What Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation does

Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) public community foundation founded in 1949 (originally as the Community Welfare Foundation, rebranded in 1992) that stewards $261 million in total assets across 1,109 charitable funds for the benefit of Linn County, Iowa. The foundation serves four primary constituencies: individual/family donors seeking tax-efficient charitable giving vehicles; 501(c)(3) nonprofits applying for competitive grants; professional advisors (attorneys, accountants, financial advisors) who recommend funds to clients; and corporate partners establishing structured philanthropy programs. In 2025, it awarded $13 million across 644 nonprofits and has granted $218 million since inception.

The foundation's operational stack centers on three digital platforms: GOfund (a 24/7 online portal for fund holders to manage balances, view statements, and recommend grants), GOapply (an online grant management system for nonprofit applicants), and the Nonprofit Giving Center (a searchable hub connecting donors to funds, organizations, and causes). Its service portfolio includes Donor-Advised Funds ($10,000 minimum; Prairie Fund option from $2,500), five competitive grant programs (Program Support, Organization Support, Endowment Challenge, Linn County, and Rapid Response), a Revolving Loan Fund ($2,500-$25,000 via ECICOG), endowment services, scholarship programs, and the William Quarton Heritage Society for planned-giving recognition. The foundation also delivers capacity-building via the Nonprofit Network (peer groups, learning cohorts, Nonprofit Know-How trainings) and administers Iowa's 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit on qualified gifts.

Revenue is generated through three streams: charitable contributions and gifts (cash, securities, real estate, retirement assets, cryptocurrency); investment returns on the endowed asset pool; and recurring administrative fees on fund management. Distribution occurs through competitive grant cycles, donor-advised fund recommendations, and the revolving loan program, with grants ranging from $3,000 (Rapid Response) to $30,000 (Program/Organization Support). The foundation is governed by a volunteer board of directors and operates with no parent company.

Name

Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation

Legal name

Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation

Website

https://gcrcf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 1949 that stewards $261 million across 1,109 charitable funds, awarding $13 million in grants in 2025 to 644 nonprofits serving Linn County, Iowa. It provides donor-advised funds, competitive grants, revolving loans, and capacity-building services to individual donors, nonprofits, professional advisors, and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Philanthropy Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

• Community philanthropy
• Charitable fund management
• Donor-advised funds
• Nonprofit grantmaking
• Endowment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Charitable Contributions and Gifts: The foundation receives charitable gifts from donors in the form of cash, securities, real estate, retirement assets, cryptocurrency, and other assets to establish donor-advised funds, endowed funds, and other giving vehicles.
2. Investment Returns on Endowment Assets: Endowed funds held at the Community Foundation are invested to preserve and enhance value while allowing for regular distributions. Investment returns support ongoing grantmaking.
3. Administrative Fees on Funds: The foundation charges administrative fees for fund management, which fund their operations. Fee information is available upon request for different fund types.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public community foundation that stewards philanthropic assets for donors and awards grants to nonprofits in Linn County, Iowa. It operates donor-advised funds, endowed funds, competitive grant programs, a revolving loan fund, and capacity-building programs for the nonprofit sector. The Foundation manages over 1,100 charitable funds with $261 million in total assets and uses online portals (GOfund for fund holders, GOapply for grant applicants) to facilitate giving.

