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Debbie Hubbell
Good afternoon, and welcome to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines’ Annual Celebration Luncheon. We’re so glad you’re here and would invite you to begin eating. Please know that any leftover meals from today’s program will be rescued by Supply Hive and redistributed to support our Des Moines neighbors facing food insecurity.
I’m Debbie Hubbell, and I’m honored to serve as the board chair of the Community Foundation. On behalf of our board of directors and staff team, thank you for joining us to celebrate how we make our community better together. Whether you’re a fund holder, nonprofit partner, professional advisor, engaged community citizen or friend of the Community Foundation - you are part of what makes our community so special.
Today is about taking time to pause and recognize what’s possible when people come together with generosity, purpose and a shared commitment to something bigger than themselves. With that in mind, let’s take a moment to recognize some of the people in the room who help bring that vision to life.
First, I’d like to offer appreciation to the leaders who help guide the organization: our board of directors, our committee members and our marketing and professional advisors’ councils. Could you all please stand and be recognized for the critical role you play in helping further our mission!
The next group I would like to extend a special welcome to and recognize are those that serve the public - our elected officials, dignitaries and our active-duty or retired police officers, first-responders, military and veterans. I invite you to stand and be recognized. Thank you for your service to our community, state and country.
If you would like to follow today’s program, on your table numbers and the screens, there is a QR code that points to a full transcript of today’s event.
Before we begin the program, we invite you to enjoy the music of the Belin Quartet followed by a special performance of our renowned Ballet Des Moines in partnership with the Belin Quartet. We’re in for a special artistic treat.
Again, thank you for being here today to celebrate community.
Performance by the Belin Quartet and Ballet Des Moines
Kristi Knous
Please help me recognize and thank Ballet Des Moines and the Belin Quartet for that illustration of beauty and art. What we just experienced is a powerful reminder of what can happen when creativity and collaboration come together to create something meaningful. Thank you for sharing your talents with us!
Good afternoon. I am Kristi Knous and I’m honored to serve as president of your Community Foundation. I’m so pleased you’ve joined us today in celebration of community.
Every day we have the opportunity to witness something extraordinary – people and organizations choosing to weave together community a little tighter. In moments when our fabric can feel tested, Iowans continue to show what it means to care deeply and act boldly. We lean in. We reach out. We collaborate. That’s what today is about. Our communities – how we build, strengthen and sustain them, now and for generations to come.
And that kind of work doesn’t happen on its own. It takes people – thoughtful leadership, trusted partners and a team committed to showing up every day. You heard our board chair Debbie Hubbell recognize our visionary board of directors; they truly are just that – visionary. I am equally thankful for our committed, expert staff, as they work tirelessly to carry out that vision to grow giving, make connections that count, build our nonprofits, or as we choose to call it, our for-impact sector, and serve as the trusted steward of your charitable assets. Our talented team is here today, and I’d ask any member of the Community Foundation local or affiliate team to stand and be recognized for your impact on our community and state. I know I speak for the team when I say, it is our sincere honor to serve our communities as your Community Foundation.
At the Community Foundation, we help turn passion into impact. We work with donors who give so generously and thoughtfully to the causes they care about. We partner with nonprofits – our for-impact sector – so they have the tools and resources to drive meaningful change. And we collaborate with leaders across our region to help move visionary ideas to impact and action.
This work doesn’t always happen in the spotlight. Often, it’s behind the scenes – bringing people together, setting the convening table and asking the right questions to find a path forward.
And it shows up in so many ways – strengthening nonprofit organizations, investing in bold ideas and responding to the needs and opportunities that shape our community. Let’s take a look at that impact and action.
Strengthening the Sector video
Lynne Yontz and Gerry Neugent
Lynne – That’s what our everyday work looks like – showing up as a partner, bringing people together and helping move our community forward through meaningful connections. I’m Lynne Yontz, chief charitable giving officer for the Community Foundation.
Gerry – And I’m Gerry Neugent, board treasurer. When we think about connection, it comes down to relationships.
Lynne – Our charitable giving team has the honor of sitting down with individuals, families and businesses – listening, learning and helping them think through their charitable giving goals.
Gerry – The Community Foundation team is also helping support professional advisors – connecting charitable giving with the financial and estate plans of their generous clients.
Lynne – And whether those conversations are happening around a conference table or a kitchen table, they often start in the same way. With a simple question, ‘Where do I begin?’
Gerry – Sometimes those questions come at a pivotal moment – selling a business, planning for the future or thinking about the legacy you want to leave.
Lynne – Our role is to help navigate that path. To connect people to the causes they care about, and with the right tools and strategies, support them to make a meaningful difference.
Gerry – Because it’s not just about giving. It’s about giving with purpose, and in a way that reflects what matters most.
Lynne – And over time, those decisions become something more. They become part of a story.
Gerry – A story shaped by personal experiences, by family, by the people and moments that stay with us.
Lynne – That’s what we get to witness every day – the joy of giving and the impact it creates across our community.
Gerry – And it’s those connections that inspire us. Not just to give, but to give with intention.
Lynne – And to create something that lasts beyond this moment in time.
Gerry – We’re honored today to share one of those stories with you now.
Your Experts in Giving video
Angie Dethlefs-Trettin and Susan Fitzsimmons
Angie – Stories, like Kent and Stacey Lehrs' stay with you. They remind us that behind every act of generosity, there’s a person, a family, a moment that helped shape it – and a desire to make a difference for others. Hello, I’m Angie Dethlefs-Trettin, chief community impact officer for the Community Foundation.
