Dr. John Rathe Endowment brings more “likes” to Clayton Ridge
What started as one teacher's vision has now become a reality thanks to dollars from the Dr. John Rathe Endowment, a fund supported by the Clayton County Foundation for the Future (CCFF).
“One of the things I’ve known for some time is that we do not have a social media presence for the district, and saw that was an area we could improve upon,” says Librarian and Technology Specialist Mindy Reimer.
Dollars from the fund were used to support a social media internship position for district.
“We thought it’d be a great opportunity for a student to do that and to enhance some of their leadership skills,” says Mindy.
Clayton Ridge junior Jaderial Staebler was chosen among several applicants to take on an internship with the school to expand the school's social media presence and to become more connected with the community.
“Everyday I make a post about something from the elementary, or the middle school, or the high school that’s been going on,” says Jadriel. “It gets a great word out for Clayton Ridge."
Jaderial plans to use her real-world experience to pursue a career in marketing.
“It takes discipline; it takes collaboration; it takes creative thought,” says Mindy. “Just in this job alone, she’s fine tuning those skills and those are soft skills that will help her with her future.”
CCFF endowment funds like this paid out more than $100,000 to Clayton County nonprofits in 2016
This year, CCFF endowment funds paid out $115,940 to support causes in Clayton County and these funds will continue to grow to support our area forever.
Community foundations are charitable organizations that administer funds to benefit their communities and improve the lives of people in their geographic region. Nonprofit organizations and community members can create endowment funds at CCFF to benefit charitable causes. These funds are invested and pay out 5% annually to the designated nonprofits, providing a reliable source of income to sustain organizations’ operations forever. Any earnings beyond the 5% are reinvested.
Donors who give to endowments through a community foundation also benefit from the Endow Iowa 25% State Tax Credit in addition to federal charitable income tax deductions.
“These endowments provide a way for families and community members to give back to our area forever,” says MJ Smith, CFGD Affiliates Director. “Thanks to the generosity of donors, we will be able to continue to provide for the future of Clayton County.”
For more information on the Clayton County Foundation for the Future, visit www.dbqfoundation.org/ccff.