Rise to the Challenge: 2020 Impact Report
May 28, 2021
Dear Friends and Partners,
We rise to the challenge. In a year like no other in our lifetime, we were called to rise to meet new and renewed challenges. We endured, and continue to navigate, the COVID-19 pandemic. We engaged in and committed to joining the call for racial equity. All while continuing to enrich our communities without losing sight of our long-term vision of creating a vibrant region of thriving people. It was a challenging year and a year full of learning, but together we rose to the occasion, and we continue to rise.
The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa is proud to be part of the “we” in these actions but is even more honored to be a partner to all those who acted with strength, purpose, and compassion. Our donor partners, nonprofit partners, and community partners have been critical to our ability to learn, adapt, and respond. You are all heroes and leaders in your communities and in our mission.
Nonprofits across our region were tested but showed resilience, expertise, and grit to not only survive but, in many cases, maintain and even increase services. They did this not because it was easy but because it is the heart and soul of their very existence. They reminded us and the communities they serve that they are essential to creating places where all people can find support and thrive. CFNEIA is honored to have been able to grant over $6.4 million in 2020 to support our nonprofit partners.
None of our work would be possible without ongoing support from our donor partners, whose continued contributions to various funds have led to a milestone fundraising year. We welcomed many new donor partners and established 54 new funds to address current and future community needs. Your overwhelming generosity has given us the ability to allocate funds immediately to nonprofits serving community members directly impacted by the pandemic and maintain our endowment so we can respond to the current and long-term needs of our region.The Community Foundation relied on and strengthened community relationships and forged new ones to help our region recover and keep moving forward in the face of historical hardships. Our relationship with our Black Hawk County funding partners and affiliate volunteers led to unprecedented cooperation to support COVID-19 response efforts with grants totaling nearly $550,000.
Along with the outpouring of generosity, and despite market volatility, CFNEIA’s total assets increased to $133.5 million. This increase demonstrates our commitment to provide long-term, risk-managed returns for our diverse portfolio. The Community Foundation is built for forever and because of the generosity of so many and outstanding fiscal oversight, we reached a major milestone in 2020, granting over $101 million over our 64-year history.
Because of these powerful relationships, built on trust, accountability, and shared values, we have risen to the challenges of 2020, and we will continue to rely on these relationships to lead us, inform us, and support our work into the future. There is much left to do to help our communities heal. Thank you for your partnership. Because of you, we can continue to serve our communities’ needs today while building a better tomorrow for all who call our region home. Thank you for rising with us.
In Grateful Partnership,
Kaye Englin, President & CEO Pat Monat, Chair, Board of Directors
This letter is part of our 2020 Impact Report.