Product overview

The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation operates as a philanthropic services organization rather than a traditional technology product company. Its offerings center on charitable fund management and nonprofit support services. The primary digital platforms include GOfund (an online donor portal for fund holders to manage accounts, view statements, and recommend grants) and GOapply (an online grant management system for nonprofits to submit applications and reports). Core services encompass Donor-Advised Funds with a Prairie Fund starter option, Competitive Grant Programs (Program Support, Organization Support, Endowment Challenge, Linn County, and Rapid Response grants), a Revolving Loan Fund for nonprofits, and the Nonprofit Giving Center (a searchable charitable giving hub). Additional offerings include the Nonprofit Network for professional development with peer groups and learning cohorts, Scholarship Programs for students, and the Greater Good Fund for unrestricted grantmaking. The organization also facilitates planned giving through the William Quarton Heritage Society and administers the Endow Iowa Tax Credit Program. These services are designed to strengthen Linn County through philanthropy by connecting donors to community needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor-Advised Funds Flexible charitable giving vehicles allowing donors to contribute assets, receive tax deductions, grow investments over time, and recommend grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations. Minimum to establish is $10,000.
• Prairie Fund A pathway program allowing donors to open a fund with an initial gift of $2,500 and make regular contributions over five years, converting to a named fund when the balance reaches $10,000.
• Competitive Grant Programs Multiple competitive grant programs including Program Support Grants (up to $30,000), Organization Support Grants (up to $30,000), Endowment Challenge Grants ($25,000 with match requirement), Linn County Grants (up to $10,000), and Rapid Response Grants (up to $3,000).
• Revolving Loan Fund A low-interest loan program providing $2,500 to $25,000 loans to nonprofit organizations headquartered and operating in Linn County, administered in partnership with the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG).
• Nonprofit Network A capacity-building initiative connecting nonprofit professionals through peer groups, resources, professional development workshops, and learning cohorts to strengthen the nonprofit sector in Linn County.
• Scholarship Programs Scholarship programs providing financial assistance to students in Linn County, including named scholarship funds with specific eligibility criteria managed through the Community Foundation.
• Endowment Services Services helping nonprofit organizations establish and grow endowment funds for long-term financial sustainability and permanent income sources.
• Greater Good Fund An unrestricted fund supporting the community's evolving and unanticipated needs, empowering the Community Foundation to address Linn County's most pressing challenges and emerging opportunities.
• GOfund A secure online portal providing fund holders 24/7 access to manage their charitable funds, review balances and gift history, track grant-making activity, view statements, make donations, and recommend grants from donor-advised funds.
• GOapply An online grant management system enabling nonprofit organizations to submit grant applications, check application status, review grant histories, and submit final reports through a centralized digital platform.
• William Quarton Heritage Society A recognition society honoring donors who have made permanent gifts to the Community Foundation through endowed funds or planned giving arrangements, celebrating philanthropy that supports the community in perpetuity.
• Endow Iowa Tax Credit Program An Iowa state income tax credit program providing a 25% tax credit for gifts to qualified charitable causes, in addition to federal charitable deductions, administered by the Community Foundation.
• Nonprofit Giving Center A charitable giving hub that allows donors to search and support funds, organizations, or causes by category, enabling philanthropy across areas including animals, arts, children, civil rights, community improvement, education, environment, health, and human services.

Quantifiable outcome

• $261 million in total assets under management
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• United Way of East Central IowaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Co-hosting a free screening of the film UnCharitable at the Bijou Movie Theater in Mount Vernon. Partnership for community education on philanthropy.
• Southeast Linn Community CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Partner in hosting the UnCharitable film screening event for community education.
• East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership to administer the Revolving Loan Fund for local nonprofits. ECICOG manages loan applications and disbursements while the Community Foundation provides capital from its Community Investment Fund. Loans of $2,500-$25,000 are available for nonprofits headquartered and operating in Linn County.
• Cedar Rapids Public LibraryminorOthersLocal resource partner providing access to Foundation Center Online (grants database), free online training, and nonprofit resource section through the Metro Library Network.
• Linn Area Partners Active In Disaster (LAP-AID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration of nonprofits, government agencies, and community partners for disaster preparation, response, and recovery coordination.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cleveland Foundation: One of the oldest and largest U.S. community foundations with a similar DAF, competitive grant, and scholarship model. Comparable mission, much larger AUM and broader scope.
• Fidelity Charitable: National donor-advised fund sponsor and the largest in the U.S. by AUM. Competes for DAF donors with a digital-first, low-minimum model that pressures community-foundation DAF economics.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: Large multi-billion dollar community foundation offering DAFs, grantmaking, and advisory services. Comparable structure but significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Schwab Charitable: National donor-advised fund sponsor offering investment-focused DAFs. Comparable DAF product but with national reach and no local community-ecosystem component.

Direct peers

• Quad Cities Community Foundation: Regional community foundation serving the Iowa/Illinois Quad Cities region. Operates the same donor-advised fund, grantmaking, and scholarship model with comparable scale and geographic scope.
• Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines: Iowa's largest community foundation, also accredited and serving a single metro region. Directly comparable model: donor-advised funds, competitive grants, scholarships, and nonprofit capacity building in Iowa.

Others

• Council on Foundations: National membership organization for grantmaking foundations. Connected through GCRCF's National Standards accreditation and the broader community foundation infrastructure.
• Iowa Council of Foundations: Iowa-based membership association of foundations and corporate funders. Comparable through accrediting/peer-network function and convening role, but a membership association rather than a grantmaking foundation.
• East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG): Regional council of governments that partners with GCRCF to administer the Revolving Loan Fund. Comparable regional convening role in Linn County and a current operational partner.

Regional players

• Community Foundation of the Great River Bend: Eastern Iowa/Illinois Quad Cities area community foundation. Comparable regional community foundation model with DAFs, grants, and scholarships, but operating in an adjacent Iowa geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/gcrcommunityfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/GCRCF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-greater-cedar-rapids-community-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/gcrcommunityfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments64 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation