CR Community Foundation Joins Philanthropic Leaders in Washington, D.C.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – April 5, 2012 – Les Garner, president and CEO of The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation (GCRCF), was part of a five-member delegation of the Iowa Council of Foundations and met with members of Iowa's Congressional Delegation in Washington, D.C. The meetings focused the impact of private investments in our community and why federal policies that support local philanthropic giving are critical to our region.

The meetings were part of an annual effort, Foundations on the Hill, attended by more than 200 community, private, and corporate foundation grantmaking representatives from across the country. These individuals traveled to the nation's capital to communicate philanthropy's value to federal lawmakers - and to show how the sector is using its financial resources to provide innovative solutions to some of the nation's most pressing social problems and helping communities recover from the recent economic downturn.

At this year's event, foundation representatives from Iowa shared examples of how philanthropy in Iowa has produced extraordinary results and affected change. Though 2012 is an election year - and expectations are low that Congress will achieve much in the next nine months - comprehensive reform of federal tax policies that affect the GCRCF's ability to serve our community is scheduled for 2013. One of the best-known policies being targeted by some in the nation's capital is the charitable tax deduction. Congressional cuts to the deduction could jeopardize support for much-needed community programs that improve public schools, make affordable health care available, retrain workers for potential jobs at in-demand industries, or feed and shelter people in our region during this critical period in our nation's economic recovery.

“The GCRCF joined its colleagues in the philanthropic sector in Washington, D.C. to share positive stories with Congress that the nonprofits and programs our grants support have helped to lead Cedar Rapids and Linn County through these difficult times, improve our residents' quality of life, and make our community a desirable place to live and work,” said Les Garner, president and CEO of the GCRCF.

To view photos from the event, please visit http://bit.ly/HjtP8k

The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation is a critical resource for Linn County, Iowa, by funding nonprofit activities in four essential areas: Arts and Culture, Community Development and the Environment, Education and Health and Human Services. With total assets of $113.5 million as of December 31, 2011, the mission of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation is to connect donors to the priorities they care about and to the needs of the community, to increase charitable giving and to provide leadership on important community issues. For more information, visit the organization's Web site at www.gcrcf.org. For good. For ever.

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Media Contact:

Amber Mulnik

amber.mulnik@gcrcf.org

319.366.2862