Christine Lauridsen and Rob Sand with their sons, Tait and Axel.
Christine Lauridsen and Rob Sand established an endowment to promote long-term sustainability for central Iowa nonprofits.
After a year that rocked the world, Christine Lauridsen and Rob Sand wanted to close out 2020 with a little bit of hope.
“The pandemic was not as hard for us as it was for many other people,” says Sand, who currently serves as the Iowa State Auditor. “Seeing our whole community rise to the challenge made us feel like we wanted to challenge ourselves as well.”
The married couple lives in Des Moines with their two young sons, Tait and Axel. Lauridsen, CEO of Lauridsen Group, says they wanted to strengthen local nonprofits for the long haul, so they could weather the ups and downs of crises like pandemics, natural disasters, and economic downturns. The endowment she and Sand established is a permanent, never-ending gift to United Way of Central Iowa—providing long-term stability for the organization and its nonprofit partners.
The couple’s decision was influenced in part by United Way of Central Iowa’s four-star rating—the highest available—from Charity Navigator for 16 consecutive years. This independent accreditation gave them the confidence they needed to make an endowment.
“Giving to charity is good, period,” Sand says. "But when you know that you are giving to an effective charity, that’s even better.”
Lauridsen and Sand are committed to giving back while they’re still young, in contrast to those who delay philanthropy until retirement. By establishing an endowment in their late 30s, the couple is adding decades to the investment’s growth—meaning many more people will benefit from their support. A century from now, the endowment will still be improving lives and fostering community. No one knows what the future holds, but the couple’s gift will put central Iowa on a clearer path toward equity and opportunity for every person who lives here.
“I think giving your time or giving your money is liberating,” Sand explains. “At the end of the day, a huge piece of the impact is just having done it; having said: ‘This is ours, and we're going to give it to other people who need it.’”
We Are Here to Chat
Contact Chase Young at 515-246-6504 or chase.young@unitedwaydm.org to start the conversation about your future impact today.