Nancy VanMilligen

TH: The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque is in its second year at this point?
NV: Feb. 1 was our one-year anniversary.

TH: A lot of people might say, "Well, what's this foundation about?" Why involve the other non-profits and charitable groups in the community? Why a community foundation for Dubuque?

Nancy Van Milligen Age: 49 Occupation: President and chief executive officer, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. Hometown: Rockford, Ill. Family: Husband: Mike, Dubuque city manager. Children: Kenny, 23; Mary, 19; Patrick, 17; Joseph, 14; and Christen, 11. Parents: Randy and Mary Osborne, of Rockford. Brothers: Mike Osborne of Davenport, Iowa, and Ron Osborne, of Carpenteria, Calif. Sister: Patty Johnson, of Rockford. Education: Bachelor of Political Science (1977) and Master Of Public Administration (1989), both from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Current community leadership: Tri-State Community Health Center; Iowa Empowerment Board (chair); Mercy Health Center board; Dubuque County Historical Society; Dubuque County Empowerment Board. Major honors: Iowa Governor's Volunteer Award, 2002; Dubuque YWCA Women of Achievement recognition, 2001; Tanner Co. Legacy Award for Community Service, 2001; Dale Carnegie Highest Achievement Award, 1999. Hobbies: Bicycling, reading, family.

NV: I think it's important to remember that a community foundation is a give-through, not a give-to, organization. I would like to mention three constituencies that we have. Our first would certainly be donor. And our goal would be to help them make a difference. But our second constituency would be the non-profits. One of the community foundation's main goals is to strengthen the non-profit community, both through grant-making, but also education, training, information, helping them collaborate to work together to be more effective, to be more efficient. Our third constituency would be the community at large. To be a truly effective community foundation, we have to understand and assess the needs of the community. Then we can help also by being a convener and a catalyst around issues that maybe are out there but people aren't coming together around. Some people might say, "We've got United Way. Why do we need a community foundation?" We're very different organizations. The community foundation could be seen as the savings account and the United Way would be the checkbook. Community foundations are very broad-based in their giving. We give to the arts, to education, to the environment, whatever the needs are at the time. The United Way raises annual funds to go to human service organizations. The community foundation won't do annual fund raising. That would compete with the non-profits and the United Way. We truly are more building that endowment and building that safety net for the future. I see a community foundation as truly that umbrella that helps that whole third leg of the stool - the non-profit sector - to come together to truly meet those needs of the community.

TH: In the first year, how much growth was experienced by the foundation?
NV: Thanks to the community, it has experienced tremendous growth. We currently have approximately $2.3 million in assets. And that would be cash and pledges. That does not include bequests for legacies that people have left us, some of which we know and some of which we would not know. I really need to mention that our main sponsors are Diamond Jo, Medical Associates, American Trust and Dubuque Bank and Trust.

TH: In what way do you communicate or encourage people to consider the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque in their estate planning?
NV: That's kind of two questions. When we did the strategic plan for the Community Foundation, we came up with three main areas of focus: building infrastructure, build awareness and then build the fund. The infrastructure is pretty much in place. Awareness is our key focus right now. We certainly will be marketing - and even this interview here today will help build that awareness. But, Brian, the most successful community foundations are the ones that build a strong relationship with the professional advisors in town. The estate attorneys, the financial planners. Because we're that give-through not give-to organization, we can help them without it being a conflict of interest. If they have a donor, if their client is interested in philanthropy, we can be that bridge that can help that donor decide where do they want to give, how do they want to give. So we, having information on all the non-profits, can really help people really hone that down and find out.

TH: While we always hope people do the right thing for the right reason, it is also a fact that donations to the Dubuque community foundation are tax-deductible and there are benefits to the individual or an estate through the foundation.
NV: Absolutely. In fact, the community foundation can provide the highest tax deduction of any kind of giving. People who set up private foundations can set them up through a community foundation and have a much better tax return. Their goal is to give back to the community. I appreciate that our government encourage volunteerism and encourages philanthropy and actually gives back to the donors as they are giving.

TH: So, say that someone says, "This is really something that attracted my interest and I might like to set up a private foundation." Or, "I want to include the Dubuque community foundation in my will." How do they proceed?
NV: Well, they would start out by sitting down with me and discussing what they cared about and where they wanted those dollars to be directed. We have many kinds of funds. We have donor-advised funds, where they actually can control all of the giving. Or they can say at the front end, "I want to give to this organization or this non-profit or I want to give to this cause, I want to give to children's issues or the arts." Some people just give to the community foundation as an unrestricted fund and then allow our board of directors each year, through grant-making, determine where those dollars go. We would certainly encourage them to connect with their professional advisor, their attorney or their accountant to make the final arrangements. But we also have professional advisors who work with us that help us put together the best possible plan for that person

TH: Some other programs are either in the works or just getting under way. Talk about some of those.
NV: The Iowa Legislature passed a bill last year called "Endow Iowa," and it allows a donor a 20 percent tax credit for a gift given to a community foundation. It's been a great motivator to donors for us and has really helped us in this first year. It also allows small communities to set up mini- foundations within our community foundation. Their donors get the 20 percent tax credit and the community foundation also can compete for a matching grant of $25,000. So if they build a group of community leaders with a minimum of five people and raise the $25,000, the state will match it. Then they will have a mini-foundation over here at our community foundation. Then they will have a vehicle for their citizens to give back to their community.

