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Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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All across Iowa, people are working hand-in-hand to ensure their communities thrive for generations to come. By partnering with local community foundations, they are building endowments to fund the charitable causes they care about most deeply- today, tomorrow and always.
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IOWA COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS ENDOWING IOWA For Good. For Ever.
Transcript
Page 1: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

Iowa CommunIty

FoundatIons

Endowing iowa For Good. For Ever.

Page 2: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

This publication was produced by the Iowa Council of Foundations (ICoF) for its Iowa Community Foundations Initiative. The ICoF, organized in 1998, is a nonprofit organization that plays a leadership role in promoting philanthropy and effective grantmaking in Iowa. For more information about the ICoF, please visit www.IowaCouncilofFoundations.org. To learn more about the organization’s Iowa Community Foundations Initiative, please visit www.IowaCommunityFoundations.org

Meets standards of excellence.

Page 3: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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today, tomorrow and always.

All across Iowa, people like you are working hand-in-hand to ensure their communities thrive for generations to come. By partnering with local community foundations, they are building endowments to fund the charitable causes they care about most deeply—

Page 4: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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How You Can gEt involvEd Your community foundation will work with you to ensure that your giving experience is tailored to your situation and meets your charitable goals. Your gift to the community foundation can be for any amount and made in a variety of forms, including cash, appreciated stock, real estate or other assets. These gifts can be made now or through an estate plan. You can establish an endowment at your community foundation to support the causes you believe in or you can choose to give to an existing fund that matches your charitable interests. When you are ready to explore your charitable giving options, your local community foundation is the place to start. Visit www.IowaCommunityFoundations.org to connect locally or contact the Iowa Council of Foundations (www.IowaCouncilofFoundations.org) for more information.

Your CoMMunitY FoundationCommunity foundations are nonprofit organizations that focus on building local philanthropy by connecting people who care to the causes that matter most to them. Working together, foundations and community members create long-term endowments that benefit local nonprofit agencies, programs and projects in fields such as education, health, human services, the arts, community development, historic preservation and the environment. Through careful management of each endowment fund, the community foundation remains focused on ensuring the contributions you make today or through an estate plan continue to provide important grant support to charitable organizations in perpetuity. More than 130 community foundations and their affiliates serve every corner of Iowa, providing a trusted and valuable resource to individuals, families, businesses, professional advisors and nonprofit agencies.

Endowing iowa For Good. For Ever.

A ll across iowa, people like you are working hand-in-hand to ensure their communities thrive for generations to come. By partnering with local community foundations, they are building endowments to fund the charitable causes they care about most deeply.

these donors are all ages and come from all sizes of communities, ranging from big cities to rural townships, and from all types of backgrounds—they are homemakers, farmers, business leaders, professionals, volunteers, educators, laborers. the size of their gifts varies, too; they know that every endowment, no matter what the amount, can make a significant difference.

despite their diversity, these iowans all share a passion for their community and a desire to give back in a way that will last forever. on pages 5 to 20, read about some of your neighbors, colleagues, friends and family members who are helping to make iowa a strong, vibrant place to live—today, tomorrow and always.

Page 5: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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Endow iowa tax CrEditNo matter what type of permanent endowment fund you decide to establish or contribute to, you could benefit from the Endow Iowa Tax Credit. The Iowa Legislature created the program, and since 2004 it has provided an incentive to establish and grow endowment funds for Iowa charitable causes at qualified community foundations. Beginning January 1, 2010, you have the opportunity to apply (on a first-come, first-served basis) for a 25 percent State of Iowa tax credit. Contact your local community foundation (www.IowaCommunityFoundations.org) to determine if it is qualified to participate in the program and to learn more. Iowa taxpayers (individuals, businesses and financial institutions) can claim the Endow Iowa Tax Credits.

tYpEs oF EndowMEntsIn collaboration with your local community foundation, you can establish or contribute to five primary types of endowment funds:

unrEstriCtEd Fund Your gift can address a broad range of local needs, including future needs that may not be anticipated at the time the endowment is established. This type of fund enables your community foundation to respond to the community’s most pressing demands, now and in the future.

donor advisEd Fund With this type of fund, you’re actively involved in suggesting which programs, projects or organizations receive grants on an ongoing basis. Grant awards are issued to charities in the name of the fund (or anonymously if you prefer). This fund also could present an opportunity to share the spirit of philanthropy by engaging other generations in making grant recommendations.

