Kristi Knous, president of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, is celebrating her 20th anniversary with the organization this month. Photo by Michael Crumb

Kristi Knous is celebrating her 20th anniversary as the leader of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines this month. To commemorate the milestone, the Business Record sat down with her to talk about not only where the foundation has been but where she sees it going, and her future with the organization.

Her anniversary follows a year in which the foundation received a record $92.4 million in gifts, pushing it closer to the $1 billion mark in assets, which Knous said is a benchmark that may be achieved sooner rather than later. The foundation closed 2021 with $875 million in assets. It also made $51.9 million in grants to more than 2,500 charitable causes last year.

Knous, who served as a child advocate at Blank Children’s Hospital before joining the Community Foundation in 2002, said she only sees the giving in Des Moines growing, both in charitable contributions made to the foundation and in the grants the foundation awards to charitable causes in the more than 40 counties it serves.

Although there were many things to learn in her new role, Knous, 53, said her work at the foundation has allowed her to still help children and families, but with a broader reach around the community.

Here are some of the highlights from our conversation.

What were the biggest things you had to learn in your new role when you started with the Community Foundation?
It was really just learning the model of a community foundation, the various funds that we hold. I really had to learn the financial aspect, the budgeting aspect, the investment aspect and also just cultivating donors, working with donors and learning the various charitable giving tools. So there’s been a lot of education that’s happened over the last 20 years as well to help prepare me to lead an organization this size.

How has the foundation grown and changed during that time?
When I started, we were under $50 million in assets under administration. Last year we granted out more than $50 million and brought it more than $90 million, so that gives you a sense of just the size. I remember when our goal was just to get to $100 million in assets, so I think we’ve had a 1,600% increase or an 1,800% increase. You can’t even really quantify it, it’s so much. Then about 16 to 17 years ago our board changed our bylaws to enable us to work on a statewide level and serve those counties and communities that didn’t have a community foundation. We have 46 counties and communities now that are affiliates of the Community Foundation. That’s 25% of our assets right there. That’s beginning to spin as well and generate even greater growth, so planting those seeds all those years ago, now we’re seeing it come to fruition.

What’s been behind the growth the foundation has seen?
If you look at our past leadership, Monroe Colston, Johnny Danos and Barry Griswell, you don’t have this kind of success without that kind of foundation, and they laid that foundation. [Credit also goes to] the board for sure and the staff we’ve been able to attract, but also this community really values partnership. We’ve been really fortunate to be able to step up to play that role to allow private contributions to really make things happen in this community. Everything from the skatepark to the entire riverwalk and now ICON Water Trails. We’ve been fortunate to play that behind-the-scenes role and help those projects happen when it comes to charitable giving. And I do think those long-term, trusting relationships we’ve been able to develop. So when something like a pandemic happens, we know each other’s role so well and we know who’s going to do what. It’s a really special relationship we have here.

What is the largest achievement for the foundation in the past 20 years?
I would say Capital Crossroads, that vision and now we’re finishing up year 10 of that. That vision and collective effort, to have these guideposts that we’re all following and the community all coming together around, that’s probably to me one of our greatest accomplishments. Looking forward, the work we’re doing here with the campus and C3 Center, that to me is super exciting for the nonprofit and leadership development work in this community. And things like the Evelyn K. Davis Center, that’s a huge success. That was a partnership between the United Way, DMACC and the Community Foundation. Just the volume of credits and income earned because of the Evelyn K. Davis Center. That’s one of my favorites, as well. Years ago, convening around this table [in the boardroom at the Community Foundation’s office in the Finkbine Mansion] what became Bravo Greater Des Moines, what became the new homeless shelter, there are just conversations that have happened here that are pretty special to this space when it comes to partnership and collaboration, and it’s been fun to have a seat at the table.

Looking ahead, what do you see happening at the foundation over the next decade or two?
In terms of the charitable giving fund and assets held under administration for charitable giving, the opportunity is endless. We just did a survey to look at our donor profile and what that looks like, and we’re just barely brushing the surface with who we could serve in terms of simplifying and magnifying their charitable giving. When you look at the affiliate network and the transfer of wealth we will be experiencing throughout the state, to have a charitable model where people can give and support those communities, I can’t even quantify what the possibilities are. But what I do know is that if we continue to focus on that uniquely yours service, how can we give service that people cannot get anywhere else? As long as we keep our eyes on that service, the growth potential is unbelievable. One thing I’ve learned is where can you break down barriers to giving?  If we keep doing that and keep giving uniquely your services, we’ll continue to grow. We’re knocking on a billion dollars on assets here before too long. That will be a landmark for us. There are only, I think, 28 community foundations of that size out of maybe 800 across the country. It tells a story of our caring and charitable spirit in Iowa, for sure.

A big part of the foundation’s future is the new campus and C3 Center. Is that project still on track for completion later this year or early next year?
Yes, we’re going to have a groundbreaking in May. They’re starting to do demolition [on the former Tri-City Electric Building on Ingersoll Avenue], so we’re hoping by January and have a real party next spring.

How will that project fit in with the future of not only the foundation but also the community’s nonprofit sector?
I think the C3 Center is about connection, collaboration and community. I like to call the nonprofit sector the for-impact sector. I believe the center built for their use shows the value that we put in our for-impact sector. Yes, it’s for continued staff growth of the Community Foundation as well and tenant partners in the top part, but the training space, the board space, we want to generate that activity. I think that is super exciting to the future and we’re only continuing to grow in our service to the community. I think it helps prepare us to be a billion-dollar foundation and to continue serving the community and the state.

You support increasing the universal standard deduction for charitable giving. Why is that important?
I think that’s one of those things that as we consider things nationally now, to get that back up to where it was so that people are incented. People give because they care, that’s where their heart is, but they also give because it’s tax wise. It went down to $300 per taxpayer and $600 per couple, and there are efforts now to increase that to $4,000 and $8,000, which is still less than it was years ago. So there’s this conversation to keep charitable giving strong. We can’t take our eye off incenting charitable giving and continuing to wave that banner because the need is definitely still there.

What does it mean to you personally to develop those meaningful relationships in the community and provide the support you do in your role with the foundation?
It is 100% my calling. I know that I’m doing what I’ve been called to do. As a team we have done a lot of purposeful work. I get to influence change through this role. Every day I get to work with incredible donors in this community and help them influence change through their work. So there is no doubt for me that this is 100% the path that was created for me. Not everybody gets that. And I would say I knew the work I did at the children’s hospital with kids and families was what I was called to do. I’ve been very fortunate to just know and follow it, I guess.

Are you looking ahead at a transition in your life and your role with the foundation?
We’re heading into strategic planning next year and I’m very committed to that, and I want to see this organization through success with the campus and C3 Center, and as long as it still feels like the path that I was called to be on and the board agrees, then I’m going to keep marching. So we’ll see, but you do think about that. How else can I use this skill set and all that I’ve developed to benefit others? It could be this or I could be called to do something else. I say it before I come into work every day: “God, use me for the benefit of the community today.” I’ve just really turned that over. I really truly do believe that I’m being used to the benefit of the community. When that’s maybe not the case or it’s the next person’s turn to step up, I will certainly follow that, too.