Community Foundation Celebrates a Record-Breaking Year for Charitable Giving
Feb 10, 2020
The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines is celebrating a record-breaking year for charitable giving in 2019 with over $51.4 million in grants made to more than 2,160 charitable causes from charitable giving funds at the Community Foundation. This tremendous success ensures philanthropic support of the community and state for generations to come.
2019 Achievements
· A record-record breaking level of giving of over $51.4 million in grants were made in 2019 from charitable giving funds held at the Community Foundation and through the Community Foundation’s Better Together Fund.
· Over $78.7 million in gifts were made by donors to Community Foundation charitable giving funds in 2019, the highest level of giving to charitable giving funds in the organization’s 50-year history. This includes the Community Foundation’s network of 39 affiliate community foundations served across the state who facilitated more than $17.4 million in gifts and a record-breaking $8.9 million in grants.
· The Community Foundation’s assets under administration grew to over $658 million as of December 31, 2019.
· 142 new charitable giving funds were established with the Community Foundation for a total of 2,038 funds under administration.
· The Community Foundation invested a record-breaking $650,000 in initiatives and opportunities strengthening Greater Des Moines through six Leadership Grants supported by the Community Foundation’s Better Together Fund. Initiatives supported in 2019 include:
Blank Park Zoo Foundation – Supported the construction of the ZooPlex Multipurpose Event Center
By Degrees Foundation – Extended the Dreamer Academy model to North High School
Community Youth Concepts – Developed a high and low ropes course
Easterseals Iowa – Supported the building of a new, enhanced Child Development Center
Great Outdoors Foundation – Supported the Central Iowa Water Trails project
Orchard Place – Supported development of Reach Out Youth: Mental Health Crisis Solutions for Kids
· Over 530 individuals attended a Community Foundation training in 2019 to build their skill sets as nonprofit staff or board members.
· The Community Foundation served a record 30 Nonprofit Accounting Service clients in 2019.
“The record-breaking giving through the Community Foundation showcases the generosity of our community. It also indicates to us that we are fulfilling our mission to promote charitable giving, connect donors with causes they care about and provide leadership on important community issues,” says Kristi Knous, Community Foundation president. “The over $78.7 million invested in charitable giving funds at the Community Foundation in 2019 is a testament to the charitable spirit of Iowans and their ongoing commitment to improving quality of life in our state. Even more inspiring is the over $51.4 million in grants made from charitable giving funds at the Community Foundation in 2019. We are privileged to assist donors in making meaningful investments in the causes they care about.”
“Investments in the Community Foundation are investments in the continued success of our community,” says Dr. Richard Deming, board chair. “This makes the successes of the organization in 2019 all the more significant. Each gift and grant represent an investment in critical issues, initiatives and needs for generations to come.”
According to Knous, “While the record-breaking giving through the Community Foundation in 2019 is deserving of celebration, it is the stories of impact each dollar gifted or granted represents that paints the full picture of our work. Thank you to the donors and communities we serve for allowing us to be a partner in your charitable giving story. Through collaboration quality of life is improving; we are truly better together.”