Lanny and Linda Kuehl: Giving Back to Help Students Succeed

Lanny Kuehl started his professional advisor career in St. Paul but has always been proud to call Garnavillo home. As one of the founding members of the Clayton County Foundation for the Future (CCFF), he watched the Foundation grow from an idea into a rural force for good and led the organization for the first nine years while also serving on the Northeast Iowa Community College Foundation board.

“You just need to have faith in the future that things will get better as we go on,” says Lanny. “You can't give up.” Ten years later, the Foundation has over $2.2 million in charitable funds—evidence that his faith has paid off.

Lanny’s wife Linda is no stranger to giving back either. A retired radiology professional, she volunteers her time at her local church, St. Joseph’s. “If they asked me to work, I work,” says Linda. “I’m the worker bee.” She happily remembers her career, saying her favorite part was working with students and encouraging them to pursue careers in medicine.

That dedication to their community is what inspired Lanny and Linda to leave a legacy by creating an endowed scholarship through the CCFF for Northeast Iowa Community College students studying healthcare and business. “Most families, especially here in rural areas, don’t have a lot of extra money set aside for education,” says Lanny. “It just raises the whole community. We strive to make things better for those around us and, hopefully, ourselves and our grandkids.”

Lanny notes there are strong advantages to establishing an endowed fund through the Foundation, such as the Endow Iowa 25% State Tax Credit. Endow Iowa is a financial incentive for individual donors, families and businesses to create or build endowments to give back to their community. For some donors, the actual cost of the gift is 40 cents on the dollar.

“The more you give, the more you get,” says Lanny. “That is so true. The more you give, the more life gives back.”

Learn more about the Clayton County Foundation for the Future »