Since its founding in 1851, Coe College has enjoyed a dynamic and productive partnership with the greater Cedar Rapids community. Area businesses help fund crucial campus improvements, such as our renovated Kesler Lecture Hall, equipping electronic classrooms, and contributing to our East Campus expansion, which benefits not only Coe students, but City residents alike. Many local corporations are also strong supporters of Coe’s academic, athletic, and cultural programs, as well as our scholarship program that makes it possible for talented students (and future employees) to attend Coe College.

In turn, Coe has helped Cedar Rapids become a great place to live and conduct business: educating young professionals, spurring economic activity, promoting community service, and enriching the area’s cultural, recreational, and intellectual life.

Coe College is grateful for the support of its many corporate and not-for-profit partners. We strive to provide the best possible education for our students by strengthening our community partnerships and establishing new ones.

Contributions to Coe College are tax-deductible and provide vital support for critical areas of the College’s operation, including:

• student financial aid (approximately 96% of Coe students receive financial aid)
• educational programs
• classroom technology
• teaching and learning resources
• faculty development
• student/faculty research opportunities
• program enrichment
• faculty salaries so that we may recruit and retain the best in the field
• student activities
• athletics
• facility maintenance

Support of these areas is essential for Coe to maintain and expand its current level of academic excellence and service to the community.

In fiscal year 2005-2006, Coe College received more than $761,000 in gifts from corporations. Coe College is grateful to these partners whose investment in Coe enriches the educational experience for the 1,300 students on our campus and helps us remain an asset to the community.

Corporate Scholarship Program. With a contribution of $500 or more, Coe will create a one-time scholarship in your company’s name. In the fall, the College will notify you of the student who received the scholarship and provide you with an opportunity to meet the student, if you choose. This is an excellent way to personalize your gift to the College and to increase recognition of your company.

Coe enriches our community by:

Providing a well-educated work force
More than one-third of Coe’s alumni live and work in Iowa, some 3,800 of them in and around Cedar Rapids. With their degrees from one of the region’s top liberal arts colleges, these men and women provide key leadership in all levels of government, business, and human service organizations.

Serving the Cedar Rapids community

• Coe is engaged in partnerships with several community schools, including neighboring Polk Elementary School.
• With an annual budget of over $34 million, Coe generates significant economic activity in and around Cedar Rapids.
• Based on participation in a study with the Chamber of Commerce and the Iowa Department of Economic Development, Coe’s economic impact on the greater Cedar Rapids community is over $75 million.
• Coe’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program produces a high percentage of the nurses in area health care facilities.
• Coe’s teacher education department worked with the Cedar Rapids Community Schools system to develop a highly regarded Master of Arts in Teaching program for area teachers.
• Coe draws approximately 13,000 out-of-town visitors annually.

Internships
The Coe Plan requires each student to complete an internship, practicum, or research fieldwork before graduation. As a result, Coe students complete hundreds of full-time and part-time internships in Cedar Rapids and Marion area organizations, helping area employers achieve their goals and allowing Coe students to apply their liberal arts educations in real-world settings and increase their employability skills.

Enhancing cultural and recreational life
Coe’s Marquis Lecture & Performance Series, the Thursday Forum Lecture Series, the Contemporary Issues Forum, and a host of music and theater events – all widely attended by local community members and available at little or no cost – bring an exciting roster of top-notch speakers and performers to our city.

In addition, the community regularly enjoys campus facilities, ranging from college meeting rooms to the Clark Racquet Center and Field, used by local organizations for events like the Special Olympics and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

Please join us in our mission.

Stories of Generosity