Gritton reflects on 15 years of board service

Larry Gritton, a founding member of the Foundation for the Future of Delaware County advisory board, has retired from that service. For Gritton, the highlight of his tenure with the Foundation is the assistance to good people and organizations when help was needed most. 

“There was always an emphasis on giving a boost to assist others in accomplishing much greater good than would have been possible without our assistance,” he said. In the Foundation’s early years, a large part of that boost was financial. “Today, I think the guidance the Foundation provides alongside its grant awards is an even more important part of the picture. The dollars are simply a catalyst for nonprofits to achieve much higher goals than they originally envisioned.” 

The Foundation addresses many areas of need, focusing on support of children and families with its most recent grant awards. “I am especially proud of being able to give a hand up to community volunteers that make life better, easier, safer, and more rewarding for all who live in Delaware County,” he said. 

“Larry has been an active member for 15 years, always ready to participate in conversations to move the Foundation forward,” said Board Chair Jerry Burke. “He was integral in getting the Foundation off the ground.”

Gritton and his wife, Jean, have built trust within the community through Gritton Associates, providing tax and accounting services to individuals and businesses in eastern Iowa. They support a scholarship to assist deserving students with tuition at St. Mary’s School, and Larry was committed to growing a new energy district in the county that would serve to educate residents about cost savings of using clean local energy.

“Larry and Jean have generously shared time, talent and treasure with their community through the Foundation for the Future of Delaware County,” said MJ Smith, director of affiliate foundations at the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. “I counted on Larry to bring his philosophy to the board table around how the Foundation could empower individuals to better their lives.”

The diverse portfolio of endowments held by the Foundation touches many areas of the community. Endowments are invested and the interest earned provides annual payouts forever. “The benefits will be enormous,” said Gritton. “With an action plan and a dedicated board, the Foundation has a compounding effect on the greater good. I believe many will make use of this means to multiply wonderful things for all in the future.”