Love in Action: A Message from President & CEO Karla Twedt-Ball

For the past two years, I’ve started my workday by walking beneath “love for humanity,” the mural commissioned for our Community Foundation’s 75th anniversary in 2024. Created by the talented team at Underground Art Studios, the mural celebrates people’s lives playing out in our community. More than a beautiful piece of public art, it serves as a daily reminder of what is at the heart of our work.

The mural’s inspiration comes from the Greek origins of the word philanthropy: philos meaning love, and anthropos meaning humankind. At its core, philanthropy is simply a love for people.

It can be easy to measure philanthropy by the numbers – how much was given, how many grants were awarded, or how many lives were reached. While those numbers matter, they are not the reason for our work. Our purpose is to help ensure everyone in Linn County has the opportunity to thrive.

Fortunately, the mural isn’t the only place I witness that love each day.

In today’s fraught political and economic climate, our community continues to face new and evolving challenges. But as I’ve said a thousand times: Linn County is resilient and generous.

In the stories throughout this newsletter, you’ll see that resilience and generosity come to life. You’ll read about a family’s legacy of kindness and generosity (page 3); you’ll see nonprofit organizations ensuring that people of every age and ability know they belong and are valued members of our community (pages 6 and 10); and you’ll learn how collaborations are making an impact (pages 18 and 19).

These stories remind us that philanthropy is about more than charitable gifts. It is about people choosing to care for one another, include one another, and invest in a future where we all have the opportunity to flourish.

That is the kind of love that inspires me every day. It strengthens communities, creates opportunities, and transforms lives. It brings me great joy to see this love in action across Linn County.