FiEld oF intErEst Fund When you make your gift, you choose the particular area or areas you want funded, such as education, health or community development, and the community foundation’s board awards grants to organizations or programs that serve that purpose.

dEsignatEd Fund This type of fund enables you to choose a specific nonprofit organization or organizations, such as a museum, youth center or church, that your endowment will support. In addition, you may choose to support continued education opportunities through a specific designated endowment called a scholarship fund.

agEnCY EndowMEnt This type of fund is established by nonprofit organizations at their local community foundation. It’s a simple and efficient way to help create sustainability for the organization by building an endowment that supports the nonprofit’s mission in perpetuity.

Year 50

$66,000 In CumulaTIve granTs

$57,000 Fund balanCe

Year 1

esTablIsh an endowmenT Fund

$10,000 gIFT

Year 15

$9,500 In CumulaTIve granTs

$16,000 Fund balanCe

Year 25

$19,000 In CumulaTIve granTs

$23,000 Fund balanCe

How an EndowMEnt worKsan essential component of the work of community foundations is building a permanent collection of endowed funds through contributions made by many donors. these contributions are carefully invested for maximum return and growth, ensuring that the funds will exist in perpetuity. the growth of the endowment funds and the income earned help to provide the grant dollars necessary to carry out the charitable objectives of the donors who established them. Endowed funds held at local community foundations typically have a granting policy in the range of 5%. this means that over time, more grant dollars are available to the community and the endowment fund itself continues to grow.

This illustration assumes a 4.5% granting policy and 8.5% rate of return.

Page 6: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

BErGSTroM Field oF interest endowment

BoGuE Agency endowment CAMpBELL SuppLY designAted endowments

CorSoN Unrestricted endowment

DANIEL designAted (scholArship) endowment

HELLMAN Unrestricted endowment

HELMS Unrestricted endowment

HErMEIEr donor Advised endowment

HoFMANN Unrestricted endowment

HorToN Unrestricted endowment

JAHNkE designAted endowment

JENSEN designAted endowments

krABBE designAted (scholArship) endowment

WEEBEr designAted endowment

ZANIoS designAted endowment

ZuCCAro donor Advised endowment

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Page 7: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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5

Bergstrom

Brett Bergstrom

Field oF interest endowment

commUnity FoUndAtion oF northeAst iowA

Working through the Foundation is a natural choice for many who do not have the wherewithal to establish memorials on their own...”

Bnatural choice for many who do not have the wherewithal to establish memorials on their own from scratch,” he says.

As a youth, Brett was involved in 4-H and sports and also showed an early talent as a craftsman. He loved woodworking and sketching building plans, skills he put to use working on home-building projects. Eventually, he established his own remodeling business. His family and friends appreciated his ruggedness, sensitivity, sense of humor and strong work ethic.

“Brett had a very good moral compass,” says his father. “He was resourceful and imaginative...and he was true to his friends and family. For the too short bit of time that he walked among us, he helped to make this world a far better place.”

Today, the endowment provides a vehicle for family, friends and others to continue to pay tribute to Brett and support the community in the process. “Believing we can make a difference is part of the idea behind this fund,” says Bob. “What is behind my hope is a dream that we all have: that we can help move things in the right direction.” n

rett Bergstrom died in 1993

at the too-young age of 20, but his kindness and ideals are being remembered in ways that will help others for generations to come.

Brett’s father, Bob Bergstrom of Cedar Falls, established the Brett Bergstrom Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa to honor Brett’s legacy. The field of interest fund awards grants to organizations and projects that benefit the environment and youth, as well as building programssuch as Habitat for Humanity—all causes Brett avidly supported.

“When we’re considering where to make grants, we try to carry on what Brett valued and what he was involved in,” says Mary Ann Burk, president and CEo of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.

When he started the endowment, Bob Bergstrom relied on the Community Foundation to help him define and narrow his options. Today, the Foundation continues to guide the process and manage the fund in an effective and efficient way, he says. “Working through the Foundation is a

Page 8: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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rA lifelong Iowan, richard grew up on a farm near Clemons in central Iowa. About 40 years ago, he moved to Ida Grove, where he owned and later sold a plumbing and heating business and a highway products company. He still owns a fabrication plant, which his son runs, and four banks, where one of his daughters is chairman of the board. Another daughter lives in the Minneapolis; he has nine grandchildren in all.

A long-time supporter of Ida Grove, richard believes the recreation center’s endowment will mean the facility will be around for his grandchildren’s generation and the generations after that. “The fund will help for many years down the line,” he says. “A lot of people use the facility and hopefully that will continue in the future.” n

The fund will help for many years down the line. A lot of people use the facility and hopefully that will continue in the future.”

