.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;}
Celebrating its 57th anniversary, the Iowa College Foundation prides itself on its small staff and large number of donors.

“We have three people in our office, so nationally we are one of the smallest staffs in the country,” said Jack Jones, the foundation’s president. “A number of other states have 10 to 20 staff members in their offices.”

Jones said that among the 34 states that have such foundations, Iowa’s is ranked No. 4 for total dollars raised and No. 1 in the number of donors. Last year, the organization raised $2.1 million and boasted 900 donors.

“We pride ourselves on that,” he said. “And given the economic climate out there – knowing that everyone is being affected – we feel so blessed to have the support.”

The foundation serves 24 member institutions across the state, all of which have to be four-year accredited liberal arts colleges, Jones said. He noted that more than 73 percent of students who graduate from private institutions in Iowa, continue to live and work here after graduation.

“That is a really big reason why we continue to grow and raise money,” he said. “Because companies out there are beginning to see a return on students who continue to stay in Iowa and become productive employees for their companies.”

So far this year, the foundation has already exceeded its fund-raising goal thanks to an estate gift it received, and now expects to raise more than twice its goal through the remainder of the year.

“Each year we look at what we did last year, and this particular year, our goal was going to be $2.5 million,” he said. “And we have far surpassed that already. We will come very close to setting a record this year, so it is a very exciting time.”

Jones said that there are currently 44,000 students who are enrolled in private education in Iowa, and that the majority of the gifts the foundation receives go directly toward helping students get through school via financial aid assistance, scholarships, trust funds or internship funding.

“Whether it’s in Des Moines or across the state, the giving philosophy in Iowa is just absolutely amazing,” he said. “People don’t just talk about supporting things, they do things.”