Iowa Council of Foundations

Jenna Manders, Community Foundation Services Coordinator Iowa Council of Foundations

For the past six years, I have looked forward to the Connect Community Foundations Conference to learn and connect with my peers. As I begin planning my first Connect Conference as the Community Foundation Services Coordinator with the Iowa Council of Foundations, I am reflecting on all that has been accomplished by community foundations in our state. When I first joined the community foundation field during the summer of 2009 as a youth philanthropy student, Iowa community foundations collectively had $370 million in assets. Now, 12 years later, that total is $1.66 billion and growing. We’ve learned so much in Iowa about endowment building and asset development and the Connect Conference is an annual opportunity to share successes with our peers and learn new skills and approaches to implement in our communities.

With your feedback in mind, we are taking a new approach to Connect – a series of virtual workshops throughout the year culminating with an in-person event in the fall. There will also be more opportunities for Peer Learning Circle conversations, opportunities to learn from others and exchange ideas on a specific area of community foundation work.

A primary goal of the Connect series is for you – our community foundation leaders and partners – to gain ideas you can implement to help grow your endowments and to make your grantmaking processes and strategies even stronger. I hope you will attend the conference sessions and feel equipped, inspired and energized:

• Equipped with tools, resources and new ideas to carry into your work.
• Inspired with creative marketing ideas to implement and new ideas on how to share donor stories.
• Energized to launch strategic changes among your staff, committees, leadership teams and collaborative community partnerships.

I always enjoyed the Connect Conference – an opportunity to learn, meet, and connect with so many of you. I miss seeing everyone in person and look forward to bringing everyone together again in September. I continue to be inspired by the group of leaders across our state that are committed to this work, improving the quality of life in our communities today and into the future.

Kari McCann Boutell, President Iowa Council of Foundations

As we enter into April, we see signs of spring all around us. Farmers are anxious to get in the fields; teachers and students look forward to summer break; and everyone is ready for more warmth and sunshine. For those who work in disaster preparedness, response and recovery, spring is a time for preparation. As community foundations, you all have important roles you can play in this space and we hope the resources we have curated in our Disaster Philanthropy Resource Page can be a helpful guide to getting you started in your planning, or in refreshing your plans for the year ahead. Through our participation in The Funders’ Network’s Philanthropic Preparedness, Resiliency and Emergency Partnership (PPREP) cohort, we have learned alongside community foundations – including some of our own members – and other philanthropy serving organizations about the important role community foundations play in disaster philanthropy. TFN recently released a new report, Community Foundations: Drivers of Inclusive and Meaningful Local Change, which details much of this learning and highlights some of our members: Quad Cities Community Foundation, Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, and Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. I hope you will take some time to review this comprehensive and informative report. As the pandemic persists in our country and our world, we know everyone is being impacted in some way. Consider how the Iowa Community Foundations Initiative Disaster Philanthropy Toolkit can be a resource to you as you navigate both pandemic response as well as preparedness for natural disasters in your communities. You can never plan or build positive, trusting relationships with partners too early. The best time to begin this work is now!

Jerry Mathiasen, Past ICoF Board Chair and Former CEO, Pottawattamie County Community Foundation

As leaders in the world of foundations and philanthropy, we often hear that it is important to be “at the table” regarding major issues or projects. One important way of doing this is to keep public service on boards and commissions in mind. There are many of these appointment opportunities available at the state, county, and city level.

For example, earlier in my career when I was deputy chief of staff to former Governor Branstad, one of my duties was assisting with state appointments to boards and commissions. During my time with him, we made over 1,600 such appointments. There are approximately 100 Senate confirmation appointments made by the governor in March annually, and another 200 non-Senate ones made annually by June 30. If interested, you can research appointments and apply through talentbank.iowa.gov. Law requires gender and political balance, and other factors may apply (e.g., geography, specific profession, etc.).

Also don’t forget the many opportunities at the local government level. The websites of most counties, cities, and school districts have a link regarding appointments to their boards, commissions, committees, and task forces. Just recently, I was appointed by our Board of Supervisors to fill a vacancy on the Pottawattamie County Conservation Board.

One of my favorite quotes is by our famous Iowa native and U.S. President Herbert Hoover, who said: “Public service is a noble profession.” I agree. And it can also be a real opportunity to “be at the table.” If you’d like any input in addition to your research, you may certainly feel free to email me or call me at 402-216-7955.

