2026 Employee Giving Campaign

2026 Employee Giving Campaign

Match Challenge:
When Kirkwood Cares,
Every Dollar Doubles

Every gift made during the 2026 Kirkwood Cares Employee Campaign to the Presidents and Leaders for Tomorrow Scholarships will have double the impact. As part of The Community's College — The Community's Future campaign, a generous donor has pledged to match all contributions to this endowment, dollar for dollar, up to $1 million.

We are down to our last $60,000 to reach this goal!

Yes, I will support the campaign!

Interested in a different fund? While other funds may not be matched, your gift still fuels our $15 million campaign.

 

The Community's College — The Community's Future Funding Opportunities

The Kirkwood Foundation's goal is to make college more accessible to all. The Community's College — The Community's Future campaign plans to raise $15 million in funds for:

Campaign Funding Opportunities

The Kirkwood Foundation’s primary goal is to make college more accessible to all. Scholarships provide an opportunity for education and training, and make a tremendous impact in the lives of students and their families.

  • Credit Scholarships: The existing scholarship program provides support for students at all academic and financial levels enrolled in a credit program, such as the Presidential, Leaders for Tomorrow, Athletics, or any department specific scholarship.
  • Continuing Education Scholarships: The scholarship program will be expanded to include Continuing Education short-term training programs.

Students encountering financial insecurity face significant barriers to continuing their education. The Student Success Fund is designed to provide support for students beyond tuition to ensure they do not lose momentum toward completing their degree, diploma or certificate.

  • Advisor Awarded Emergency Grants: Funding provides emergency grants to students for unforeseen expenses that, if not resolved quickly, would lead to the student’s departure from Kirkwood.
  • Assistance for Non-Tuition Expenses: Many career and technical programs require students to incur expenses beyond tuition, such as licensure fees, personal protective equipment, uniforms, and tools.

Kirkwood offers community-based English Acquisition courses to help English language learners speak, read, and write in English. Kirkwood receives limited state funding to offer these ESL courses at no cost. Due to limited funding, the college is unable to meet the current need, with courses filling immediately.

Healthcare technology is constantly evolving, requiring regular lab and equipment upgrades to prepare students for today’s medical industry. Supporting the Healthcare Simulation Center and Anatomy & Physiology Labs is critical to maintain Kirkwood’s existing commitment to academic excellence.

Choose from 400+ funds or ask us to help you find one that fits your passion. Our most flexible option, the Area of Greatest Need for Student Assistance, supports everything from mini-grants to scholarships. Contact Alison Robinson to learn more.


Yes, I will support the campaign!

Donations can be made by cash, check, credit card, or payroll deduction.

Donate through a one-time gift or payroll deduction and receive a "Why I Give" feather. Decorate it, and return it to the Foundation or Iowa Hall Info Desk for display.

A gift of any size will make an impact.

 

A gift of any size will make an impact.

The example below starts at $5, but there is no minimum payroll deduction required.

 

Payroll Deduction Examples

Donation per pay period Annual Gift Offset the costs of tuition so students don't have to decide between
$5 $120 Buying a textbook or paying an electricity bill
$10 $240 Paying for 1 credit hour of tuition or paying the monthly cell phone bill
$20 $480 Paying for 2 credit hours or buying gas to get to campus, work, etc.
$30 $720 Buying a laptop for class or buying groceries for a family of four
$42 $1,008* Paying for 5 credit hours or paying for daycare
$50 $1,200* Paying for 6 credit hours of tuition or paying rent/mortgage

*Invitation to join Kirkwood’s President’s Circle

 

Kirkwood has 26 payroll periods, but the payroll deduction is based on 24 pay periods. For the two months with three paychecks, the deduction is taken from the first and second check of that month.

How do I make a change to an existing payroll deduction? We sincerely appreciate all the employees who currently give through payroll deduction. An existing payroll deduction counts toward this year's campaign and automatically renews annually unless you notify us otherwise. If you have questions or want to make a change to your payroll deduction, contact Tresa Wandrey at 319-398-5457 or tresa.wandrey@kirkwood.edu

Yes, I will support the campaign!