Bogue

richArd BogUe

Agency endowment

idA coUnty commUnity Betterment FoUndAtion,

An AFFiliAte oF the sioUxlAnd commUnity

FoUndAtion

ichard Bogue of Ida Grove was an avid runner for years. “I started jogging to take off some extra weight and then kept at it. I’d run at least a half a mile every day,” says the retired business leader. “I was really strong about exercising until I had a stroke. It’s probably why I’m still here.”

His dedication to healthy living and fitness, as well as his loyalty to Ida Grove—a town of 2,300 people in west-central Iowa—spurred him to make a donation that jump-started the Ida Grove Community recreation Center Endowment Fund, an agency endowment established at the Ida County Community Betterment Foundation.

The recreation center contains a gymnasium, walking track, weight room, aerobics classroom, swimming pool, racquetball courts and more. With his donation, “I thought it’d be a way to help a lot of people in the community,” says richard.

Page 9: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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WCampBell supply

top: FoUnders Jim cAmpBell And John cAmpBell

Bottom: BoB cAmpBell, John cAmpBell And

Jim gillespie

designAted endowments

hArdin coUnty commUnity endowment

FoUndAtion, An AFFiliAte oF the commUnity

FoUndAtion oF greAter des moines

The hope is that the endowed funds will go well on into the future, outliving the people and sometimes even the companies that give.”

pontoon boat that offers tours on the Iowa river, has become a visitor draw as well as an effective way to teach about water quality, Jim notes. For the library, the company wanted to help ensure funds remain available for children’s summer reading programs and other educational initiatives.

Company leaders hope the endowments motivate others to give. “By (establishing) the funds, we open the floodgates for others to add to it,” Jim explains. “It’s a way people can make a lasting gift.”

“The hope is that the endowed funds will go well on into the future, outliving the people and sometimes even the companies that give,” he adds.

For the foreseeable future, though, Campbell Supply will continue to be family owned and operated. In addition to Jim Gillespie, five other family members work in the business. In fact, Bob Campbell, who is Jim Campbell’s son, and Jim Gillespie alternate being president every other year, the same as the founders did in the past. The current generation remains devoted to the company’s tradition of service. “We are all still committed to the philosophy that we need to help take care of the community where we we’ve been given so much,” Jim Gillespie says. n

hen brothers John and Jim Campbell started Campbell Supply Company in 1963, they believed that as the company prospered, so should their community of Iowa Falls.

“John and Jim were very grounded in the Christian faith and raised their families that way. And we keep those principles alive in the business today,” says Jim Gillespie, the company’s vice president.

Those principles have served to strengthen the company’s commitment to giving back to the community. “We look at projects and entities in the community that make an impact,” says Jim, who is John Campbell’s son-in law. (John Campbell is semi-retired and serves as CEo; Jim Campbell died in 2003.)

The desire to make an impact led the company to establish two designated endowment funds at the Hardin County Community Endowment Foundation that benefit the robert W. Barlow Memorial Library and the Scenic City Empress Boat Club. The Scenic City Empress, a double-deck

Page 10: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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W hen kaiser Corson Funeral Homes in Waverly turned 100 in 2001, there was much to celebrate. The company not only had thrived for a century, but also had remained in the same family. The late James Corson, whose grandfather had started the business, and his sons—Cal, Carter and Steve—were all involved in the company.

To honor that legacy and the community the company served, the family established an unrestricted endowment, the Corson Family Quality of Life Fund, with the Waverly Community Fund at the Bremer County Community Foundation that benefits this northeastern Iowa town of 9,000 people. “We wanted to give back to the community that we love,” says Steve Corson, who with his brothers runs kaiser Corson Funeral Homes today. “We wanted to make sure we help keep this wonderful place we call home prospering for generations to come.”

In 2002, Jim Corson died suddenly after a fall. His wife, Eddie, and sons

Corson

top: Jim And eddie corson

middle: cAl corson And steve corson

Bottom: cArter corson

Unrestricted endowment

Bremer coUnty commUnity FoUndAtion,

An AFFiliAte oF the commUnity FoUndAtion oF

northeAst iowA

We wanted to make sure we help keep this wonderful place we call home prospering for generations to come.”

wanted to pay tribute to both his memory and the memory of other community residents—and help Waverly in the process. That led them to create an annual golf outing, the Jim Corson Waverly Memorial. The event gives others a way to donate to the Corson Family Quality of Life Fund in honor of their loved ones. Since it began in 2003, the outing has been a big success, drawing the maximum number of players. “The golf outing is a way to include the entire community,” says Steve.

