Make A Contribution

Giving to and through the Clarinda Foundation is an easy way to help support the community you love and of which you have been a part.

The Clarinda Foundation is a tax-exempt, public charity that allows people to establish a fund or contribute to an already existing fund that will benefit non-profit organizations in the area, assuring that your charitable dollars are making an impact in the areas of greatest community need.

The Clarinda Foundation accepts a variety of gifts:

Cash
Real Estate (Home, Farmland, Vacation Property)
Marketable Securities
Personal Properties (Artwork, Boats, ETC.)
Grain
IRA, 401K, or Other Retirement Accounts
Life Insurance
Charitable gift annuities
Planned gifts designated in a will or estate plan
Charitable remainder trusts

Benefits to Donors

Simplicity

Establishing a fund or contributing to an existing fund at the Clarinda Foundation involves very little paperwork and can be done quite quickly.

Efficiency

One contribution to the Clarinda Foundation can address a wide variety of charitable interests to benefit one or a number of community needs and non-profit organizations.

Permanence

A gift to create or add to an endowment fund will continue to provide charitable support in perpetuity . . . today, tomorrow, forever.

Flexibility

Donors can realize nearly any charitable intent by choosing from among a variety of fund types offered at the Clarinda Foundation. In addition, the assets that can be used to establish or contribute to a fund provide an opportunity for each individual, family, or business to make an impact in the way that is most effective for them.

Convenience

Establishing a fund with the Clarinda Foundation is less costly and time consuming than handling it yourself. The Clarinda Foundation handles all of the paperwork, record keeping, and administrative details.

Tax Benefits

The Internal Revenue Service has classified the Clarinda Foundation as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, all contributions to the Clarinda Foundation are tax deductible to the greatest extent allowed by the law.  In addition, gifts to a permanent endowment fund through the Clarinda Foundation may be eligible for a 25% tax credit through Endow Iowa in addition to any federal deductions (a state deduction does not apply when receiving an Endow Iowa Tax Credit).

Professional Management & Accountability

Funds administered by the Clarinda Foundation are pooled for investment purposes that provide optimum investment diversification for individual funds of any size.

Book of Honor

Donations to the Book of Honor are used to serve the community today, tomorrow, and forever.

The Clarinda Foundation’s Book of Honor provides a dignified, enduring tribute to the memory of a friend or relative. It also may provide recognition for community leadership. Donations to the Book of Honor are used to serve the community today, tomorrow, and forever.

A gift of $10 or more expresses a living memorial to the person named.  The individual’s name will be placed in the permanent “Book of Honor” including birth and death dates.  Your memorial gift will be remembered to the family without mentioning the amount of the gift.

Living individuals can be recognized for their leadership service with a gift to the Book of Honor.  The individual’s name will be placed in the Book of Honor, and the individual will be notified by the Foundation of the recognition.

The Foundation’s Book of Honor fund is used to assist with educational, civic, or charitable causes within the community through the Foundation’s grant making process.

All gifts to the Book of Honor are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Other funds can be established to remember individuals or families with annual gifts given to a non-profit activity or organization of your choice. The Foundation staff will be glad to provide additional information.

If you would like to donate by mail, please fill out the Make a Book of Honor Donation Form PDF  and include it with your donation.

The original Book of Honor with each name entered is available for viewing at the Clarinda Foundation office.  An electronic version can be viewed on our website:

Share with Clarinda

Be a part of something bigger! Share with Clarinda!

The Clarinda Foundation Board of Directors and staff invite you to join in our effort to provide for our community–now and forever–with a contribution to the Share with Clarinda Fund. Funds from the Share with Clarinda campaign are granted annually to support community projects and assist non-profit organizations that impact our community as a whole.

The Foundation Board has awarded nearly $1.5 million in grants since its establishment in 1986. You can review the complete Grant Award History here.  Below are just a very few of the grants the Foundation has awarded over the past 10 years:

2023

$38,500 to the Clarinda Parks & Recreation Department for the updated dinosaur playground equipment at Kiwanis Park.

$11,689 to Waubonsie Mental Health Center for the development of their multipurpose space, including access, safety, and outdoor furnishings.

2022

$25,000 to Clarinda Regional Health Center for a new ambulance.

2021

$8,070 to the Clarinda Police Department for tasers.

2020

$20,000 to the COVID-19 Response Fund to assist temporarily unemployed restaurant and service workers affected by industry closure.

2019

$10,000 to the Clarinda Medical Foundation for the Junior Cardinal Backpack Program.

$10,000 to the City of Clarinda for the development of two downtown greenspaces.

2018

$50,000 to Clarinda Parks & Recreation for the new city park playground.

2017

$7,042 to the Sew & Share Food Pantry for construction of the pantry and equipment.

2016

$12,000 to the Page County Fair Board to remodel the Wibholm Hall restrooms.

2015

$26,700 to the Clarinda Lied Center for the expansion of the exercise room.

