Susan Willey

Director of Planned Giving, Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation

Susan Willey is the Director of Planned Giving at the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. Susan is responsible for meeting with current fund holders and identifying, cultivating and soliciting planned gifts from potential donors.  She cultivates relationships with financial advisors, attorneys, accountants, insurance agents and other estate planning professionals regarding gift opportunities for fund holders and prospects.  Susan attended UCLA where she studied Political Science and Economics. She went on to get her Law Degree at the University of California Hastings College of the Law and her Masters in Tax Law from Georgetown University. Susan was a lawyer at Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman for tax, business and estate planning groups. She also worked at RSM US in the National Tax Group for 23 years and was on the Senate Finance Committee of Senator Grassley’s Tax Council prior to that. Susan was the chair of the Tax Section of the Iowa State Bar Association 2015-2016.

Contributions

Community Foundations Network Topical Call: Donor Check-in Meetings

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Molly Rand, Marie D’Costa, Bob Eichinger, Susan Willey

What is on the agenda for your annual or more frequent donor check-in meetings? Bob Eichinger and Molly Rand from the Chicago Community Trust, Marie D’Costa from the New York Community Trust, and Susan Willey from the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation will share how they connect with donors and structure their check-in meetings with families… Read More

Community Foundation Spark Session: Building Blocks for Successful Family Philanthropy Services

Posted on February 28, 2019 by Gary Butterworth, Samuel Clark, Michelle Beisker, Susan Willey, Tony Macklin

An increasing number of consultants, wealth management firms, Donor-Advised Fund sponsors, and more are positioning themselves as trusted guides in families’ philanthropic journeys. They’re answering families’ questions about social impact, values alignment, successor generation preparation and engagement, and more.   Will your community foundation maintain a competitive advantage in that marketplace? Will you be positioned as a trusted resource beyond grants… Read More