Guy Johnson Memorial Fund Established with Winneshiek County Community Foundation, $1M Fund Goal

Winneshiek County Community Foundation

July 7, 2022

To support charitable activities of the Winneshiek Medical Center, the Guy Johnson Memorial Endowment Fund has been established with the Winneshiek County Community Foundation with a $1 million fund goal. Gifts to the fund will be utilized to support areas of greatest need within the medical center, although priority consideration will be given to diabetes, Parkinson's disease and health-related education.

“The establishment of the Guy Johnson Memorial Endowment Fund represents the strong legacy of Guy in all of his endeavors,” said Holly Kanengieter, foundation coordinator for the Winneshiek Medical Center. “Prior to his passing, Guy shared a personal goal of his which was to give the Winneshiek Medical Center Foundation a million dollars. To fulfill his wishes, we are working to meet this goal and his legacy will continue through this fund to support healthier communities.”

To date, the endowment has half of its goal. Distribution of the funds will not be allocated until the million dollars is reached.

Guy Johnson, a brilliant pianist, passed away on July 29, 2019. Throughout his life, he performed, taught and inspired his friends and students. He led a long and successful career in both music and business and encouraged his students to do the same.

The Guy Johnson Memorial Endowment Fund is among two other established funds to support the Winneshiek Medical Foundation in building upon the great health care received at Winneshiek Medical Center and to help individuals, families and friends be prepared to deal with a variety of health issues. The Winneshiek Medical Center Foundation Endowment Fund supports the Winneshiek Medical Center in providing continued quality healthcare. The Winneshiek Medical Center Foundation Quasi-Endowment Fund also supports the charitable activities of the Winneshiek Medical Center Foundation and is professionally managed and invested to grow over time, allowing increased flexibility to access funds when needed.

Online gifts can be made to the Guy Johnson Memorial Endowment Fund at fund.cfneia.org/guyjohnson. Gifts can also be made online to the Winneshiek Medical Center Foundation Endowment Fund and to the Winneshiek Medical Center Foundation Quasi-Endowment Fund by searching for these funds at cfneia.org/findafund. Gifts of cash, check and stock are also accepted through the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, 3117 Greenhill Circle, Cedar Falls, IA, 50613, which is the administrative office of the Winneshiek County Community Foundation.

In addition to federal deductions for charitable giving, donations to endowed funds with a qualified community foundation may be 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 cfneia.org/endowiowa.

Questions about giving may be directed to Terry Gaumer, affiliate development director with the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, at 319-243-1354 or tgaumer@cfneia.org.

More information about Guy Johnson and the Winneshiek Medical Center Foundation can be found at winmedical.org/donate/wmc-foundation.

More information about the Winneshiek County Community Foundation can be found at winneshiekccf.org.