TH: Are there any relationships which small communities have set up in Dubuque?
NV: We are working with Dyersville and nine surrounding communities. We are working with Clayton County and five of the communities up there. We have touched based with Delaware County.

TH: That's pretty active for a first year...
NV: Very active.

TH: How much of that stuff did you know before you took this job?
NV: This job, for me, was the perfect coming together of all of my experiences, my education, my skills and my passions. It's just a perfect fit. I have a strong knowledge of the non-profits and how communities work. My education was all about communities and community needs and social policy. I've done fund raising for different organizations, both as an employee and as a volunteer for years. And I've been involved in a lot of start-ups. I've certainly been on a big learning curve, but I think I also brought a good list of skills that have fit in nicely here.

TH: What are the major challenges or obstacles that you observe with the foundation, which is basically a start up program?
NV: Building awareness. It's huge. We assume that people know about us. I mean, all organizations do this. But there's just so many different organizations that people can be involved in or know about, so awareness is definitely the key.

TH: Aside for sitting down with me for this interview, what other things are you doing to build awareness?
NV: We have a communication and education committee. I do a lot of public speaking with service groups. I have a strategic plan where I'm visiting the different professional advisors. We have developed some marketing materials, brochures and the like that are mostly educational. I've done some work with the non-profits. Eight of the non-profits have actually put their endowments here with the foundation.

TH: What are some of those?
NV: There would be Hillcrest Family Services, Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Dubuque Museum of Art, Dubuque County Historical Society, St. Mark's Community Center, the Boy's and Girl's Clubs, Maria House and Albrecht Acres, which just joined us. There are great advantages for non-profits to have their endowment at the community foundation. We do all the administrative work. We file their 990. They no longer have to have an investment committee so they can really focus on the mission. I'm talking to a group up in Elkader that has a $30,000 endowment in a savings account. Our return, because we pool all our resources, will be so much greater than a savings account could ever be. It's a great marketing tool. Their organization will be listed in our annual report and our other materials. It really helps them focus on the mission of their organization and lets us do what we do best and that's manage and invest those funds.

TH: With all these advantages being put forward, why wasn't this done long ago? Other communities have had this for many years.
NV: I don't know the answer to that question. I know that it was talked about for a long time. It took leadership to get it to happen. Leo Meier, who is now deceased, was one of the key organizers. John O'Connor, who is the current chair, has put great energy and effort into making this happen, so I think it was just the coming together of the right people at the right time who are really willing to put forth that effort.

TH: Let's focus more on you. You grew up in Rockford (Ill.) What line of work were your parents involved in?
NV: My father was a heavy machinery mover, an ironworker. My mother was a homemaker, a mother. I had a wonderful, idyllic childhood. I think a lot of times that's why I'm so passionate about this whole foster care, childhood issue. I think everyone should have the childhood I had. I came home for lunch and my mom would read me the classics while I ate a lunch she prepared. Played baseball. Did great things.

TH: What were you like as a kid?
NV: I'm trying to think of a nice word for "bossy." I was always an organizer. I was always the one in the neighborhood that was hold the carnival or getting the kids to jump on their bike and go to the swim club or build a fort. Very active. Very happy.

TH: How did you and (your husband) Mike meet?
NV: Mike and I were in a personnel class together (in graduate school). We knew who the other was, but I was running a small non-profit called Shawnee Solar Project. I made $502 a month, and the board used to take me out to dinner after our monthly board meetings. And one of those evenings, Mike was at the restaurant. After I ate with the board, I went over and chatted with him. We started dating and were just a couple instantly. It really was a neat phenomenon.

TH: Would it be fair to say, "Love at first sight"?
NV: It would be fair to say "like at first sight." You know, the love had to grow.

TH: Between you and Mike, you have two high visibility, high-stress jobs. You've got a bunch of kids ...
NV: Five.

