Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines
The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines is a public charity established in 1969 and based in Des Moines, Iowa. It operates as Iowa's leading community foundation, administering over 2,600 charitable component funds. The organization improves quality of life by promoting charitable giving, connecting donors with causes, and providing leadership on important community issues. The foundation operates under the tagline "Better Together. Better Forever."
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$918.7M
+13.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$55.7M
+6.6% YoY
Grant Count
1,259
-24.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$44K
+40.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines improves quality of life for all by promoting charitable giving, connecting donors with causes they care about and providing leadership on important community issues.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Community development and quality of life initiatives
The foundation emphasizes equity-focused grantmaking and supports projects with potential to create significant impact on community issues and opportunities.
Grantmaking
The foundation offers three competitive grant programs made possible by the Better Together Fund:
Grant Range
s & Activity:**
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily serves the Greater Des Moines region and affiliate Iowa counties, with some grantmaking activity in Kansas and South Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- $918,701,941 (2024)
- $812,000,000 (2023)
Annual Giving:
- $84,694,702 (2024)
- $62,200,000 (2023)
- $67,500,000 (2023, per alternate source)
Revenue & Expenses:
- Total revenues: $160,755,314 (2024)
- Total expenses: $96,607,690 (2024)
Staffing:
- 41 employees (2024)
Tax Status:
- 501(c)(3) public charity
- Tax-exempt since September 1995
- EIN: 42-6139033
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $918,701,941 | $811,888,171 | $706,043,341 |
| Revenue | $160,755,314 | $109,094,031 | $130,145,897 |
| Expenses | $96,607,690 | $72,508,750 | $77,264,221 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $45,058,566 | $28,980,553 | $21,287,380 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines
CCCF Standard Grant
COMMUNITY FDN OF GREATER DES MOINES
Amount
US $3,001 - US $10,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
CFGDM: Capacity Building Grants
COMMUNITY FDN OF GREATER DES MOINES
Amount
Up to US $7,500
Deadline
Rolling / Open
CFGDM: Leadership Grants
COMMUNITY FDN OF GREATER DES MOINES
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Kristi Knous – President
- Cara Heiden – Board Chair
- Dannie Patrick-Valentin – Senior Director of Community Impact
- Kris Pete-Swanson – Chief Financial Officer
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSAN FITZSIMMONS | CHAIR | 5 | — |
| DEBBIE HUBBELL | VICE CHAIR | 2 | — |
| GERRY NEUGENT | SECRETARY | 2 | — |
| STEVE LACY | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| JOYCE CHAPMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| FRANKLIN CODEL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARTA CODINA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARY COFFIN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PETER COWNIE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SUZANNA DE BACA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KATHY FEHRMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DR ADREAIN HENRY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GEORGE HILLER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAN HOUSTON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| FRED HUBBELL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOSEPH JONES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ARDIS KELLEY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAN KEOUGH | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| IZAAH KNOX | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARTY MARTIN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TODD MILLANG | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SHELDON OHRINGER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JILL OMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DARREN REBELEZ | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SUNNIE RICHER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ROBERT RILEY JR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOHN RUAN IV | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARK RUPPRECHT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KUUKU SAAH | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BRAD SCHOENFELDER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CYNTHIA S THORLAND | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KRISTINE KNOUS | PRESIDENT | 40 | $366,599 |
| KARLA JONES | CHIEF FINANCIAL & ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER | 40 | $221,077 |
| LYNNE YONTZ | CHIEF CHARITABLE GIVING OFFICER | 40 | $172,237 |
| ANGELA DETHLEFS-TRETTIN | CHIEF COMMUNITY IMPACT OFFICER | 40 | $170,891 |
| KRIS PETE-SWANSON | SENIOR VP OF FINANCE | 40 | $157,128 |
| RYAN DOUGLAS | SR. CHARITABLE GIVING ADVISOR | 1 | $102,512 |
| SARAH RAMSEY | DIRECTOR OF DONOR ENGAGEMENT | 1 | $108,361 |
| EMILY TORIBIO | VP OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS | 1 | $103,413 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Community Foundation distributed nearly $100 million in grants in 2025 and opened its 2026 grant cycle. Recent grant awards include $500,000 in Leadership Grants focused on education and housing stability, and $310,000 in grants to local nonprofits. The foundation continues to expand its grantmaking reach and community impact initiatives.
Community Foundation distributes nearly $100 million in grants in 2025, opensSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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