ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES CEDAR RAPIDS OPERA THEATRE PAGLIACCI 2017; photo by Rob Merritt MISSION & SERVICES Our mission is to advance opera as a vital, living American art form and to develop the artists who create it, as well as the audience that appreciates and supports it. Now in our 20th Anniversary Season, we serve Eastern Iowa as a professional opera company producing new and classic operatic works, developing Young Artists, and providing educational outreach. HOW TO HELP Give: Become an individual donor, a Founder’s Society Member ($500 or more), a Season, Production or Event Sponsor, or leave a legacy gift. Interact: Attend performances and special events including 2018’s TURANDOT, THE UGLY DUCKLING, and BRIGADOON. Volunteer: Provide a homestay for visiting artists; present a Young Artist master class; help as a Volunteer Coordinator; serve as a Board Member. cr-opera.org 425 Second Street SE, Suite 960 Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 319-365-7401 CROperaTheatre @CROperaTheatre 16 CBJ Giving Guide 2017
Alliant Energy Foundation Lights Up Communities When you think of a utility, it’s considered a basic need. Assisting families aligns well with our industry. – Julie Bauer, Executive Director Alliant Energy Foundation With a service territory of 54,369 square miles, the Alliant Energy Foundation is electrifying communities across the region with charitable giving. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for residents through targeted grants. In 2016, more than $656,400 was awarded across 266 area organizations. “We want to do more than just write a check,” said Julie Bauer, executive director. “Our foundation goes the extra mile to help facilitate conversations and connections that drive lasting change in our communities.” NEED-BASED GRANTS The Foundation, which is a separate legal entity from Alliant Energy’s utility business, has two cycles for grant applications each year. Qualifying organizations can be a municipal entity, nonprofit organization or accredited school. Applicants must outline goals for the proposed initiative, describe how it will fulfill a community need, quantify budget considerations and detail metrics for success. The Foundation receives nearly 500 grant requests annually and fulfills more than half of them. All applications are reviewed by an executive team, including Ms. Bauer, Leah Rodenberg, senior program manager, and Adam Erdmann, program manager. They are then routed to employees within the area where the project will benefit. This additional input from regional directors, local operations managers and environmental and economic development staff creates robust conversations about how to best support public initiatives. “Our employees are the eyes and ears in their communities. We want to ensure we’re not doubling existing efforts or overlooking underserved needs,” Ms. Bauer explained. “It’s also essential that our grant review process has multiple perspectives and voices chiming in.” Most grants are less than $2,500 and are often awarded in smaller disbursements, between $1,000–1,500. Alliant Energy has a presence in many small towns and recognizes that these rural areas often have fewer resources or funding channels than larger cities. “We want to broadly support communities of all sizes without diluting our giving efforts,” Ms. Bauer stressed. “It’s amazing to see how nonprofits can take any size amount and maximize those funds.” The Foundation also partners with other donors to extend the reach of its dollars. For example, it funnels $550,000 each year to United Way and another $600,000 directly from its employees. Alliant Energy will also join forces with other corporate funders on large-scale projects impacting the community. FOCUSED SUPPORT There are three categories of support under the Community Grants Program: helping families, education and the environment. By targeting specific needs, Alliant Energy’s giving efforts have a more effective and sustainable impact. “When you think of a utility, it’s considered a basic need. Assisting families aligns well with our industry,” Ms. Bauer said. “We support programs that provide parents and children with vital necessities such as food, shelter and safety.” Because STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education is critical to the ongoing stability of the utility industry, the Foundation sponsors programs that promote public library offerings, financial literacy and workforce development. These include Jane Boyd’s PATHS Program, Junior Achievement’s classroom financial literacy curriculum and the Cedar Rapids Public Library’s summer reading program. More than 10 percent of Alliant Energy’s power production is derived from renewable sources such as solar and wind. Funding requests that advance conservation and other environmental protections also receive priority. These can range from park updates and trail improvements to developing habitats for native wildlife and plants. The Foundation also offers the Hometown Safety Grant. Life-saving equipment for police, fire and EMS departments can be a costly endeavor so the Foundation will step in to help cities meet their fundraising goals. Grants can be submitted for devices from defibrillators in public buildings and thermal imaging cameras to larger purchases such as a fire truck or mass notification system. “Safety is a priority for utilities and one of our core values. Safety-related projects benefit a broad spectrum of people, so we provide matching donations to help public entities serve and protect our communities,” Ms. Bauer explained. Between these areas of giving, Alliant Energy is able to support diverse nonprofits. Recent grant recipients include Waypoint Services, Jane Boyd Community House, Cedar Rapids School Foundation, American Red Cross, Boys and Girls Club and the HD Youth Center. A HELPING HAND The Foundation also coordinates numerous events that engage Alliant Energy’s employee base. In 2016, employees and retirees generously donated 80,010 volunteer hours. Employees regularly lend a hand to programs such as HACAP, Junior Achievement and Big Brothers Big Sisters. The Foundation has been a longtime supporter of Habitat for Humanity and will be participating in their second Panel Build project this fall. Habitat will bring all of the building materials to an Alliant Energy office site and 100 employees will construct the shell of a house. It will then be moved to its final destination, providing a unique opportunity to involve employees without having to travel off-site. “Volunteering is part of our DNA,” Ms. Bauer said. “We love to get out there as a company and help in any small way.” • CBJ Giving Guide 2017 17
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