• January 24, 2008 - hosted by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation in West Des Moines
• April 24, 2008 - hosted by the Pella Rolscreen Foundation in Pella
• July 24, 2008 - hosted by Prairie Meadows in Altoona
• October 23, 2008 - hosted by the Claude and Dolly Ahrens Foundation and Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation in Grinnell

Iowa Council of Foundations' Board Leadership Announced

(Des Moines, Iowa)- The Iowa Council of Foundations (ICoF), a statewide membership association of grantmaking foundations, has announced its 2007- 2008 board of directors and officers.

Nancy Van Milligen, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, was elected president of the Iowa Council of Foundations and Matt McGarvey, director of The Wellmark Foundation, was elected vice president. Kathy Bradley, executive director of the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation was elected secretary and Mike Stoffregen, executive director of the Community Foundation of Johnson County, was elected as treasurer. Steve Schaaf, community investment director at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., will serve as past president.

Additional board members include Jerry Mathiasen, associate executive director of the Iowa West Foundation and Terry Hernandez, executive director of the Chrysalis Foundation.

Founded in 1998, the Iowa Council of Foundations promotes philanthropy and effective grantmaking in Iowa and serves as Iowa's Lead Philanthropic Entity. The ICoF members include family and private foundations, community/public foundations, and corporate foundations/giving programs that provide grants to charitable projects and programs in Iowa.

To learn more about the ICoF or to inquire about membership opportunities, please visit the website (www.IowaCouncilofFoundations.org) or call 515.537.6956.

Nancy Van Milligen, President	Matt McGarvey, Vice President	Kathy Bradley, Secretary	Mike Stoffregen, Treasurer
Terry Hernandez	Jerry Mathiasen	Photo Not Available Steve Schaaf, Past President

Angie Dethlefs-Trettin Named First Director

February 28, 2006

To: Iowa Council of Foundations
      - Members, Affiliates and Friends

From: Officers of the Iowa Council of Foundations/Director Search Committee

• Steve Schaaf - President
• Nancy Van Milligen - Vice President
• Sue Martin - Secretary
• Diane Rouse - Treasurer
• Laura Sauser - Immediate Past President
• Jerry Mathiasen - Immediate Past Vice President

Re: First Director for the Iowa Council of Foundations

It is with pleasure that the Officers for the Iowa Council of Foundations announce that Ms. Angie Dethlefs-Trettin has been confirmed to become the first full-time Director of the Council. Angie was selected from a field of candidates from across the country and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this position. Angie earned her B.A. degree from the University of Northern Iowa in Organizational Communication with minors in Nonprofit Youth Agency Administration and Leadership Studies and she is presently working on a Master of Arts degree in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Development. Angie's work experiences have included:

• Director of Outreach for the Community Foundation of Waterloo/Cedar Falls and NE Iowa
• Endow Iowa Coordinator for the Iowa Council of Foundations
• Director of Communication and Marketing for the Community Foundation of Waterloo/Cedar Falls and NE Iowa
• Project Assistant for Opportunity Works with the Community Foundation of Waterloo/Cedar Falls and NE Iowa
• Teen Trust Student Director for the Community Foundation of Waterloo/Cedar Falls and NE Iowa

In her new role, Angie will be responsible for the activities of the Council including strategic planning, program development and management, membership recruiting and retention, education and outreach for the purpose of supporting philanthropy in Iowa. In addition to her education and work experiences, Angie has been an active volunteer in numerous organizations that have philanthropy as a primary focus.

Angie will assume her duties on April 3, 2006 and will have her office in the Des Moines metro area. Angie's role will include support for philanthropy across the State of Iowa, and even nationally through the Iowa Council of Foundation's relationship with the National Council on Foundations.

Please direct any questions to Steve Schaaf (515.270.3915)

Iowa Foundations: Taking Care of Their Own

Below are some examples of programs developed and/or supported by various community and corporate foundations in Iowa. Of course these examples barely begin to touch on the incredible benefits of Iowa's foundations on our Iowa communities. For more information on the programs highlighted below, follow the links within the text. To contact any other Iowa foundations, visit the membership directory on our Membership Information page.