He adds that his father Jim enjoyed golf as well as hunting and fishing. Jim and Eddie also loved animals; Jim raised German Shortharied pointers and Eddie’s passion is Arabian horses. “Dad put his heart and soul into everything,” says Steve.

Since the endowment was established, the Waverly Community Fund has presented grants to a variety of organizations that benefit children, the arts, historic preservation, education, senior citizens and more. “The overall feeling of people in Waverly is that we’re all in this together,” says Steve. “We want future generations to enjoy the same things we have today.” n

Page 11: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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the dAniel FAmily From leFt to right: John iii,

victoriA, mAry KAy, mArgo, oliviA, John, Jr.,

And mArK.

designAted (scholArship) endowment

Fort dodge commUnity FoUndAtion

Daniel

We wanted to promote the profession and help the community at the same time.”

p harmacist John Daniel, Jr., owner of Daniel pharmacy in Fort Dodge, cares deeply about his profession and his community. Those concerns prompted him to seek a way to help both.

So he and his wife, Margo, decided to establish an endowment at the Fort Dodge Community Foundation that funds scholarships for local graduating high school seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in pharmacy. The Daniels hope that some of those students will return to Fort Dodge to practice.

“We wanted to reach out and provide that little push,” says John, who grew up in Fort Dodge. “We wanted to promote the profession and help the community at the same time.” He adds that working through the Fort Dodge Community Foundation has been an easy and effective way to manage the fund. The Endow Iowa Tax Credit provided an incentive as well.

Another goal of the Daniels’ is to expose students to the advantages of working for independently owned

businesses. Daniel pharmacy has been family-owned since John and his parents started the business in 1963, a few years after John graduated from the university of Iowa’s College of pharmacy. “We’ve had a lot of family involvement throughout the years,” says John. Today, Margo works at the store, and John’s oldest son, John III, is a pharmacist there and plans to continue the business once his parents retire. Mary kay Daniel, John and Margo’s daughter who’s an interior designer, operates Mary kay’s Gifts, Home Décor and Design within the pharmacy.

So far, four students have received scholarships; one of the students, in his third year at Drake university’s College of pharmacy and Health Sciences, worked several summers at Daniel pharmacy. “That’s kind of the sweet part of it—when you can help with the hands-on experience,” John says. “Then you know you’re really getting your money’s worth.” n

Page 12: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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theresA And merlin hellmAn

Unrestricted endowment

commUnity FoUndAtion oF north lee coUnty,

An AFFiliAte oF the commUnity FoUndAtion oF

the greAt river Bend

Hellman

Anyone can get involved and any amount is important.”

A few years ago, Merlin Hellman decided that the best way to help his hometown of Houghton was to challenge it. As he thought of making a donation, “it occurred to me...why not make it a challenge gift? I had read about challenge gifts and thought it was an interesting concept,” says Merlin, who worked in the insurance business before retiring.

So he set up an unrestricted endowment at the Community Foundation of North Lee County, challenging Houghton residents to join him. Merlin would make his gift if the community also contributed at least two and a half times that amount. The challenge worked. “people stepped up, and we ended up with more than we anticipated,” says Merlin. In fact, the total amount was more than four times his challenge gift.

Merlin discovered a challenge gift “encourages people who already are supportive to give more and encourages new people to contribute for the first time. Anyone can get involved and any amount is

important,” he says. The Endow Iowa Tax Credit also provides a key incentive for people to contribute to the fund, he adds.

The endowment provides grants to various projects in this southeastern Iowa town, home to 130 residents. “In small towns, needs are always coming up that bigger cities may not have trouble funding,” says Merlin, who now lives in Fort Madison with his wife, Theresa; the couple has 13 grown children. “proceeds from (the fund) help meet those needs.” For example, the endowment has provided a grant to a veterans’ memorial at the local cemetery and new equipment for a playground.

one of the advantages of the fund is that a local committee is directly involved in providing grants from the endowment, and committee members have first-hand knowledge of the town’s most pressing needs, Merlin points out.

overall, “I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how well challenge (gifts) work,” he says. “They can have a strong, positive impact on a community.” n

Page 13: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

B

11

Helms

rUssell And pAtriciA helms

Unrestricted endowment

mAdrid commUnity endowment FUnd,

An AFFiliAte oF the commUnity FoUndAtion oF

greAter des moines

The endowed gift will both honor the past and plant the seeds for future growth.

efore he died, russell Helms wanted to find a way that would both honor his farming heritage—his family had owned a Central Iowa century farm since 1902—as well as help the community of Madrid prosper in the future.

