Affinity for an organization grows over time, and the donor journey is ever-evolving. That’s the case with some of United Way of Central Iowa’s most loyal donors, including Benjy Klostermann, Sean Vicente, and Tim Rhoades.
All three started their involvement with United Way of Central Iowa through their employers and ended up as committed Education Leadership Initiative (ELI) members who are passionate about the work the group continues to do—ensuring central Iowa’s middle and high school students can stay on a path to graduation and gain essential building blocks for a better life. ELI invests in proven strategies to help middle school students transition into high school and graduate with a plan for their future.
For Benjy Klostermann, the first connection he had with United Way of Central Iowa was through his employer, Wells Fargo. The company’s annual giving campaign included a variety of fun activities to inspire engagement with United Way.
“As I started to grow in my career, a mentor told me about United Way’s ELI affinity group, and I went to a Luncheon with Leaders session,” Klostermann said. “While there, I heard an executive in the Greater Des Moines business community speak about their passion for the community in a room full of 30 engaged leaders who shared those same passions. Immediately I knew this was something I wanted to explore.”
Since then, Klostermann has gotten involved with United Way as more than just a donor.
“Through volunteer events and social gatherings, I continued to see more about the positive impact ELI has on at-risk youth in central Iowa,” he shared. “After about a year, I joined the ELI events planning committee and helped organize the 10-year ELI celebration at Stine Barn and other networking events throughout the year.”
After being an ELI member for five years, Klostermann began to inquire about joining the group’s investment committee. It took a couple years for a spot to open on the committee, but as someone with an operations mindset, it has been helpful and engaging to Klostermann to understand more about how each investment in ELI benefits broader United Way goals.
From 2020 to 2022, Klostermann also served as campaign co-chair for ELI and had the privilege of interacting with a group of leaders on the wider United Way campaign.
Today, Klostermann is a member of United Way’s Tocqueville Society as well. This group recognizes the generosity of individuals and families contributing at the highest levels of personal giving. Their donations are invested to create measurable and lasting impact on the community’s most urgent issues.
“For me, the Tocqueville Society was an aspirational goal I’ve had since joining ELI and learning about the many programs we support to help at-risk youth,” Klostermann said. “The step-up programs for all affinity groups at United Way make it very easy to consider stretching my annual contribution and aligning our family’s giving goals to a focused opportunity like ELI.”
Klostermann shared he has many great memories from being involved with ELI, but one of his favorites was when he toured the McCombs Boys and Girls Club with a group and played dodgeball with the kids.
“Everyone had a great time, and we connected on a different level with the students,” he said. “Any time I visit one of the locations where an ELI supported program serves students, it leaves an impression and reinvigorates the desire to do more to help.”
Fellow ELI member Sean Vicente was the affinity group’s very first investment committee chair, which led him to serving as United Way of Central Iowa’s Board Chair from July 2021-July 2023.
Vicente shared he was initially introduced to United Way in two ways, one of which was part of his firm, KPMG’s, annual United Way workplace campaign.
“I attended a campaign event, received my pledge card, and made a gift with the understanding that this was just how you did things as part of a company doing business in the community,” he said. “But it soon went beyond just completing a pledge card when I was nominated to serve in a loaned executive capacity in St. Louis. This gave me the opportunity to experience and support how other companies were driving engagement and support for the work of United Way.”
In 2001, Vicente was asked by KPMG to move to Des Moines, and it was at that point his relationship with United Way of Central Iowa became a core part of his community involvement.
“From my early days with ELI, involvement on the annual United Way Campaign Cabinet, board service, finance/audit committee chair responsibilities, and ultimately service as board chair, it has been a journey that has allowed me to give input to not only how the organization thinks about its operations, but also the different facets of the work and the importance placed on that by individuals of all walks of life throughout the community,” he said.
Over his years of involvement, Vicente has seen how deeply United Way impacts people.
“I firmly believe that if you take the time to volunteer and visit the community partners and see those whose lives are being impacted by support from United Way, you know that you have made a difference,” he said. “If you talked to people whose lives have been impacted by United Way, you know you have made a difference. Can we solve all the issues, maybe not, but that doesn’t lessen the impact nor our resolve.”
Vicente added, “I am also proud that I can look anyone in the eye and tell them that United Way of Central Iowa is dedicated to being a true steward of the trust and financial commitments placed in the organization’s care. I like to think I played some small part in both through my time and financial support.”
Tim Rhoades’ relationship with United Way of Central Iowa also began with a workplace campaign nearly 20 years ago.
“I grew up in a low-income family and benefited from different resources during my childhood education and wanted to give back,” he said. “Seeing how the company (John Deere Financial) was committed to United Way by matching funds donated by employees made me feel like my dollars would go further.”
Rhoades’ relationship with United Way has grown over the years through varying levels of participation, from giving of his time and financial resources to leading his workplace’s campaign in 2011 to serving on the Campaign Cabinet representing ELI two different times over the past decade.
Rhoades explained that what initially led him to becoming an ELI member was knowing that his investments would be used for programming to help keep kids in schools during challenging transition years.
“I was lucky to have family support to do my best in school throughout K-12, but I know that not all have that same support and wanted to help with supportive programming and volunteer with organizations that helped with these years as well,” he said. “Overall, I want to ensure students are successful in their education and become a performing member of society. Knowing that today’s students are the future leaders of the community drives me to continue to be engaged.”
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