible, long-term funding, nonprofits worry less about their own survival and focus more on responding to shifts in their environment and creating real results for the communities they serve.
• Learning and Evaluation – When we adopt a learning mindset focused on continuously improving, we can use evaluation to focus on what we can learn from the data, push ourselves to experiment and deliberately look at failures as opportunities to grow.

• Strengthening Relationships – When we build trust with and tap the knowledge of nonprofit and community leaders, we arrive at better solutions.

I encourage you to take a look at your grant guidelines and see how many of the GEO values are reflected in your work. Through our unrestricted grant programs and County Endowment Fund Program annual grantmaking, Iowa Community Foundations have the opportunity to practice these principles and provide nonprofits with the right kinds of supports. When nonprofits are equipped with what they need, our communities are strengthened.

Click here to learn more about the 2018 GEO National Conference and GEO’s work!

Mary Freiborg, President 

Okoboji Community Foundation

In 2017, the Okoboji Community Foundation, an Affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, received an ICoF Capacity Building Grant to assist in funding their Emerging Leaders program.  This program was designed to identify and help build the next generation of leaders in the Okoboji area.  Mary explains how the program was developed and what they gained and learned in her notes below.

The Okoboji Foundations Emerging Leaders/Endowment Growth project had two purposes:

• Identify and engage Emerging Leaders (ages 25-40) who can bring ideas to build their peers’ interest in serving nonprofits in our Lakes Community.
• Expand visibility, value recognition and holdings of new and/or existing nonprofit endowment funds in the Okoboji Foundation Family of Funds under Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines.

A core group of 25 Emerging Leaders (ages 25-40) participated in seven events/activities facilitated by Okoboji Foundation to gather their perspective about the future of nonprofits in our community.  Co-mentoring was used, bringing Emerging Leaders into board member and donor events for greater engagement with the targeted age group.

Engagement Activities Included: 

• Emerging Leaders Initial Networking
• Emerging Leaders Follow-up Survey
• GiveOkoboji.com Culinary Event
• Annual Investors Meeting
• Legacy Society Reception
• Board Basics Training
• Lakes Nonprofit Summit

Understandably Emerging Leaders are in the age range (25-40) of most demanding time and cash-flow crunch with careers, personal relationships and families.  Through our facilitated networking and follow-up survey, we found this group is passionate about the small town feel and unique natural resources of our Lakes Community, but conversely ranked Uber and Target as amenities they would like available here.

Our Emerging Leaders follow-up survey shows their Top 3 priorities for future Okoboji Foundation Grants:

1. 1. Center for Youth & Children
   2. Outdoor Experience & Recreation
   3. Lake Quality & Environment

We learned from this project that gathering input from Emerging Leaders through continuing social interaction produced ongoing expense without agreed upon action related to nonprofit involvement.  We will continue co-mentoring by inviting Emerging Leaders to attend existing Okoboji Foundation functions. There is a new Lakes Young Professionals group being formed specifically for socializing without direct ties to support of community nonprofits. We will interact with their organizer offering survey results and presentations/interaction as desired.

Kari McCann Boutell, President

Iowa Council of Foundations

As we look ahead to the Community Foundations Legislative Breakfast this Thursday, I wanted to share some tools and resources with you to help prepare you for conversations with your legislators. As you know, the $6M in 2018 Endow Iowa Tax Credits have been distributed and the 2019 Endow Iowa Tax Credit wait list is already beginning to grow. We know this has created challenges in marketing the program and communicating with donors, especially this year while we await the approval of the FY19 state budget. It may seem hard to stay optimistic, but we have much to celebrate.

• Since inception of Endow Iowa, Iowa community foundations have leveraged more than $239,552,651 in permanent endowment fund gifts through 32,285 donations.
• Last year alone, grants from Endow Iowa qualified endowment funds were made in every county totaling $16 million.
• The Endow Iowa Tax Credits Program has helped to build more than 3,600 endowment funds that are permanent resources, building the capacity and strength of Iowa communities now and forever.

Endow Iowa is working. As we continue to reach out to our legislators and explain to them the administrative and communications challenges with the current wait list process, we must also take time to celebrate the success of this program and the good it is doing in Iowa. Be sure to thank your legislators for their past and current support of Endow Iowa. There are several ways you can demonstrate the impact Endow Iowa and the County Endowment Fund Program have had in your county and community:

• Attend a Town Hall meeting or Legislative Breakfast 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.

You can view the Spring 2018 Legislative Talking Points here.

You can view the Spring 2018 Endow Iowa Fact Sheet here.

You can register to attend the March 8, 2018 Community Foundations Legislative Breakfast here.

Jake Byers, Director of Marketing and Communications

Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa

The overall impact of community foundation grants across our state is impressive, and of course we all share our large impact numbers with our audiences. This shows our scope and is a big picture view of how together with our stakeholder partners we make a difference in the counties and communities they love. What sometimes gets lost in these big numbers is the smaller and often more impactful story of what a grant truly means to the organization receiving it. Providing the stories of grant recipients and how a grant helped them make a specific difference in their county or community gives stakeholders, including donors, advisors, and other nonprofits, something they can relate to in an emotional and tangible way. The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa shares these stories across our communication platforms to put a human face on the numbers.

Making grants living, breathing things through storytelling is an important part of CFNEIA’s communications efforts. The stories are gathered through grant reports, collaborations with other staff and affiliate community foundation volunteers, one-on-one sit downs with grantees, or just getting a simple impact quote through email (make sure you have a photo). This content creation in some instances can be time consuming, but by repurposing our content across channels we get more mileage out of these stories. Our highest engagement on Facebook comes when a story, that often was created for print and then added to the website, is posted for an even broader audience. We believe in the impact of storytelling and continue to invest in plans to generate more content shared through new mediums such as video and other social media platforms.

Ultimately, these stories show, on a personal level, how CFNEIA uses the resources entrusted to us to enrich our communities. We believe by creating an emotional connection to grant projects, donors feel good about their generosity and people who may not have understood the community foundation philosophy are inspired to share their resources.