That led russell and his wife, patricia, to donate 83 acres to the Madrid Community Endowment Fund through a term certain life estate. proceeds from the land’s eventual sale—russell’s son has tenancy for 20 years—will fund an unrestricted endowment that will benefit Madrid’s efforts to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future. The proceeds also will equally benefit the Madrid Historical Society, an organization dedicated to preserving the past.

russell, who died in 2008 at the age of 85, wanted the gift to be “useful to the entire community,” says patricia. “That’s the hope.”

russell’s parents, Iowa natives Charles and Mary Ellen Helms, bought the farmland in 1902. Life wasn’t easy: The family lived in a chicken coop for

three years until the house was built, and then Charles Helms was killed in an accident when russell, the youngest of five children, was just three years old. Eventually, russell served in the Navy during World War II and then became an engineer, working in oklahoma City and kansas City before moving back to Central Iowa in 1980. After retiring in the late 1980s, he returned to the farm where he grew up.

“only one family has owned the farm through the years,” patricia says. “It’s a special place.”

With the gift to the Madrid Community Endowment Fund, russell also hoped to inspire other landowners not only to honor their past, but also to plant the seeds for the future growth of their communities. n

Page 14: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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Hermeier

rAy hermeier

donor Advised endowment

AllAmAKee coUnty commUnity FoUndAtion,

An AFFiliAte oF the commUnity FoUndAtion oF

greAter dUBUqUe

Giving provides a much greater satisfaction than having material things. In so many respects, it really is better to give than to receive.”

G rowing up on a farm just outside Waukon in northeast Iowa, ray Hermeier attended a one-room country school for eight years. That made going to Waukon High School “kind of scary at first—it was much bigger than I was used to,” says the retired psychology professor who now lives in Iowa City.

But ray quickly overcame his fears, excelling not only in academics but also in sports as a cross-country runner and track athlete. A 1955 graduate, he credits the school with giving him a solid education that eventually led to an undergraduate degree in math and both master’s and doctorate degrees in psychology, all from the university of Iowa.

Waukon High “was an excellent school when I was there,” says ray, whose career took him to the university of Wisconsin and Triton College in the Chicago area before he returned to Iowa. “There are a lot of bright kids going (to Waukon High) today, but some don’t have the money to go on to college.”

Some of those students are getting the help they need through a donor advised endowment fund ray established at the Allamakee County Community Foundation. Last year, the endowment funded a challenge grant to benefit Allamakee Dollars for Scholars, which awards scholarships to graduating seniors. The grant matched, up to a certain amount, pledge donations collected during a telethon for Dollars for Scholars.

Another endowment he established at the Community Foundation has helped support the high school’s athletic programs as well as the Waukon Wellness Center.

Not only was the Endow Iowa Tax Credit an impetus to establish the endowments but so was his desire to give back to his hometown, where some 4,000 people live today. When he hears about students who benefit from the funds, “it’s very gratifying,” he says. “Giving provides a much greater satisfaction than having material things. In so many respects, it really is better to give than to receive.” n

Page 15: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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S o many needs, too few resources. That’s what Eda Hofmann sees when she looks around the Quad Cities, her beloved hometown where she and her husband, Bill, have lived most of their lives.

“Every need is worthy and demanding, whether it’s a family that’s been burned out of their home or a couple who lost their jobs and can’t afford to pay their heating bills, or a sick child,” says Eda, who lives in pleasant Valley, just east of Bettendorf. “How do I know which need is the greatest, which cause to give to?”

Instead of trying to figure it all out on their own, she and Bill decided to turn to the Community Foundation of the Great river Bend for help. The couple recently established an unrestricted endowment at the Community Foundation. Grants from the endowment will be used to help meet the area’s most pressing needs.

“Because the Community Foundation gets so many requests, they’re on the front lines and know which needs are urgent and which needs aren’t,” says Eda. “I decided to let (the

Hofmann

edA And Bill hoFmAnn And grAndAUghter

ingrid

Unrestricted endowment

commUnity FoUndAtion oF the greAt river Bend

The needs of the community will just keep growing.”

Foundation) in their wisdom make the decision” on where to provide grants from the fund. Eda also appreciates the ease of working with the Foundation. She says that instead of giving small sums to a lot of different organizations, she’d rather give one gift that can help many causes in perpetuity.

The Hofmanns decided to call their endowment the Hofmann Family Community Impact Fund in the hope that other family members will contribute to it in the future. Bill, a retired opthamologist, has two brothers and a sister who live in the area. one of the Hofmanns’ sons also lives in the Quad Cities. The couple has four other grown children who live elsewhere, and a total of nine grandchildren. “The door is open for others to contribute,” says Eda.

