Ellen Gaffney Scholarship Fund Established with Buchanan County Community Foundation

Buchanan County Community Foundation

July 9, 2021

The Ellen Gaffney Scholarship Fund has been established with the Buchanan County Community Foundation. The fund will support the Ellen Gaffney Scholarship which will benefit students obtaining higher education who reside in Buchanan County, demonstrate financial need and who have been gainfully employed during high school.

Ellen Gaffney is a long-time Buchanan County resident who served as a Buchanan County Supervisor for 28 years; the only female to serve in this capacity for Buchanan County, to-date.

Some of Gaffney’s notable accomplishments include being instrumental in getting the bond issue passed for the new Buchanan County Law Enforcement Center, providing self-funded insurance for Buchanan County employees, being a founding member of the Buchanan County Economic Development Commission and being instrumental in bringing rural water to residents of Buchanan County.

Gaffney’s love of humankind, volunteering and efforts to advance the greater good align with her personal life, too. Gaffney served in a volunteer capacity for numerous organizations including the Buchanan County Community Foundation governing committee. Gaffney’s first-hand experience seeing the impacts being made in the community through the work of the Foundation and her passion for continuing education is what led her to establish the scholarship fund.

“It is my desire that Buchanan County students have the opportunity to further their education and become leaders in their community,” said Gaffney. “The scholarship fund with the Community Foundation is a secure way to ensure my wishes will be carried out for the benefit of future students.”

The Buchanan County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa which is confirmed in compliance with national standards for U.S. community foundations, was selected to hold the fund because of its experience with managing scholarships in Iowa. Additionally, donations to endowed funds with a qualified community foundation, like the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, are eligible for a 25% state tax credit on the total value of the gift through the Endow Iowa Tax Credit Program. All qualified donors can carry forward the tax credit for up to five years after the year the donation was made. More information about Endow Iowa can be found at www.cfneia.org/endowiowa.

Gifts to the Ellen Gaffney Scholarship Fund can be made online at fund.cfneia.org/gaffney-scholarship. Gifts of cash/check and stock are accepted through the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, 3117 Greenhill Circle, Cedar Falls, IA, 50613, which is the administrative office of the Buchanan County Community Foundation. Checks should be made payable to the Ellen Gaffney Scholarship Fund.

For questions about the fund, contact Terry Gaumer, affiliate development director with the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, at (319) 243-1354 or tgaumer@cfneia.org.

More information about the Buchanan County Community Foundation can be found at www.buchananccf.org.