Kari McCann Boutell,
President
Iowa Council of Foundations

As the pandemic persists, we will not be hosting an in-person Legislative Breakfast at the Capitol Building for Iowa community foundations this year. So this year, it will be important for you to connect with your legislators in-district and virtually or electronically. I wanted to share some tools and resources with you to support your outreach and conversations. As you know, the $6M in 2021 Endow Iowa Tax Credits have already been allocated and tax credit certificates will be distributed to donors in May. That means the 2022 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 FY22 state budget. We also know how beneficial this program is to your donors and your community. We invite you to help us communicate with legislators the positive impact the program is having in your communities and counties. Here are some statistics you may wish to share:

• Since inception of Endow Iowa, Iowa community foundations have leveraged more than $311,570,788.80 in permanent endowment fund gifts made through 41,256 donations.
• Last year alone, grants from Endow Iowa qualified endowment funds totaled $16.1 million.
• The Endow Iowa Tax Credits Program has helped to build more than 4,300 endowment funds that are permanent resources, building the capacity and strength of Iowa communities now and forever.

Endow Iowa is working. Be sure to thank your legislators for their past and current support of Endow Iowa. If your county receives County Endowment Funds, please be sure to also communicate your appreciation for their support of this program as well. Since 2004:

• 30,774 grants have been made;
• $117 million has been invested in nonprofits and charitable causes across Iowa; and
• participating CEFP counties now hold over $288 million in assets, which will support Iowans – forever.

This year, you can also highlight the role your community foundation played – and may continue to play – in pandemic response efforts in your country. There are several ways you can demonstrate the impact these programs 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!
• Make a call or send an email 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. ICoF has a number of resources to support your legislative efforts, including:

• Spring 2021 Legislative Talking Points
• 2021 Endow Iowa Fact Sheet
• 2021 County Endowment Fund Program Fact Sheet
• Iowa Community Foundations Fact Sheet

Emily Sadewasser, Coordinator

Clayton County Foundation for the Future

Ahead of our first board meeting of the year, the Clayton County Foundation for the Future Executive Team will meet to plan for 2021. The officers, staff person, and director of affiliates from our host foundation will gather virtually to prepare for the coming year.

This process unites the executive team around a shared vision for a new year and is a good opportunity to reconnect after a break for the holidays. It helps us refocus and get excited about what’s to come, while allowing us to think about any adjustments we may need to make to our meetings, goals, and activities. It encourages us to stay organized and focused at each meeting, keeping board members engaged and connected with the work. Keep reading to see how I organize this meeting!

Review goals and activities from the past year
As the staff person, I prepare a summary of our efforts from the past year to share. We review the goals we set for the previous year and ask ourselves how we did. What are we proud of and what will we remember? Did any of our efforts make little or no difference for our foundation or the community? What goals have been completed, are in progress, or should be moved to our list for the coming year?

Review board participation and governance
We think about our activities and meetings from the past year and consider: Are meeting attendance goals being reached? Can any improvements be made that will help meetings to be more engaging and efficient? Have board members completed the outreach activities to which they committed? Is anything getting in the way of their success? Do we need to reevaluate what we’re asking of our board members, considering each person’s strengths and interests and tailoring tasks to each person based on our strategic goals? We will make plans to meet with individual board members for a check-in to see how they’re feeling about the work and their role.

Other things to consider:

• Plan how we will thank any outgoing members and welcome new members.
• Review the operating budget and set budgets and/or goals for:
  • Events planned
  • Specific fundraising efforts
  • Endowment building
• Anticipate any changes in grant requests or the funds available for grantmaking.
• Review funds added in the past year, identify prospects, and thank donors.
• Discuss local community leadership efforts and initiatives to meet important community needs that the foundation should be aware of for possible collaboration.

Set new goals
Look ahead and set goals for the coming year. Use your strategic plan to focus your work. What are pressing needs in the community that we should learn more about? Are there any connections we can help make or groups we could collaborate with? Having completed strategic planning in 2019, we have kept our goals top of mind on each meeting agenda. We plan to move to a consent agenda to better spend our meeting time on strategic priorities. During our planning session, we will set our meeting schedule for the year, review our strategic goals, and assign specific tasks or discussions to each meeting. Those discussion topics will be listed on our meeting schedule and our strategic plan will show the dates for discussion of each goal or activity.

Planning and setting new goals helps to clarify our direction for the year. Board members know what to expect each month and look forward to worthwhile discussion. Setting this groundwork is essential to our efficiency and productivity and most importantly, our impact in the community.