The C&B Better Initiative

At Cottingham & Butler, we strive to be "Better Every Day", not only at work, but with our involvement within our community as well. This belief stemmed the idea for an internal organization, called the C&B Better Initiative, powered by our people.

To be apart of this group, teammates donate $100 per quarter. During the quarterly meetings, attendees hear from three incredible organizations and learn about the work they are doing for residents within our community.  This gives our teammates an opportunity to listen, learn, and ask questions. Upon hearing from each organization, they vote on the which they believe is most deserving, and the full $12,500 from that quarter goes to the respective winner.

Recently, was the Q4 meeting and celebration, where team members heard impact stories from past winners, listened to the top three organizations for the quarter, and voted on this quarter's grant recipient. The three organizations our people heard from were Convivium, St. Mark Youth Enrichment, and Dubuque Food Pantry. The first place grant recipient was Convivium!

Due to the generosity of our team, all three organizations were able to walk away with a donation! After this recent event, our people have given over $180,000 since 2021 for this initiative.

When talking to Vice President in Employee Benefits, Jackie Ronning. She reflects on what it has meant to give back to her community.

"I have always felt passionate about giving back," Jackie Ronning said. "When I was a child, my family benefited from some non-for-profits in my community. I have never forgotten the impact that even a small gesture can mean, so I try to give back when I can. I also know that there are many organizations that I just don’t know about here in the Dubuque community. The C&B Better Initiative has provided a really unique opportunity to learn about the needs in our community and also helps identify where our collective money can make the biggest impact."

With a little team work, you can accomplish great things. Our team at Cottingham & Butler was able to come together and make an impact on our community. We are looking forward to giving back to more local organizations with this initiative, and helping our community become "Better Every Day".

Ready to make a difference?

• Discover how you can join our team of changemakers!

• Seeking assistance for your organization? Visit Grants Homepage | Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque (dbqfoundation.org) to learn more and apply for our grant.