Ahrens Foundation to receive prestigious national award

For more than 20 years, the Council on Foundations has honored leaders in the field of philanthropy. To continue this tradition, the Council recently announced the family foundation recipient of the 2010 Critical Impact Award. The award will be presented at the Council’s Family Philanthropy Conference: Sea Change: Redefining Family Philanthropy, January 31 to February 2 in San Diego.

The winner, the Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation, is being honored for its Community Support Services (CSS) program, which aims to build capacity and promote collaboration among the local nonprofit community by optimizing back-office support operations and create efficiencies through shared staff and administrative functions, thus strengthening the missions of nonprofits to help improve the quality of life for the community.

“We are extremely honored and humbled to receive this award.  To be recognized by the Council on Foundations and among our national peer foundations is extraordinary.  Our Community Support Services program was designed to positively impact our nonprofit community on a local scale but our story and unique business model among the foundation and nonprofit sector has evolved onto the national scene.  We are attracting not only the attention of the Council on Foundations but presently many other national organizations and foundations as well which is pretty incredible,” states Julie Gosselink, president and CEO of the Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation.

“Collaboration is an effective tool to increase the impact of one’s giving. Today with the increasing partnerships between the public, private and philanthropic sectors, the Ahrens Foundation is setting a standard for promoting such collaboration, while also enhancing efficiency and impact,” said Steve Gunderson, president and CEO of the Council on Foundations.

The Critical Impact Award was created in 2006 by Gunderson to honor grantmakers who have supported innovative leadership, bold visions, and significant impact in advancing the common good through effective grantmaking, which can serve as a model for others in philanthropy. The award will be presented during the breakfast plenary session on Tuesday, February 2, from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m.

Since 2006, the Ahrens Park Foundation and the Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation and its "umbrella" of affiliated organizations, capital campaign drives, and funds have benefited from the Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation’s Community Support Services grant program.  A list of current affiliates include:
Communities for Literate Iowa Kids (CLIK program)
Community Education Council
Drake Community Library capital campaign
Grinnell Mutual Aquatic Center capital campaign
Grinnell High School Alumni Association
Grinnell High School capital campaign expansion
Grinnell-Newburg Dollars for Scholars
Grinnell-Newburg Educational Excellence
Imagine Grinnell
Iowa Transportation Museum endowment
Kids Against Hunger

McDowell Bridge restoration campaign
Poweshiek County Empowerment

            The Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation is governed by Gosselink as board chair, Susan Witt as vice-president, Shannon Fitzgerald as secretary/treasurer, David Clay, and Chad Ahrens.  Fitzgerald also serves as CFO/Controller for the Foundation and Melissa Hull is the Foundation’s administrative assistant.

Kelcy's