Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque receives cyber security grant from Dubuque Racing Association

The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque has received a grant from the Dubuque Racing Association to improve cyber security within the organization’s operations. The grant will allow the Community Foundation to review and enhance its system network and implement staff training on cyber security and how to avoid and respond to potential breaches.

The Community Foundation serves the philanthropic needs of a seven-county region from Allamakee County in the north to Clinton County in the south, hosting funds and related information for more than 250 nonprofits and assisting more than 3,500 donors with their individual philanthropy.

That’s a lot of information to protect, explains Jenna Manders, the Community Foundation’s knowledge management director.

“Improving our cyber security will directly benefit the nonprofits, donors and community partners we serve,” Manders says. “The people and organizations we work with put their trust in us to be good stewards of their charitable dollars and sensitive information, and that means taking all necessary steps to protect those resources.”

The Community Foundation’s uses technology to gather data about the Greater Dubuque region, and that data informs strategic grantmaking and community initiatives. “As we strive to be leaders in data-informed decision-making, we must ensure that the information we gather is securely stored,” says Manders.

The grant will allow full IT support for the Foundation’s cyber network, including technical support, remote monitoring and alert services, email filtering, anti-virus and firewall services, regular vulnerability scanning, and backup services.

“The Community Foundation appreciates the Dubuque Racing Association’s recognition of the importance of this project, and with their support, we can take additional steps to protect our data,” says Manders.