Community Foundation Celebrates Newly Completed Campus and C3 Center with Dedication

May 25, 2023

The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines celebrated its newly completed Campus and C3 Center with a dedication in the Catalyst Circle Courtyard on Wednesday, May 17. Supporters and community partners gathered to take part in the dedication through the planting of a tree in recognition of this exciting time of growth for the organization and the Greater Des Moines community. 

Community Foundation President Kristi Knous recalled being gathered in the same space as they broke ground on the Campus and C3 Center in May of 2022. “Today we have a much different view than we did last year, as our very bold vision for the future has been brought to life, thanks to the donors, partners, and supporters of this project,” she shared. “We are here to celebrate the three C’s of the C3 Center: Connection, Collaboration and Community. It took each of those elements to bring this project to life.”

The C3 Center at 1910 Ingersoll Ave is located directly behind the Community Foundation’s long-time home of the Finkbine at 1915 Grand Ave. It was previously owned by Tri-City Electric and has been transformed into a hub for the nonprofit and charitable giving sectors that includes space for meetings, trainings, and community convenings. The C3 Center also provides additional office space for Community Foundation staff and serves as a home for nonprofit tenants, including Lead DSM and The Directors Council. 

“The creation of the Community Foundation Campus and C3 Center will forever be a hinge moment in this organization’s history,” shared Community Foundation Board Chair, Franklin Codel. “The C3 Center is so much more than a building—it is a step forward in creating a space for more critical conversations, more education, more leadership, and more connection—and will serve as a hub for our community and its nonprofits for years to come.”

Planning for the project began in 2021 as the Community Foundation staff and board recognized the growing need for a versatile campus with the space and technology to be inclusive and responsive to all those served by the organization. As the Community Foundation has grown significantly in both service and size over the years, the C3 Center provides the space necessary to fulfill the organization’s mission, house its team of experts and meet the needs of the Greater Des Moines community today and for generations to come.

While the Campus and C3 Center have set the stage for the future, the project includes several nods to past leaders who had the foresight to create a Community Foundation to make Greater Des Moines not only better together, but better forever. The Catalyst Circle Courtyard connecting the Finkbine and C3 Center will soon be home to the Nature Sacred Contemplative Garden, generously provided by Nature Sacred and Kitty and Tom Stoner. Tom served as the founding board chair of the Community Foundation in 1969.

The Community Foundation’s first president, Monroe Colston, will be honored through the Monroe Colston Cornerstone Mural being completed on the east wall of the C3 Center by local artist ASPHATE and the Scarce Elementz Crew. Inside the C3 Center, the legacy and leadership of former Community Foundation presidents Johnny Danos and Barry Griswell are celebrated through Johnny D’s Kitchen and Barry’s Boardroom. Maddie’s Place Training Room is named after longtime community champion Maddie Levitt. 

The $4.4 million project was funded entirely through donors and close friends of the Community Foundation who generously supported the new hub for Connection, Collaboration and Community, bringing the tagline of “better together” to life.

The C3 Center is open for rentals to nonprofit and mission-aligned organizations as availability allows. Learn more.