CFNEIA Establishes New Values
March 10, 2023
The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa exists to inspire people and connect resources to enrich our communities. While our work has been a catalyst for positive impacts since 1956, throughout our history we have evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of our region. Historic events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a renewed focus on long-overlooked systemic inequities, provided an opportunity to not only take responsive action but to reflect on who we are and who we want to be.
Through self-examination, meaningful conversations, and authentic listening, we unearthed essential ideas to help lead our understanding, thinking, and actions. From these core beliefs, a new set of values was established to define who we are as an organization and to serve as a guide to fulfilling our mission for the people and places we serve.
Our Values
 | We believe the most innovative ideas for addressing the community’s challenges come from within the community. We will develop deep connections with the communities we serve to create impacts leading to transformational change. |
 | We believe everyone must have an equitable opportunity to thrive. We will work to dismantle barriers to equity with an intentional focus on advancing racial equity to create an inclusive and just society for all people. |
 | We believe we must boldly take the lead on important community issues. We will ensure the resources entrusted to us support changemaking organizations and that we champion ideas and actions to make our communities better for all people. |
 | We believe we have a responsibility to address the power dynamics and inequities present in philanthropy. We will earn the trust of our community by taking actions rooted in authentic listening, clear communication, fiscal integrity and sustainability, and a commitment to transparency. |
Moving forward, we intend every action we take to be an extension of our values. We know the challenges of the future can only be addressed when we embrace the lessons of the past. We embrace that bold action can only be taken when we first listen and learn. We understand that work toward an equitable society can only happen when we lead and follow with trust. As we evolve, we continue to expect more from ourselves as an organization and set increasingly higher standards.
