Iowa Giving Crew

06/04/2026

As the school year comes to a close… this is what impact looks like. 👇

This past September, Iowa Giving Crew partnered with the Cedar Rapids Community School District Safe & Secure Learning Team to launch Safe Zone Sports through Operation Education.

The mission was clear:
➡️ Improve student engagement
➡️ Increase attendance
➡️ Reduce risky behaviors

We launched with 109 high-risk students… and the results spoke loud:

🔥 9% decrease in office referrals
🔥 34% decrease in physical aggression incidents
🔥 Stronger connections between students, families, and staff

This is more than a program — it’s real change in real lives.

And we’re just getting started…
✅ Safe Zone Sports is returning this fall
✅ Expanding impact across CRCSD
✅ Reaching even more students who need it most

Huge thank you to:
👏 Myles & Janessa for building this program
👏 Our volunteers who made it happen
👏 Our Operation Education donors & supporters
Because without you… this doesn’t happen.

Enjoy summer break — we’ll see you in Year 2.

Impact starts with us. 💛

05/31/2026

As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, we're reminded that awareness is only the beginning—action changes lives.

Through Operation Awareness, your generosity directly supports individuals and families in our community who are navigating grief, loss, and mental health challenges.

💙 $250 provides a Legacy Wall plaque to honor a loved one
💙 $100 provides refreshments for survivor support groups
💙 $50 gifts a grief resource book to a survivor
💙 $25 provides materials for Light the Night

None of this happens alone. That's why Iowa Giving Crew proudly partners with the experts at Foundation 2 Crisis Services to ensure these resources reach those who need them most.

Thank you to everyone who has already contributed. If you've been considering a gift, there's still time to make twice the impact—every donation is being matched through today.

Together, we're creating hope, healing, and connection in our community.

🔗 Donate at the link below.
https://iowagivingcrew.networkforgood.com/projects/299732-igc-supports-mental-health-awareness-month-may-26?fbclid=IwdGRjcASJC1RjbGNrBIkLTGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHgQKJGeQtFSuGKjsk36R7XxADrMEX54JxcVrV1_AuMMhVgE7Qc5O3kJacN-x_aem_VslHtpSRdsvJEGIXT3yTUw

05/29/2026

Operation Awareness was created to honor two members of our Crew we lost to su***de.

This is more than a program—it’s a promise: they will not be forgotten.

Today, we remember Michael Larson.

Michael was a force of light in every room he entered.
A war hero who served his country in Iraq.
A championship football coach shaping young lives at Wendell Phillips Academy.
A fierce competitor, from his earliest days all the way through his time as a tight end at Illinois State University.

But his impact went far beyond titles.
He was a devoted big brother to Corey and Ashley.
A mentor and role model to countless students and players.
A charismatic, unforgettable friend to hundreds across the country and around the world.
And above it all—he was a man deeply in love with his wife, Charity.

That connection, that bond, was the center of everything.
Tragically, Michael’s life was cut short due to his battle with CTE and PTSD, wounds carried from the sacrifices he made while serving his country.

But here’s the truth:
Death only wins if someone is forgotten.

And Michael Larson will never be forgotten.

Not because of how he died—but because of how powerfully he lived.

His legacy lives on in every life he touched, every player he mentored, every friend who still carries his energy forward.
And now, through Operation Awareness, we carry that mission with him.

Mental health impacts everyone.

Silence is where stigma grows—but conversation is where healing begins.

We all have a role to play.

Check in. Speak up. Listen.

If you or someone you know needs support, Foundation 2 Crisis Services is here to help 24/7:
📞 Call or text 988
📞 Or call 319-362-2174

One conversation can change everything. Start it.

05/27/2026

What does it actually take to make a real impact in your community?

Last fall, Jesse Thoeming Author brought one of our founding members onto the Only Advance podcast to break it down—the needs, the gaps, and how we step up.

This is more than talk. It’s a challenge.

🎧 Listen here + check out more episodes of Only Advance!
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../giving.../id1852061756...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2IQWhOfOvGxCQlqlfkgaDa...

iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/.../1323-only-advance-with-jesse.../

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/.../461ea654-fd4b-43f4-b0a4...

🎙️ PODCAST LAUNCH 🎙️

"Only Advance with Jesse Thoeming" is available today!

Season 1, episode 1: Giving Better - Rethinking Charity in a New Era

Nick Dusil, the founder of Iowa Giving Crew, joins me to talk about what's broken and what's working in the nonprofit space. We're exploring the psychology of giving, the need for humility in service, the balance between storytelling and ego, and why effective altruism must meet local compassion head-on.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, including:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/giving-better-rethinking-charity-in-a-new-era/id1852061756?i=1000736142662

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2IQWhOfOvGxCQlqlfkgaDa?si=Ng4JTZw1Q3SQLTjEbL43Qw

iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-only-advance-with-jesse-t-306196162/

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/461ea654-fd4b-43f4-b0a4-d80e5185f0a7

05/27/2026

Only a few more days to double your impact for Operation Awareness!

Your support helps families and friends memorialize their loved one who has died by su***de with a tile in their honor on the Legacy Wall at Foundation 2 Crisis Services.

Together, we can make your donation go twice as far. Donate at
https://iowagivingcrew.networkforgood.com/projects/299732-igc-supports-mental-health-awareness-month-may-26

Learn more about our partnership with Foundation 2 Crisis Services at foundation2.org/operation-awareness

*Donations up to $4,000 made to IGC between May 1-31, 2026

05/25/2026

05/20/2026

We know the value of community. Your donation can help provide community for those who have lost a loved one to su***de. The bimonthly su***de loss support group with Foundation 2 Crisis Services is always free and open to everyone.

During Mental Health Awareness Month, we are matching 100% of donations to support Foundation 2 Crisis Services’ life-saving mental health and su***de prevention programming.

You can donate at
https://iowagivingcrew.networkforgood.com/projects/299732-igc-supports-mental-health-awareness-month-may-26
*Donations up to $4,000 made to IGC between May 1-31, 2026

05/18/2026

As always, we had a great time at our 2nd favorite fundraising event (behind Gala-ish, of course!) with our friends from Foundation 2 Crisis Services on Friday! Thank you to everyone who stopped by!

As part of IGC's Operation Awareness, during May's Mental Health Awareness Month, we are matching 100% of donations to support Foundation 2 Crisis Services’ programming. You can donate at https://iowagivingcrew.networkforgood.com/projects/299732-igc-supports-mental-health-awareness-month-may-26

Learn more about our partnership with Foundation 2 Crisis Services at foundation2.org/igc

05/14/2026

We will be at 2 Crisis Services Putts for Prevention event tomorrow at the The Map Room stop! Come by to say hi and help us reach our goal of raising $4,000 for Operation Awareness!

During Mental Health Awareness Month, we are matching 100% of donations to support Foundation 2 Crisis Services’ life-saving mental health and su***de prevention programming. They support people in crisis more than 100,000 times per year.

Donate in person tomorrow or at https://iowagivingcrew.networkforgood.com/projects/299732-igc-supports-mental-health-awareness-month-may-26

Learn more about our partnership with Foundation 2 Crisis Services at foundation2.org/igc

*Donations up to $4,000 made to IGC between May 1-31, 2026