2013

$15,000 toward the Clarinda Community Trail and in 2014 – an additional $15,000 for the same project; and in 2021- an additional $50,000 toward Phase II trail extension.

In addition, the Clarinda Foundation awarded a $150,000 challenge grant to the Southwest Iowa Families new building project in 2020 and a $150,000 challenge grant to the Partners in Exceptional Care/Clarinda Regional Health Center building project in 2021.

We feel that in some manner each and every resident of our community has been touched by projects the Clarinda Foundation has funded.  The Foundation Board members take pride in the greater Clarinda community and have the desire to see the Share with Clarinda Fund continue grow so that future projects can be achieved.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of a charitable donation to the Share with Clarinda Fund. To make your donation by mail, click here. To make an online donation click the button below! 

GivingTuesday 2023

Join us in the global day of giving!

GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past years, this idea has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

This GivingTuesday, November 28, the Clarinda Foundation’s Board of Directors is partnering with participating fund holders at the Clarinda Foundation and will ADD to your donation with challenge awards for total donations — contributing $1,000 to funds with up to $5,000 in total donations; $2,000 for total donations $5,000-$10,000; and $3,000 to funds with total donations over $10,000. MAXIMIZE your giving to Clarinda this GivingTuesday by donating to one or more of the following funds:

Clarinda Area volunteers (CAV) Fund
Clarinda Cardinal Fund
Clarinda chamber of commerce fund
Clarinda Community Trail fund
Clarinda Fireworks Display Fund
Clarinda Kiwanis Club Fund
Clarinda Lied Center Fund
Clarinda Public Library Foundation Fund
Clarinda Trees Forever Fund
Clarinda Veterans Fund
Clarinda Youth Corporation (CYC) Fund
Essex East gym fund
Grandma's House Daycare Fund
Spirit On the Square Fund

Each participating fund uses these donations to further their unique missions, including a variety of educational, beautification, and charitable causes that enhance Clarinda and the surrounding area.  All gifts to GivingTuesday are tax deductible to the extent of the law.  This November, let’s open our hearts for Clarinda!

Establish A Fund

Empowering Clarinda, one investment at a time!

Clarinda Foundation’s Suite of Funds

With Clarinda Foundation’s Suite of Funds, you may create a fund that supports a particular need or area of interest, or one that is multipurpose and flexible.  You may choose to have your fund expended during your lifetime or be a permanent legacy, benefiting the community ongoing.  Whichever option you choose, the fund you create will make an impact on the needs of the greater Clarinda area.

Learn More >

Committee Advised Funds

Committee Advised Funds are established by groups who wish to make grants to the charities of their choice.  The committee identifies the charitable causes it wishes to support and collectively determines where the funds will be directed.  Grants are distributed from fund income, principal or a combination of both.

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Donor Advised Funds

A donor advised fund is a very personal approach to giving. Establishing a Donor Advised Fund allows you to make a gift of cash or assets to the Clarinda Foundation to create the fund. The donor then remains actively involved and makes recommendations to the Foundation Board as to how the funds will be used.  This type of fund can also help pass on your philanthropic values to family members by involving them in the recommendations.

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Field of Interest Funds

A field of interest fund benefits a broad area of community life that reflects your values and interests such as education, arts, environment, children, and social services.  You identify your personal interest area when making your gift and rather than being directly involved in how the money is distributed each year, you give the Clarinda Foundation the flexibility to assess the needs of the community and then direct funds to an organization or charity within your field of interest.

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Scholarship Funds

Give the gift of education by establishing a Scholarship Fund at the Clarinda Foundation, expendable or endowed.  The Clarinda Foundation staff can provide the expertise to assist you to in determining the scholarship requirements.  Scholarships may be established by individuals, families, companies, and organizations.

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Acorn Fund

You are passionate about a cause that you would like to provide for long past your demise, but don’t feel you have the resources to establish a fund with the Clarinda Foundation at the present time.  An Acorn Fund allows you to start a fund and progressively build upon it.  Your Acorn Fund will grow into a fund that will let you support the charities or causes you choose and will have an impact on the quality of life in your community.

How it works

  • Make an initial contribution of $1,000 and pledge a minimum annual contribution of $1,000 to build the Acorn Fund to $10,000 over a 10-year period.
  • Once the fund has matured and $10,000 is accumulated, you can start distributing to the causes and charities you care about most.
  • No administrative fees are charged while the fund grows.

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Designated Funds

Establishing a Designated Fund allows you to support the good work of a specific non-profit organization and maintain assets that help ensure the sustainability of the organization. For example you may choose to support a library, wellness center, museum, or virtually any nonprofit charitable organization.  Since it is given through the Foundation, your gift provides the organization you select not only funding, but also planned giving and the option to have the power of endowment.

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Organizational Funds

Non-profit organizations can also establish an Organizational Fund to provide a permanent income stream to the Organization and for the charitable purposes of the Organization.   The Organization must be recognized as exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or any successor provision of Federal Tax Law.  It is a simple and efficient way to build an endowment and help create sustainability for your non-profit organization.

Learn More >