Susan - And I am Susan Fitzsimmons, board secretary. Stories like Stacey’s are deeply personal, and they’re also part of something bigger.
Angie – Because when you begin with those personal moments and bring people together around shared values and a shared vision, that’s where real change begins to take shape.
Susan – And as much as we’d love to say it all happens seamlessly...
Angie – It usually takes a few conversations.
Susan – A few partners.
Angie – And maybe just a few calendar invites...
Susan – Well, maybe more than a few.
Angie – Okay, a LOT of calendar invites.
Susan – And maybe follow-up meetings to the meetings.
Angie – Well, that’s the work.
Susan – And it’s work worth doing. At the Community Foundation, we strengthen the nonprofit sector – providing resources, building connections and creating space for collaboration. We come alongside them to celebrate their role in creating a vibrant and thriving community.
Angie – We are proud to have welcomed more than 1,100 nonprofit staff, board and community members to our campus in 2025. The C3 Center has been a hub of connection, collaboration and community - yes, our three C’s - and its impact continues to grow and provide for a strong nonprofit sector and the betterment of all in our community.
Susan – Nonprofit organizations are often at the center of community – working tirelessly to strengthen the places we call home. Today, we would like to recognize those joining us from our region’s nonprofit organizations, the for-impact sector.
Angie – You make our community strong. You are changemakers. You inspire us to keep moving forward. And you continue to braid connection, stability and hope for our region. Please join me in gratitude as we recognize these critical and amazing for-impact professionals!
Susan – All of us here today can be a force for good, a catalyst for change and a beacon of hope. Whether supporting a cause important to you or joining with others to support the Better Together Fund, we all have the power and capacity to transform our community through giving.
Angie – The Better Together Fund is an opportunity for all who love Greater Des Moines to invest in our region’s most critical issues and initiatives for future generations. It is a savings account for our community – so that we can respond to emerging needs as they arise and continue to strengthen Greater Des Moines.
Susan – Better Together Fund grantmaking cultivates innovative approaches and creative solutions. Just in 2025, nearly $2.9 million was activated from the Better Together Fund. And it continues to bring us together, working across sectors, to provide a better quality of life for all.
Angie – Because collaboration isn’t just a strategy.
Susan – It’s how this community comes together to find solutions to the pressing needs and promising opportunities for today and tomorrow.
Angie – We’re proud to partner with organizations and businesses who share that same commitment to better together.
Fueling Community Together video
Kristi Knous
When people come together in community, and when connections turn into collaboration, something even more lasting begins to take shape. At the Community Foundation, we often talk about what it means to leave something enduring - something that reflects not just what we care about today, but what we hope for tomorrow.
Legacy isn’t just about what we leave behind. It’s about the choices we make now. The investments we make in people, in possibility and in the places we call home. And we have found that what drives people to make a lasting difference can be the very community they live in.
I am so blessed to have the opportunity to host the Community Foundation’s podcast. On Legacy Leavers, we sit down with remarkable individuals who have a history of using their influence, vision and resources to leave a lasting legacy in our community and beyond.
I hope you enjoy these conversations as much as I have!
Leaving a Legacy - highlights from Legacy Leavers video
As we celebrate those leaving a legacy for tomorrow, we also pause to reflect on the accomplishments of 2025 and what is to come. The passions and values of the people in this region are the threads that hold us together. Strong communities start with a strong foundation, woven through shared effort, compassion and the belief that we lift each other up. Thank you for continuing to show up and for trusting us as your charitable giving partner.
Due to the generosity of donors who partner with the Community Foundation, a record-high, nearly $100 million was distributed from charitable giving funds held at the Community Foundation to over 2,900 nonprofit organizations last year - that’s a nearly 20% increase over the year before. The meaningful part of that number is that the vast majority of that $100 million is dedicated to charitable causes right here in Iowa.
And more than $105 million was contributed last year to the over 2,700 charitable giving funds we administer; charitable gifts to this enduring support and greater giving moving forward. In case you're curious, the giving and granting that we love to see equated to 31,000 transactions behind the scenes! That giving and granting happened throughout the 46 counties and communities we serve locally and throughout our affiliate network; all a part of the over $1.2 billion in charitable assets under administration through YOUR Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines.
None of the charitable impact we shepherd is possible without your exceptional generosity and caring for our community. On behalf of our board and staff, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude.
It simply would not be possible without each of you and your shared belief that supporting the causes you care about is simply the right thing to do and makes forever impact on our region and our state. We are so incredibly grateful. Serving as the steward of your charitable giving funds and providing you with personalized solutions to meet your giving goals is an absolute honor. By choosing your Community Foundation, you are supporting the important leadership work and charitable giving stewardship you’ve heard about today, and much more.
In closing, please note that your table floral arrangements will be repurposed to brighten the day of older adults and military veterans who receive WesleyLife’s Meals on Wheels.
You will find our staff at the exits with our new annual report. In the report, you can find stories of impact and generosity in action. If you are reading the stories at home later and are inspired to have a conversation about how you can make a difference, please reach out to us. We are here for you.
You’ll also see our team with cookies from women-owned businesses at the exit to make your day a little sweeter. Finally, we would encourage you to capture the spirit of today at our photo booth as you leave.
To close our time together, I’m absolutely honored to welcome my dear friend, Emmett Phillips, an artist and team member at Oakridge Neighborhood’s Oak Studios - a Better Together Fund Leadership Grant recipient.
Through his work at Oakridge Neighborhood and beyond, Emmett helps young people find their voice, build confidence and see new possibilities for their future—reminding us what it truly means to be Better Together.
Better Together Forever Performance
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