TH: ... Five kids. A couple of them are outside the home now, at least on a part-time basis. But your kitchen counter...
NV: My kitchen island is my nemesis. It's always filled with paperwork. It's always my goals to have that kitchen counter cleaned off and cleared. We do stay very busy. Both Mike and I, our jobs are our social life. Last night Mike and I were in Des Moines (for Dubuque Night), and arrived home at 1:30 a.m. We go to many events and dinners. Many evenings we are at opposite ends of the kitchen table doing paperwork. I think we both love what we do so it makes it as much our hobby. I guess it is our avocation and our vocation, which is pretty wonderful.

TH: Some people call you and Mike "Dubuque's Power Couple."
NV: Oh, I don't think so. I think we're in Dubuque at a very exciting time and there's a lot of wonderful leadership. I'm privileged and honored to be able to be part of what's happening.

TH: You sound like a politician.
NV: Somebody asked me last night if I'd run and I said no.

TH: I'm sure you've heard that Power Couple description before. What's your reaction?
NV: I guess I find it a little bit surprising. I mean, I don't think of myself that way. The other piece of it would be there's responsibility with leadership and so it's somewhat of a ... there's a responsibility to make sure that you live up to the expectations and do what needs to be done to help this community be successful.

TH: The other day, I heard Mike make reference to a "Nancy No Problem problem."
NV: Yeah.

TH: Tell me about that.
NV: Mike says I have a "no-problem problem." When people call and ask me to do things, instead of saying, "No," which I should, I say, "No problem." So it's my "no-problem problem." He's probably right. I work on that, though. I have said no more often lately than I used to.

TH: But for a long time, your response would be no problem and then go back and figure out how the heck to get it done.
NV: Right. Well, a great example would probably be all the children that we've raised in our home as foster children or friends of our children. In fact, this is the first time in 20 years that we haven't had five children in our home, living at home. I have to admit, I kind of miss them.

TH: You've been very active professionally and personally in foster care over the years. Where did this interest come from?
NV: My area of study was communities and how do communities support families so that they can be successful and children can be successful. But I have to give a lot of credit for this to Mike. When we moved from Carbondale to Skokie, Ill., we had one child and one on the way and we went from being a two-income house to a one-income house. And Mike, who is very charitable, used to - even as a single person - send money overseas to foster children. When we got up to Skokie, I kept the checkbook. We couldn't afford it. I brought that up to him one night and he said, "If you want to do something bad enough, you can do it." I said, "Mike, I'm at home with our child. Why don't we consider actually raising a foster child?" So that's how it all started. By the time we got our first child, Kenny was 5, Mary was 11/2 and I was pregnant with Patrick. Then David and Miracle moved in, who were 5 and 2, and Patrick was born six weeks early four weeks later. So we went from a family of two to a family of five under 5 in a one-month period. Then I just felt that the foster care system ... then I became passionate about helping raise these children, but I also, as we were involved with the system, got very frustrated that what a poor job we do as a nation in taking care of these children who need us.

TH: Is the foster care system much different today than when you first got started?
NV: No, it's not. I think it's really one of our embarrassments as a country. Children don't vote, they don't call legislators. They can't raise awareness about their issues. I think we as a society need to do that. Iowa only has about 5,000 foster children and I really believe as a state, we should be able to do a great job to give each one of those children a safe and supportive home. We're not very successful.

TH: Every time we talk, you always seem very upbeat. What gets you down?
NV: A better question is what keeps me up. Well, you know, I get frustrated just like anyone else when ... I can't bring people along with me with the accomplishments I want to make. I usually am a pretty happy person. TH: You're very positive about Dubuque and its future. I'm interested, too, in what areas you'd really like to see Dubuque grow or improve. What would you put on that list?
NV: I think as far as needs, I think would be affordable and accessible health care. I'm on the Community Health Center Board and we've applied for a federal grant to start up a community health center. It's critical to the overall health of the community. TH: That's not unique to Dubuque necessarily.
NV: No. No. But within Dubuque, there's solutions. I mean it's a problem that if we all came together could solve and that's pretty exciting. I guess on a less specific, the idea of bringing people together around issues. I'd love to see like young 30-something people coming together about how to we make our downtown more vital. What can we do to make our community stronger? That would be something that I think would be very helpful. Getting people collaborating and working together to make this a better place. Then you get that ownership and things happen. And we do see a lot of that in Dubuque. I would like to see it reach out farther into the citizens and the community.

TH: What do you see yourself doing 10 years from now? Are you still going to be sitting at this desk or do you see other challenges? NVM: I would like to still be sitting at this desk. I think this is like the last renaissance job in America. This is a job that I can grow with. The areas that we could get involved in are limitless. One of my challenges here is to not grow too fast, to not take on too many projects. It's very tempting and the board kind of...

TH: We're back to this "no-problem problem," right? NVM: Right. Community foundations talk about their slogan is "For good, forever," and I would to continue to do good forever. It's how I like to spend my days and what makes me enjoy life. 7
Additional excerpts from interview
Previous Newsmaker interviews