At the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, we work to support our community both today and far into the future. With you, we work to build sustainable charitable funds and ensure those funds are used responsibly. Through fund development, investment and disbursement, we prioritize your intentions and the wellbeing of our community.
Here are just a few of the ways the Community Foundation is your partner in charitable giving:
Community Knowledge
Our Program Team is responsible for leading our efforts in grantmaking and community investments. This requires engaging with nonprofit organizations and community leaders in order to stay up to date on needs, challenges and opportunities.
While all gifts through the Community Foundation must go to nonprofit organizations, our Program Officers provide another layer of due diligence to verify that those gifts will be used to benefit the community. Through background research, site visits and data collection, we work to be good stewards of your gifts, ensuring they are used efficiently and effectively.
When you give unrestricted gifts to the Community Foundation, you support our community’s greatest needs and opportunities. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis and are selected by committees of dedicated volunteers after a rigorous process of review, evaluation and discussion. Our staff and committee members use their knowledge and expertise to improve the quality of life in our community into the future.
Responsible Investment
Community foundations across the country are built on one powerful idea: sustainable giving that can respond to changing community needs. Besides expertise on local needs, this also requires responsible investment of assets.
Your gifts to the Community Foundation are managed by our Finance Team, an experienced Investment Committee and our investment consulting firm. The investment objective is to earn a return that allows significant grants to the community while maintaining the endowment’s future giving power.
At the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, we also work to stay on the leading edge of investment strategies. For example, our new Environmental, Social and Governance Pool supports our investment objectives while also considering the ethical implications of those investments. Through responsible and ethical investing, we maximize the good your gift can accomplish.
Honoring Your Intentions
Community foundations are built to last forever. That means supporting our community forever, but also honoring your intentions and maintaining your legacy forever. As we work to respond to changing community needs, we always keep in mind your intentions.
This commitment to you and your community is what makes a community foundation special. We understand that your gift is an investment in the community’s future, and we are here to safeguard your intentions and support your community.
