Gifts at every level have a direct impact on Kirkwood students. Thanks to generous donors like you, the Kirkwood Foundation facilitates $3.2 million in scholarships annually each year to help students get a college education.
Learn how you can make a donation and explore how you can get involved with the Kirkwood Foundation.
Types of contributions to Kirkwood can include:
We sincerely thank all of eastern Iowa for five decades of support and proudly share the following inspirational video.
For each of these students, Kirkwood Foundation scholarships provided critical support that helped them reach their goals.
Stories like these are written every day at Kirkwood Community College and you can help create more.
Kirkwood Foundation is one of the largest community college scholarship programs in the country with more than $3.2 million in scholarships awarded annually to students from all walks of life.
Every Kirkwood student is eligible to apply and over $24 million has been awarded in the past 10 years.
We asked Kirkwood’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness to compare the graduation rates for Kirkwood scholarship recipients with graduation rates for Kirkwood students who did not receive scholarships.
The study looked at Kirkwood class cohorts starting in 2011, and the results were even more dramatic than we expected.
Students who receive Kirkwood scholarships are more than two and a half times as likely to graduate in three years (the required federal reporting period) as students who did not receive scholarships. Scholarships = more success.
All gifts to Kirkwood Community College are administered by the Kirkwood Foundation and are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. For more information, or if we can be of service to you in considering a gift to Kirkwood, please contact our staff.
Vice President, Advancement – Kirkwood Community College and Executive Director – Kirkwood Foundation
319-398-5409
jody.pellerin@kirkwood.edu
Jody Pellerin joined the Kirkwood Foundation in 2017 as the director of planned and endowed giving. In 2020, she became Vice President of Advancement for Kirkwood Community College.
In this role, she serves as executive director of the Kirkwood Foundation and leads the initiatives to provide private sector resources for the college. She works closely with the Foundation board and college leadership to carry out the vision, mission, and strategies of the Kirkwood Foundation.
Prior to joining Kirkwood, Jody served as the executive director of the Xavier High School Foundation from 2004 to 2017, and director of public support for the American Red Cross, Grant Wood Area Chapter, from 1998 to 2004. Jody earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Iowa and she received her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification in 2001.
Jody is a member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Cedar Rapids Estate Planning Council, Eastern Iowa Planned Giving Council and the Cedar Rapids Downtown Rotary.
Previous community involvement includes past president of the Eastern Iowa Planned Giving Council, and served as a board member of the following; Old Creamery Theatre, Eastern Iowa Chapter of AFP and Cedar Rapids Daybreak Rotary. She is a 2009 graduate of Leadership for Five Seasons and was named one of the Corridor Business Journal’s Forty under 40 in 2006.
Scholarship Coordinator
319-398-4943
whitney.cook@kirkwood.edu
Whitney joined the Kirkwood Foundation in 2018. Whitney manages the Foundation office, assists in organizing various Foundation events, assists with Kirkwood’s Alumni and Friends program, provides support to staff, and works closely with board members and donors.
She also provides scholarship support and serves as a point of contact for questions regarding the scholarship application and awarding process. She is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Arts in Post-Secondary Education: Student Affairs.
Director of Advancement
319-398-7186
jody.donaldson@kirkwood.edu
Jody Donaldson joined the Kirkwood Foundation in 2005. She oversees the annual awarding process of over $3 million in scholarship gifts and enthusiastically works to reconnect and share the Kirkwood spirit with the college’s 75,000+ alumni.
She is a graduate of Kirkwood Community College, Upper Iowa University, and Iowa State University, and a graduate of the Leadership for Five Seasons Class of 2011. Jody serves as an adjunct instructor for the Business and Information Technology department teaching Introduction to Marketing and Introduction to Business.
Jody is a strong advocate for philanthropy and volunteerism. She currently serves as The Arc of East Central Iowa Board President, CASE Commission on Alumni Relations, CASE District VI Board of Directors, CASE Community College Advisory Board, Adult Accelerated Advisory board, Economic Alliance Leadership for Five Seasons Advisory Board, and Day Chair, Association of Fundraising Professionals, and Iowa Snowdrifters.
Advancement Services Officer
319-398-5457
Tresa joined the Kirkwood Foundation team in 2012. In her role as the Advancement Services Officer, Tresa is responsible for the comprehensive management of the donor database, gift recording and acknowledgement, and reporting.
She also serves as the liaison between the Foundation and the college’s finance department for operational and financial matters. Tresa is a graduate of Coe College.
Major Gifts Officer
319-398-1281
eric.weiler@kirkwood.edu
Eric joined the Kirkwood Foundation in 2008 and oversees the annual giving program for the college. He works with individuals, corporations, organizations, and foundations to establish new scholarships and raises funds for major college fundraising initiatives.
