Giving Tuesday 712 fundraiser for nonprofits blows past 2024 total
The Community Foundation for Western Iowa saw colossal donations from both individual donors and companies during its Giving Tuesday 712 fundraising event supporting nonprofits throughout nine Southwest Iowa counties.
The Giving Tuesday movement was established in 2012 to run in contrast to consumer holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, according to Vox. It’s celebrated around the globe and falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving United States.
“No gift is too small, and, when you really think about it, there is not a single day that anyone in Western Iowa is not touched in some way by nonprofits,” said Donna Dostal, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for Western Iowa. “Your children go to school at one of our community schools. They might be going to the doctor’s office or someone’s at emergency at some of the hospitals, fire and rescue, our city, county government — all of that can benefit from the generosity of people.”
The Community Foundation for Western Iowa had a busy day during the annual Giving Tuesday 712 drive on Dec. 2, 2025. Here, President and CEO D…
When The Nonpareil swung by the Community Foundation’s office in Council Bluffs around 2 p.m. Tuesday, the campaign was well on track to surpass the 2024 donation total of $1.3 million — about $1.48 million had already been raised, not including “offline” donations collected by nonprofits.
As of Tuesday evening, SHARE Iowa’s website showed just over $1.6 million had been raised for 53 organizations from 485 donations — a total before many of those “offline” donations are counted and endowment fund donations are partially matched by the Community Foundation.
Dostal said Giving Tuesday is a great day to start giving. But the giving portal, sharegoodiowa.org, is available all year and intends to make donating to local nonprofits as easy as possible.
Donors were also popping in and out of their office in Council Bluffs all day;
Dostal shared some of several “tremendous” donations:
- $476,000 donated by a single donor to the Union Pacific Railroad Museum.
- $100,000 given by a single donor to Trivium Life Services.
- $50,000 collected and deposited by the Council Bluffs Friends of the Library nonprofit into their endowment fund.
Nonprofits with an endowment fund through the Community Foundation especially benefit from donations made around Giving Tuesday because the organization matches 20% of each contribution, up to $10,000 per donor. Matches come from a pool of $100,000 and will be made through Dec. 12 or until the pool is exhausted.
Community Foundation for Western Iowa President and CEO Donna Dostal, center, chats with Career EdVantage Executive Director Cara Cool Trede, right, and Director of Strategic Initiatives Bailey McQueen-Jones after presenting the organization with a $1,000 check during the foundation's Giving Tuesday 712 party at Full Fledged Brewing on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
“Every time they need to draw from their endowment, or just use that money as to budget for their next year’s expenses, that increases the amount that they’re able to use,” Dostal said.
Thirty-six nonprofits, organizations and government programs were also picked as recipients of $1,000 prizes sponsored by businesses and community members. Among those were At Ease USA, the Child Saving Institute, Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs and the MICAH House.
The foundation originally raised $12,000 for 12 gifts, but Google “came through over the weekend” with an additional $24,000, said Samantha Kruse, the Community Foundation’s community engagement manager.
Check presentations were held throughout the day.
Later, everyone from across the region was invited to join foundation members at Full Fledged Brewing Company in Council Bluffs to celebrate “success” and “generosity” as Giving Tuesday wrapped up.
Deb Masker and students in the Southwest Iowa Leadership Academy pose for a portrait with a $1,000 check during the Community Foundation for Western Iowa's Giving Tuesday 712 party at Full Fledged Brewing on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
Current donation totals can be found at SHARE Iowa’s online homepage and archived totals from previous years’ celebrations can be found on the Community Foundation’s website. Final tallies, including matched funds, are typically not released until January.
Dostal said the community foundation educates nonprofit members how to communicate their missions.
“What I have learned is that folks here in Iowa — they have a very deep, very humble ... connection to giving back to the community,” Dostal said. “They have to have a personal connection.”
Check out photos from Tuesday's Giving Tuesday 712 celebration sponsored by the Community Foundation for Western Iowa.
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The Community Foundation for Western Iowa had a busy day during the annual Giving Tuesday 712 drive on Dec. 2, 2025. Here, President and CEO D…
