Community Foundations Take Time—But Worth the Effort

“In 1949 seven community-minded leaders established the Foundation. It experienced only modest growth for the first 23 years. In 1972, however, the Foundation received its first significant bequest from the estate of Minnie Rubek, a cleaning lady employed by a local utility company, valued at more than $300,000.” From that very slow and very modest beginning The Great Cedar Rapids Community Foundation has grown to over $30 million in assets. This past year it gave out $2.3 million in grants and scholarships to several hundred non-profit organizations and scholars.

Granted, Cedar Rapids is larger than my typical agurb®, with a population of 120,000, but what is happening in Cedar Rapids is occurring in many other communities across the USA. I’ve found that generally the more progressive the community, the more vibrant their community foundation is in the community. They are a great way to perpetuate a legacy of good for small towns.

Cedar Rapids sends me their annual report. If you have a community foundation, please send me information about what you are doing. I’d like to write about more of them as I see them as a key foundational pillar for stronger communities.