Eric earned his associate degree from Southeastern (IA) Community College and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western Illinois University. He earned the CFRE fundraising credential in 2013.
Eric’s community involvement includes Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, United Way, and Association of Fundraising Professionals. He is a past Chair of EPIC (Empowered Professionals of Iowa City) and a past Co-Chair of the Next Generation Summit.
Eric is active with Corridor networking/welcoming initiatives including the Wingman project. He is a graduate of the Leadership for Five Seasons Class of 2010 and the Community Leadership Program Class of 2013. Eric was named to the Corridor Business Journal's “Forty Under 40” list in 2010 and received the Iowa City Area Chamber's Spark Leadership Award in 2016.
Steve Caves
Retired, U.S. Bank
Kirkwood Foundation Board President
Richard L. Ferguson
Retired, ACT
Kirkwood Foundation Board Vice President
George Grask
Cedar Rapids Truck Center, CEO
Kirkwood Foundation Board Treasurer
Rose Rennekamp
Retired, ACT
Kirkwood Foundation Board Secretary
Barbara Allen
Allen & Rhea, PLC, CPA
Anthony Arrington
Top RANK, Managing Partner
Arbe Bareis-Moyyad
Kirkwood Community College, Associate Professor
Tom Cilek
West Bank, Senior Vice President
Jodi Cobb
Tom James Company, Professional Clothier
Teri Gibson
TrueNorth Companies, Benefits Advisor
Janet Godwin
ACT, Chief Operating Officer
Barry Goettsch
Compass Memorial Healthcare, CEO
Maureen Gronstal
Bradley & Riley PC, Attorney
G. Richard Johnson
Retired, Rockwell Collins
Dennis Jordan
Mortenson Construction, Senior Business Development Manager
David Kehoe
Ohnward Bank & Trust, Market President
Roger Klouda
MSI Mold Builders, President
Lori Kramer
Diamond V, Human Resources Director
Paul Morf
Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC, Attorney
James Mollenhauer
M & D Farms, Inc., President & Director
Kirkwood Board of Trustees Chair
Dr. Clayton Parks
Parks and Schmit Orthodontics, Orthodontist/Partner
Anne Parmley
Pearson, Iowa General Manager &
Senior Vice President, Client Services
Mark Polking
Transamerica, Head of People Solutions
Dr. Vincent Reid
Mercy Medical Center, Hall-Perrine Cancer Center Department of Onocologic Surgery, Oncology Surgeon
Sara Sauter
Rohde Family Foundation, President
Kent Statler
Retired, Collins Aerospace
Gene Wehrheim
The Wehrheim Group LLC, Chief Executive Officer
Stephen West
West Music Company, Chairman of the Board
The President’s Circle is comprised of friends and alumni who make a minimum cash gift of $1,000 to the Kirkwood Foundation each fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).
Your gift is an investment in the future of our community and will help support the students who are obtaining the skills needed to meet the challenges of our changing workplace.
The benefits of the President's Circle include:
For questions on how to become a member of the President’s Circle, please contact:
Eric Weiler, Annual Giving Officer
The Samuel J. Kirkwood Society is made up of individuals who support Kirkwood Community College, the Older Iowans Fund or KCCK-FM. They have either endowed their gift or created a planned gift through a charitable trust, charitable gift annuity, life insurance policy, bequest, or retirement plan designation.
Each fall, in the spirit of celebration and recognition, Samuel J. Kirkwood Society members are invited to the campus for a special dinner in their honor.
By joining the Samuel J. Kirkwood Society, you have created a legacy to live beyond your lifetime. Your gift indeed makes a difference to the college, our programs and services, and most of all, to our students.
For questions on how to become a member of the Samuel J. Kirkwood Society, contact:
Jody Pellerin, Executive Director
jody.pellerin@kirkwood.edu
319-398-5409
The Kirkwood Foundation also supports Kirkwood events and staff and faculty development such as the Endowed Faculty Chair program.
The Endowed Faculty Chair Program provides an opportunity for selected faculty to undertake professional development projects in their disciplines or in instructional pedagogy through writing, preparing and presenting a special lecture, conducting research, or pursuing other opportunities.
The emphasis is on personal and professional growth and is separate from assigned duties, routine work, or service to the department.
For more information about creating an Endowed Faculty Chair
in honor or memory of someone special, contact:
Jody Pellerin, Executive Director
jody.pellerin@kirkwood.edu
319-398-5409
The Kirkwood Foundation
6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
319-398-5442
foundation@kirkwood.edu