Clayton County Foundation for the Future

Over the past year, Mary Jo Tangeman, together with her family and in memory of her late husband, Rod, has made four significant endowment gifts to Guttenberg nonprofits, including the library, the Guttenberg Rotary, the fire department and the Guttenberg Emergency Medical Association.

The four endowments, which are growing now with Mary Jo’s generous gifts of $50,000 each, are held by the Clayton County Foundation for the Future. These funds are open to accept gifts from other donors who want to support these nonprofits and also take advantage of the 25% Endow Iowa state tax credit.

Mary Jo and Rod owned the Security State Bank until 2008. Mary Jo is hopeful these endowments will grow and, through annual payouts or grants, benefit the community forever.

“The library was my choice,” says Mary Jo. “I love books. Reading is so important. I want our library to be here forever and I plan to continue to be down here scanning the shelves for mysteries—they are my favorite. My late husband, Rod, was a faithful member of Rotary and was named as one of the Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellows. I have faith in the Guttenberg Rotary to be here for a long time, making Guttenberg a better place. And I liked both the fire department and the ambulance service because they provide a benefit for everyone.”

Mary Jo made the endowment gifts after consulting with her tax advisor and estate planner. “Endowments were a way for me to give back to the community where we did business, remove assets from my estate, and really enjoy seeing the gifts at work in Guttenberg,” she says.