Jones County Endowment Fund

Success Story

John Trumm recalls vividly the first time he learned about FFA. I remember when I was in elementary school the Cascade FFA gave us a presentation on livestock and where our food comes from, he says. I was impressed how passionate they seemed about agriculture. That experience stuck with John, who is now his school's FFA president. As a younger kid, I was pretty shy, says John. FFA has been a great way for me to explore ag while also becoming a confident and outgoing leader. In 2016, the Cascade FFA Alumni Association established an endowment fund at the Jones County Community Foundation to support FFA in Cascade and to provide more opportunities for young adults like John. We were just looking for a way for the community to reach out and support the Cascade FFA, said Alumni Association Member Nick Callahan. FFA creates a sense of community for the kids where they learn a lot more than agriculture. They learn business skills and how to communicate and develop a relationship with community members. That support is important to John who wants to see others on his team succeed. Being part of a team helped me realize how much I enjoy helping others reach their goals, he says. Instead of just wanting to see myself earn scholarships and gain skills before entering the workforce or college, I really want our entire group to succeed. Community foundations are charitable organizations that administer funds to benefit their communities and improve the lives of people in their geographic region. Nonprofit organizations and community members can create endowment funds at JCCF to benefit charitable causes like the Cascade FFA. These funds are invested and pay out 5% annually to the designated nonprofits, providing a reliable source of income to sustain organizations' operations forever. Last year, these payouts totaled more than $35,440. Donors who give to endowments through a community foundation also benefit from the Endow Iowa 25% State Tax Credit in addition to federal charitable income tax deductions. Learn more about the Jones County Community Foundation at www.dbqfoundation.org/jccf.