Community Foundation Celebrates Success at 12th Annual Luncheon
The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque (CFGD) celebrated gifts of time, talent, and treasure with donors, nonprofit leaders and community partners at its 12th annual donor luncheon on Thursday, October 2 at the Dubuque Golf and Country Club.
The event celebrated many Foundation successes, including the opening of the new McCarthy Center for Nonprofit Learning, a new $150,000 USDA grant to support rural development, and Great Give Day, Northeast Iowa’s first online giving day, which raised more than $200,000 on May 6.
“The Community Foundation connects donors to causes they care about, helps local nonprofits to build capacity and provides community leadership to address local and regional challenges,” said Nancy Van Milligen. “This year, we are celebrating many successes made possible by working together with these strong community partners.”
The Foundation also shared its annual report with the community. Northeast Iowa donors, nonprofits and businesses have created over 550 funds at the Foundation, growing total assets to more than $57 million. Last year alone, the Foundation made 1,451 grants totaling $4.7 million. CFGD also supports six affiliate foundations in the rural counties of Allamakee, Clayton, Delaware, Jackson and Jones as well as the Dyersville area. Together, these affiliates support 162 endowment funds totaling nearly $14 million.
The event honored several donors and supporters of philanthropy, including Dick and Carrie Schmid, Dr. Charles Weber and Mariann Kurtz Weber, and Dr. Liang Chee Wee. CFGD Board Chair Tim Conlon also recognized leaders from the Foundation’s six rural affiliate foundations in Allamakee, Clayton, Delaware, Jackson and Jones counties, together with the Dyersville area.
Van Milligen also recognized Merle and Mary Santjer as new members of the Legacy Society. Last year, the Foundation established the Legacy Society to honor donors who have made planned gifts from their estate to a fund at the Foundation.
This year, the Foundation also recognized inaugural members of the Endowment Society: individuals, couples, families and businesses who have established an endowment fund and contributed $10,000 or more to that fund during their lifetime.
Guest speaker John O’Connor, a founding CFGD board member, recognized the Foundation’s phenomenal growth and impact. “What is really special about our community foundation is the leadership, collaboration and impact it brings to everything it touches,” said O’Connor. “The last 12 years have shown that as this institution grows, so do the benefits for our community and our region.”
Endowed gifts to Community Foundations are eligible for Endow Iowa, the 25% state tax credit; CFGD holds 190 nonprofit endowment funds for communities throughout Northeast Iowa.