Gunderson Family Fund Established

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First donor-advised fund at Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
will support conservation projects primarily in Hardin County

This article was written and posted on INHF's website in May 2000. 

The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has announced the establishment of its first donor advised fund to support conservation projects in Iowa, with emphasis on Hardin County and the Iowa River Greenbelt. This fund was created by Mary Lou and Bob Gunderson of Eldora with the donation of Whink Products Company stock valued at approximately $150,000. Whink Products Company is based in Eldora and is owned by the Gunderson and Throssel families.

Once each year, the Gunderson family will discuss a variety of conservation projects in Iowa which match the family's interests. The Gundersons will state which projects they prefer, and the INHF Board of Directors will use this "donor advice" to choose which projects to support and the size of the grants to be given.

The projects will generally focus on permanent protection or enhancement of natural lands; however, conservation education and water quality projects could be chosen for funding. In the initial years it is expected that most of the grants will go to projects within Hardin County, especially in the Iowa River Greenbelt

Mary Lou Gunderson a former Director and current Advisor to the INHF Board, said they chose to establish the fund at the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation because "they have an experienced staff who can help us learn about projects nearby or farther away that are worthy of support. The Foundation also has a long history of involvement in Hardin County conservation, plus a reputation of leveraging funds for their projects. This is the kind of 'spark plug' organization we wanted to handle our fund."

Bob Gunderson said, "We hope this fund can be a catalyst for additional conservation projects, particularly in our home area. The family and the Foundation prefer to fund projects where a Gunderson Family Fund grant can be leveraged. For example, the fund might issue challenge grants to encourage other contributions for new projects, or its support might help a project secure public funds such as REAP grants which must be matched by private contributions. If enough good projects arise, the entire Gunderson Family Fund might be expended within the next ten years."

While this is the first time the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has established a donor-advised fund for conservation grants, they predict it won't be the last. INHF President Mark Ackelson said, "It is so typical of the Gunderson family to bring this concept to our attention and to make such a gift. We have worked closely with Mary Lou and Bob for many years. They have provided leadership for conservation projects in Hardin County ranging from tree planting to expanded parks. They were part of the original citizen's group in 1987 who created the Iowa River Greenbelt Resource Trust. Other Iowa communities are similarly blessed with generous folks who are committed to the land and their home region. When those people see how well this technique works for the Gundersons and the land, more donor-advised funds will be established for conservation in Iowa."

Those interested in knowing more about the Gunderson Family Fund or how to establish a donor-advised fund for conservation may contact Anita O'Gara.

For more information about Foundation news, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, or call (515) 288-1846.

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