GreatAmerica Financial Services Corporation announced its Employee Advised Fund completed its annual spring pledge to the community by awarding $250,000 to nonprofits in the Eastern Iowa area. It is the first of two giving cycles in 2024. Additionally, GreatAmerica awarded $602,500 from their Donor Advised Fund in the spring 2024 giving cycle for a total of $852,500 benefitting Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities.

The Employee Advised Fund empowers GreatAmerica employees to make charitable giving decisions. They vote from a selection of nonprofit applications, directly impacting worthy organizations in the community. GreatAmerica CEO, Martin Golobic, said, “We are honored to be a part of this community and structured this fund so our employees direct these charitable funds towards the nonprofits they are most connected to.”

From a slate of 27 applicants, 15 entities, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids & East Central Iowa, Catherine McAuley Center, Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity, Central Furniture Rescue, Foundation 2 Crisis Services, Freedom Foundation, Friends of the Marion Public Library, HACAP with Meals from the Heartland, Indian Creek Nature Center, Kids First Law Center, Tanager, The Arc of East Central Iowa, Trees Forever, Willis Dady Homeless Services and Young Parents Network were awarded grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.

This is the third round of giving for the GreatAmerica Employee Advised Fund, which started in 2022. The next grant cycle will open for applications in September 2024 and can be accessed at https://www.greatamerica.com/giving Nonprofits (registered 501(c)(3) organizations) must have a GreatAmerica employee sponsor to apply. The awards focus on four areas: health and human services; arts and culture; environment; and public projects.