Kossuth County Community Foundation
The Kossuth County Community Foundation is committed to making good things happen in Kossuth County. The purpose of the Kossuth County Community Foundation is threefold:
- To provide services to donors with charitable intent, enabling them to give in planned, significant, and permanent ways;
- To manage the funds contributed with the goals of preserving them safely, ensuring their steady growth in the face of inflation, and generating income from them for distribution to charitable entities;
- To stimulate private philanthropy in the community. Through support of non-profit agencies (the “Third Sector”), the Kossuth County Community Foundation enhances the quality of life for all who live, work in, and love Kossuth County.
Mission
The mission of the Kossuth County Community Foundation is to:
- Respond to the current and future charitable needs of Kossuth County;
- Secure and serve as the custodian of endowment funds contributed by many donors; and
- Create other mechanisms which will channel charitable money, goods, and services to meet community needs.
Philosophy
We believe that we must protect, nurture, and nourish the uniqueness of Kossuth County – the diversity of its race and culture, the richness of its artistic expression and appreciation, and the beauty and quality of its natural resources – so that all may enjoy the quality of life both now, and in perpetuity.
We are committed to:
Human and community development
Wise and thoughtful distribution of the resources entrusted to us; and
Prudent investment of the funds entrusted to us.
We serve as a neutral, nonpartisan third party convener to examine and determine community needs and facilitate development of solutions to community problems.
We respect the trust and intent of our donors as we maintain the integrity of our philanthropic purpose.
History
In 2004, a small group of Kossuth County citizens started meeting with the goal of establishing a county wide community foundation. This organizational group conducted research to determine the wants, needs and dreams of Kossuth County citizens and organizations, and subsequently submitted an application to establish the Kossuth County Community Foundation. The committee was formally organized, elected officers, and approved policies and guidelines for the operation of the foundation.
In 2005, following a lengthy review process, the new Kossuth County Community Foundation received state and national level approval. The Foundation then elected to become affiliated with the Community Foundation of Waterloo/Cedar Falls and Northeast Iowa for administrative, investment, banking, auditing and other services but retained the option to provide its own services in the future. We like to think that our Affiliate does all the work, and the Kossuth County Community Foundation Committee makes all the decisions, including the awarding of grants in our county.
Committee
- Carol Heesch, Chair
- Ken Andrews
- Pat Berte
- Trudy Blome
- Louis Bormann
- Kristie Brown, Ex-Officio
- Shelly Brown
- Jonathan Chambers
- Shannon Goche
- Eric Goodman
- Donald Hansen
- David Harner
- Karen Knapp
- Crysti Neuman
- Gregg Stewart
- Kelly Tigges
Ready to apply?
Review the grant application basics.