Iowa West Foundation

In 1997 the Iowa West Foundation developed the unique scholarship program, STARS (Scholarships and training for adult re-entry students), for low-income adults returning to school. A close collaboration between the Iowa West Foundation and the Pottawattamie County service community has worked together to remove financial barriers to adults returning to school.

The purpose of the STARS Scholarship is to assist adults in reaching their educational goals so they can achieve economic self-sufficiency for themselves and their families. An applicant's educational goals may include seeking a certificate, a diploma or a two-year degree at an accredited or VA approved school. Applicants must plan to attend school on a full-time basis to be considered for this scholarship. An important consideration of approval for the STARS program is that the applicant's career goal will lead to an adequate income to support a family.
Students who may be eligible for a STARS Scholarship are:

• Individuals who are low income, including those receiving assistance, who want to support themselves and their families
• Individuals who are parents and/or are under court supervision
• Individuals who have a high school diploma and have been away from school for an extended period of time and/or graduated with a GED
• Individuals residing in Pottawattamie County

Pella Rolscreen Foundation

In honor of its 50-year anniversary, Pella Rolscreen Foundation selected a program with lasting value by making training for Character Counts! available in the schools where it has Iowa operations. The project involves funding training for all teachers and staffs, with Pella Corporation team members serving as liaisons to classrooms using the program.

Community Foundation of Great River Bend

The Community Foundation of Great River Bend established its first Affiliate Fund in Geneseo, Illinois - the Geneseo Is For Tomorrow (GIFT) Fund. Affiliate Funds allow a community to obtain additional support from individuals and groups for its activities and programs.

The Community Foundation also developed a youth philanthropy program called Teens for Tomorrow. The program is designed to inspire and empower young people, utilize their energy and insight, and provide them with real-life experiences in philanthropy. At the heart of this program are activities for youth to learn about and actively practice philanthropy. Teens identify community needs and are provided the resources to act on them - to become a part of the solution. The Teens for Tomorrow Board is comprised of 15-20 teenagers from area high schools and youth-serving organizations throughout the Quad Cities, representing the broad diversity of the area. This program will provide authentic opportunities for young people to develop skills and knowledge that will make them better students and citizens in the present and increase the chances that they will continue to play active roles in the community in the future.

Wellmark Foundation

Wellmark Foundation Announces New Priority Areas for 2004 Grants

The Wellmark Foundation is changing its focus of giving to the following areas in 2004:

• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Heart failure and cardiovascular risk factors
• Major depression
• End-of-life care (with an emphasis on pain control)

Why the change?

The Wellmark Foundation (www.wellmark.com) has encouraged proposals that measurably decreased the number of community members suffering from illness or improved the health status of individuals afflicted with acute or chronic diseases. "We now want to build on the successes of this direction and enhance our grant-making program to embrace a national call to action being put forth by the Institute of Medicine," explained Dr. Sheila Riggs, executive director of the Foundation.

"We believe our new priority areas represent an excellent and focused starting point for our work because they come from a national call to action that represents a look at the full spectrum of health from preventive and acute care to chronic disease management, to long-term and palliative care at the end of life," said Riggs. "It is our hope that progress in the quality of care in these areas will lead to changes in the underlying systems that support care of individuals with their community."

The Foundation will continue offering technical assistance and community planning. It will also support the United Ways in both states.

"The Wellmark Foundation is part of Iowa and South Dakota and will continue to support the initiatives that are working to improve the health of the residents of both states," said Riggs.

The Wellmark Foundation has provided nearly $6.73 million to fund 145 health-related grants in Iowa and South Dakota since 1997, including $771,756 so far this year. In addition, the Foundation has provided more than $1.7 million to United Way organizations in both states since 1997.

For more information on these areas of change, please visit www.wellmark.com.