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Cedar Rapids Community Schools Foundation reports $2.5M in assets, growth in fiscal-agent services
Summary
The Cedar Rapids Community Schools Foundation reported $2.5 million in assets, a 12.5% investment return for 2025, growth of its fiscal agent program and continued grants for teacher professional development and student enrichment.
Laurie Y., chair of the Cedar Rapids Community Schools Foundation, presented the foundation’s 2025 annual report and highlighted program growth and recent milestones.
Laurie said the foundation reached $2,500,000 in assets in 2025 and realized an investment return of 12.5% for the year, down from 14.6% the prior year. The foundation distributes earned investment returns to groups that use the foundation as a fiscal agent so donor funds receive investment gains while held by the foundation.
The foundation’s three main programs are college and career pathways; a Professional Excellence Fund that in 2025 supported 33 teachers across 16 schools with $22,000 in awards; and student extracurricular/enrichment grants, which Laurie said reach roughly 420 students and disbursed $50,000 across academics, sports, performing arts and enrichment.
Laurie described significant growth in the fiscal agent program, which allows parent groups and other community fundraisers to house and manage funds through the foundation. The foundation can receive donations, pay vendors and process reimbursements on behalf of groups; investment gains attributable to fiscal-agent balances are passed through to the groups. Laurie noted the program’s increased liability protection and that Patty Lucas was hired as a part-time fiscal agent staff member to help manage the workload.
On teacher and student grants: Laurie shared two “mission moment” examples submitted by teachers—one describing new library books and student engagement at Madison Elementary and another describing a graduation celebration for 10 English-language learner seniors. Laurie also noted that the student enrichment grant application window opened the Tuesday after Labor Day and that 59 applications were received quickly, with about $12,680 in grants approved in the initial four days; the full enrichment budget is $35,000 and applications remain open until funds are expended.
Questions from board members clarified that fiscal-agent balances receive investment returns that the foundation passes through and that participation in the fiscal-agent program is optional for PTAs and other 501(c)(3) groups. Board members thanked Laurie and foundation staff for stewardship of donor funds and the program’s growth.