Eda says she and Bill started the endowment after reading about the Community Foundation and learning how it operated. “I had been wanting to do something for a while and now just seemed like the right time,” she says. “The needs of the community will just keep growing.” n

Page 16: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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Horton

ednA And chArles horton

Unrestricted endowment

hAwArden commUnity FoUndAtion, An AFFiliAte

oF the sioUxlAnd commUnity FoUndAtion

Charles Horton “liked the idea of perpetuity; he wanted the gift to keep going, and growing, forever.”

A lthough the late Charles and Edna Horton didn’t have any kids of their own, they cared deeply about the welfare of children. The longtime residents of Hawarden were “concerned about kids with special needs and those who get the short end of the stick,” recalls Chuck Haugland, who was their attorney.

That compassion for community inspired Charles to set up an unrestricted endowment that served as the original fund establishing the Hawarden Community Foundation. Since he died in 1997 (Edna died in 1994), the endowment has awarded grants to numerous projects in this northwestern town of 2,200 people, including those that directly benefit kids, such as an outdoor classroom, summer reading programs, equipment for a child development center and a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program. In addition, the endowment also has funded other projects in areas that interested the Hortons, such as arts and culture, human services and civic improvements.

Charles, who was a bookkeeper for

Burlington Gravel in Hawarden, decided to establish an endowment because of the permanent nature of the fund. “He wanted to get the most bang for the buck,” says Chuck. “He liked the idea of perpetuity; he wanted the gift to keep going, and growing, forever.”

Furthermore, Charles made it clear that the unrestricted endowment be designed to challenge and encourage others to contribute. “He wanted to leverage his gift,” says Chuck. As a result, Hawarden residents “are continually thinking about things that can be done to improve the quality of life in the community.”

Though their legacy is now having a significant impact on Hawarden, the Hortons lived modestly. Charles was born in Hawarden and Edna in nearby Cleghorn. They enjoyed big band music, and Charles’ one indulgence was trading in his car for a new one every year, alternating between a Cadillac and a Mustang.

The couple “never bragged about their philanthropy. Charles didn’t want the foundation to be named the ‘Horton Foundation.’ He preferred to stay in the background,” says Chuck. “They were quiet people—solid as a rock.” n

Page 17: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

15

aHnkeJ

yUlon And roy JAhnKe

designAted endowment

cAss coUnty commUnity FoUndAtion, An

AFFiliAte oF the omAhA commUnity FoUndAtion

Though the Jahnkes were people of modest means, their bequest will have a big impact for generations.

T he late Yulon and roy Jahnke lived quiet, unassuming lives in Lewis, a town of about 450 people in southwest Iowa. roy, who died in 2008, was a Lewis native and worked as a bus driver and custodian for the school district. Yulon, who died in 1999, was a beloved elementary school teacher. They didn’t have any children of their own, but they enjoyed having jobs where they could influence the lives of young people.

Though they lived modestly, they left a gift for their community that will have an impact for generations to come. Before he died, roy set up a designated endowment at the Cass County Community Foundation that benefits the Hitchcock House, a National Historic Landmark that was a stop on the underground railroad.

“The Jahnkes’ bequest will be there in perpetuity to help support the House,” says Dana kunze, who serves on the organization’s advisory board. The endowment will help ensure there are enough funds to maintain the 154-year-old sandstone home. “We’ve always been concerned about the

upkeep of the house,” Dana adds. “It’s an old building with its own unique problems. Nothing is ever cheap to fix.”

roy and Yulon were avid antique collectors, and Yulon also enjoyed ceramics. A talented woodworker, roy carved birds and also did a carving of the Hitchcock House, which he then gave to the House. roy was interested in the Hitchcock House because of its historical significance, says Sandy Fairbairn, a member of the advisory board.

The Jahnkes “believed in their school and in their community,” says Dana, who is the superintendent of Griswold Community School District. Yulon “was my first-grade teacher, and roy drove the bus when I was a kid. Later, I got to know them in their retirement years, and I’m so glad I did.”

others will never get to know the Jahnkes as Dana did, but the endowment the couple left will help their community forever. n

Page 18: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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ensenJ

top: poKey And colin Jensen

Bottom: elizABeth Jensen

designAted (And scholArship) endowments

sioUxlAnd commUnity FoUndAtion

We want to give back to the community that has given so much to us.”

p ericles, the famous ancient Greek statesman, believed that immortality is achieved “not by what is engraved in stone monuments, but by what is woven into the lives of others.” Inspired by that idea, Colin and pokey Jensen of Sioux City have established five endowments at the Siouxland Community Foundation.

“We have a lot of confidence in the Siouxland Community Foundation and what they can do as far as managing the fund’s assets and providing financial support to the designated recipients,” says Colin, a respected civic leader. He adds that the Foundation also ensures that the gifts will be used for the purpose they’re intended, in perpetuity. “What we’re really excited about is the fact that the things we’re interested in will keep going forward even after we’re gone,” says Colin, the retired president of the Irving F. Jensen Co., a road construction firm that has been in the family for four generations.

The endowments are designated; three reflect the Jensens’ passion for youth

and the arts and one supports the mission of the Siouxland Community Foundation. The Jensens also established one of the designated funds as a scholarship endowment in memory of their daughter Elizabeth.

Before she was debilitated by encephalitis at the age of 16, Elizabeth showed a deep sense of compassion that reached beyond her years. “She was always concerned about people who couldn’t afford to do the things she could,” says Colin. “She always felt concern for people who were in need of help.” When she died in 2002 at age 43, the Jensens decided to establish a scholarship endowment that benefits girls involved with Girls Inc., an organization that offers a variety of services to underprivileged girls.

All of the endowments reflect the Jensens’ long-time dedication to the Sioux City area, a tradition of service shared by Colin’s late father, Irving Jensen, and his brother, Irving Jensen, Jr. The family’s philosophy has always been that “we want to help those in need,” says Colin. “We want to give back to the community that has given so much to us.” n

Page 19: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

17

kraBBe

top: ryAn, heidi And Kyle KrABBe

Bottom: mercedes And hArold cessFord

designAted (scholArship) endowment

commUnity FoUndAtion oF mArshAll coUnty,

An AFFiliAte oF the commUnity FoUndAtion oF

northeAst iowA

With the Endow Iowa Tax Credit, “how could I not pursue something like this? It’s a no-brainer.”

T he late Harold and Mercedes Cessford spent decades building their business, Cessford Construction Company, in the small east-central Iowa town of Le Grand and later expanding it to Burlington. When daughter Heidi krabbe sold the business her parents had started in 1965, she wanted to make sure they weren’t forgotten.

So she established an endowment in their honor at the Community Foundation of Marshall County. “My parents spent many long hours at the business. They were a team,” says Heidi, who worked for the company for 29 years, serving as CEo from 2003 to 2007, when she sold the company. “I wanted to keep their legacy alive.” Harold, known as “Hy,” died in 1991 and Mercedes, or “Merc,” in 2002.

The endowment provides scholarships to support two groups of students: those studying construction engineering at Iowa State university; and children of parents working in Iowa’s limestone industry (there’s no restriction on the school or curriculum

for these students).

“Both my parents always saw tremendous potential in young people and wanted to give them the opportunity to make something of their lives,” says Heidi. “It seemed fitting that education would be the (endowment’s) area of emphasis. Without the scholarships, some of these kids couldn’t afford college; we hope the money will help them succeed.”

The scholarships are a way to pay tribute to the construction industry as well, says Heidi. As CEo, “I was active in industry associations and became more thoroughly acquainted with the people my parents knew and respected,” she says. “I really developed a bond with and a love of the industry.”

Heidi decided to establish the endowment at the Community Foundation of Marshall County because of the ease—the foundation handles the fund’s logistics and disbursements. The Endow Iowa Tax Credit provided an additional motivation. With the credit, “how could I not pursue something like this? It’s a no-brainer,” she says. “The (Endow Iowa Tax) Credit gives you an incentive to put more into the fund itself.” n

Page 20: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

18

WeeBer

JAn And steve weeBer

designAted endowment

commUnity FoUndAtion oF Johnson coUnty

The endowment will help ensure Iowa history is preserved.

I n 1847, German immigrant Fredrick Weeber settled in Johnson County as one of the area’s first European homesteaders. Today, Frederick’s great-great grandson, Steve, represents the fifth generation to own the 120-acre farm, where he and his wife, Jan, live.

Steve’s deep roots and keen interest in preserving history spurred the Weebers to establish a designated endowment at the Community Foundation of Johnson County to benefit the Johnson County Historical Society (JCHS) in Coralville. The Weebers decided to establish the endowment at the Community Foundation for two main reasons: The foundation provides excellent fund management, and the Weebers want their gift to last in perpetuity.

“It’s a good fit,” says Steve, who in 1999 returned to Iowa after retiring from a 33-year career as an international businessman.

“preservation of history is important—a lot of kids today don’t know where their families are from, even their grandparents. We want to

make sure that (the JCHS) keeps going,” adds Steve, who serves on the JCHS board and has hosted society meetings at his farm.

Steve grew up on the family farm but left to attend Simpson College in Indianola, where he and Jan met. After earning a master’s degree in biochemistry from the Illinois Institute of Technology, he joined Nalco Company, based in suburban Chicago. The Weebers, who have two grown children, moved with the company, living in Texas, Illinois and paris.

When Steve retired, the Weebers moved to the farm, located between Iowa City and kalona, and built a new home overlooking a pond and the rolling southeastern Iowa landscape. “I’ve been all over the world—my last passport had (stamps from) some 80 countries—and have lived in urban areas, but I love being back here,” says Steve. “It’s rural and quiet, and a lot of people I knew when I was young are still here. It’s a lot of fun coming back to where you grew up.” n

Page 21: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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19

Zanios

tUlA zAnios

designAted endowment

cerro gordo coUnty commUnity FoUndAtion,

An AFFiliAte oF the commUnity FoUndAtion oF

northeAst iowA

The Community Foundation has provided me with a vehicle to enable a gift that goes on giving long after I’m gone.”

T ula Zanios of Mason City grew up on a small farm in Arkansas, where her Greek immigrant parents and six siblings struggled to get by. Those early hardships inspired Tula, now 91, to devote her life to serving others.

“She grew up around folks who didn’t have much,” says Jamie Zanios, Tula’s son. “But her family would always help their neighbors, regardless of who they were. From those experiences, she got a sense of what you need to do to support others and your community.”

over the years, Tula’s dedication to service only grew stronger. In fact, when she turned 90 in 2008, she decided that what she wanted most was to help the Community kitchen of North Iowa, where she had been a volunteer since its founding in 1982. That desire prompted her to create an endowment for the organization at the Cerro Gordo County Community Foundation. Established in honor of her 90th birthday, the Tula Zanios Endowment Fund is a designated fund that benefits the Community kitchen.

“The Community Foundation has provided me with a vehicle to enable a gift that goes on giving long after I’m gone,” Tula said when the fund was established.

The endowment is just the latest way Tula has helped her community. She moved to Mason City from Arkansas when she married her husband, Tom Zanios. While Tom, who died in 1999, worked in the food distribution business, Tula became involved with her children’s schools, women’s groups, the library, her church and other local organizations.

Her belief in the Community kitchen led her think about remembering the organization in her will, but she decided to create an endowment now so she could enjoy it more. “Doing it now and seeing the value of it is nice,” says Jamie. “She thought that leaving a legacy where the forever nature of a gift moving forward was a good idea.” n

Page 22: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

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20

ZuCCaro

the zUccAro FAmily From leFt to right:

teri, Joe, grAce, gUs, And tony.

donor Advised endowment

commUnity FoUndAtion oF greAter dUBUqUe

Some people think you have to have a lot of money to start an endowment. But that’s not the case.”

T he busy parents of three children, Joe and Teri Zuccaro of Dubuque would seem to have every reason not to funnel their resources into starting an endowment at this stage of their lives. They both work to support their family—she’s an accounting instructor at Clarke College and he’s a dentist—and they’re still saving for their own retirement as well as their children’s education.

But the Zuccaros didn’t let those demands stop them from investing in the future of their community; they recently established a donor advised endowment fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. “We wanted to do something for the community that has blessed us,” says Teri. “We wanted our (gift) to continue for generations.”

The Zuccaros started their fund with a modest gift; once it reaches $10,000, they’ll be involved in recommending what organizations will receive grants. “Some people think you have to have a lot of money to start an endowment,” says Teri. “But that’s not the case.” The fund’s flexibility appealed to the

Zuccaros as well. “Eventually, in the long term, we can pass more of our estate into the endowment,” Teri says. “It’s a wonderful vehicle.”

She adds that the endowment makes giving easy—the Zuccaros just write one check to the Community Foundation instead of a check to each individual charity—and also allows for an attractive Endow Iowa Tax Credit.

The desire to teach their own children, who are ages 12, 10, and 4, about charity also propelled the Zuccaros to establish the endowment now. As their children get older, they’ll help research and recommend which organizations or initiatives receive funding.

“We wanted to pass this idea of giving to our children,” says Teri. “We wanted to teach them that what you get back is so much more than what you give.” n

Page 23: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

www.IowaCommunityFoundations.org

Page 24: Endowing Iowa. For Good. For Ever.

Contact your local community foundation or visit www.iowaCommunityFoundations.org

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