Meet Your Trusted Partners at Allen Foundation
Every day, patients and their loved ones turn to UnityPoint Health - Waterloo, seeking comfort and healing. At the Allen Foundation, we are deeply honored to join hands with you to ensure exceptional care and support remains close to home and is available when patients need it most.
We invite you to meet your dedicated partners in giving: the members of the Allen Foundation team and the Allen Foundation Board of Directors. We look forward to working with you to explore meaningful ways to support the causes close to your heart, bringing hope and healing to patients and families.
Our work begins with our vision:
Allen Foundation endows the best outcome for every patient, and every student, every time.
This vision fuels our mission:
Allen Foundation strengthens the programs, services and community relationships of UnityPoint Health – Waterloo.
UnityPoint Health – Allen Foundation partners with donors like you to ensure access to high-quality health care for patients and families who rely on the compassion and expertise of UnityPoint Health – Waterloo, a not-for-profit health care organization. Your generosity supports a standard of excellence in care, innovation and comfort that would not be possible without you.
In 1925, a local businessman Henry B. Allen donated $200,000 and 80 acres of land to establish a hospital in memory of his wife Mary C. Allen. Today, the dedicated team at Allen Foundation continues this legacy of impactful philanthropy, ensuring that every gift creates a lasting impact where it's needed most.
All funds raised through Allen Foundation support various programs at UnityPoint Health - Waterloo. We do not provide direct grants to external organizations. Allen Foundation operates as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization and serves as the charitable arm of UnityPoint Health – Waterloo.
Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the not-for-profit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:
- To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
- To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
- To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.
- To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
- To receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition.
- To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
- To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
- To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
- To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
- To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.
Adopted 1964, Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Copyright AFP, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Your generosity gives hope and healing to patients and families. Discover how your giving makes a difference.
Meet Our Team
Our team is here to help you find ways of giving through Allen Foundation that are unique and meaningful to you. We're eager to connect with you, hear your story, and discuss opportunities to partner in supporting patients, families, caregivers, and our community. Click the arrows below to learn more about each of our team members!
Mike Lind
Executive Director
Mike serves as the Executive Director of UnityPoint Health – Allen Foundation. He joined the Allen Foundation in 2015 and was promoted to his current role in 2017. He oversees all philanthropic activity in the Waterloo region with focus on Allen Hospital, Allen College, UnityPoint Clinics, including the Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health Center, and UnityPoint Hospice. His oversight also spreads through the region to the Marshalltown Foundation and Friends of Community Memorial Hospital (Sumner).
Under Mike's leadership, the Allen Foundation annually raises an average of $2.8 million in philanthropic gifts, while transferring on average $2.5 million in philanthropic funds to Allen entities.
Mike was part of the launch of the For Allen For You capital campaign to extend Allen Hospital’s impact throughout the Cedar Valley. The successful $14.5 million campaign was among the largest in Allen’s nearly 100-year history.
His previous experience includes time as executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa. In this role, his primary task was on fundraising to sustain important mentoring programs in Black Hawk and Bremer counties. Prior to Big Brothers Big Sisters, he served five years as director of development at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, where he led a $7 million campaign for the food bank’s new facility.
As a lifelong resident of Waterloo, Mike takes pride in serving his local community. He is a member of the Rotary Club, his church and is passionate about supporting Catholic education. He is currently the booster club president at St. Patrick’s Catholic School in Cedar Falls and has coached a variety of youth sports for over 20 years. In 2016, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier recognized Mike as a 20 Under 40 honoree, including him in a prestigious group of established leaders in our area.
Mike is a proud graduate of Loras College and resides in Waterloo, with his wife and four children.
Tammy Bedard
Annual Gifts Coordinator
Tammy is the Annual Gifts Coordinator for the Allen Foundation. In this role, she also supports marketing and event planning for Allen College. With nearly 25 years of experience in marketing, she brings significant expertise to her position. Previously, she spent 13 years as a trustee and president of a local hospital foundation, along with three years of involvement with her previous employer’s charitable foundation.
She holds a BA in Communication from Wartburg College in Waverly, IA and was a graduate of the Cedar Valley Leadership Institute. Recognized for her leadership, she was honored as a 20 Under 40 recipient by the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier in 2008, highlighting her outstanding community contributions. Actively engaged in her local community, she serves as an ambassador for the local chamber.
Tammy and her husband, Chad, live in a small town just outside of Waterloo. They enjoy spending time with their two adult children and exploring Iowa’s countryside in their Jeep Wrangler.
Susan Decker
Grant Coordinator
Susan joined the Allen Foundation in September 2021 as a grant writer for Allen College. She collaborates on grant applications and completes reports for awarded grants, finding great satisfaction in working with her colleagues. Susan actively seeks funding opportunities to support students and various programs, appreciating the learning experiences each grant process brings and fulfilling the efforts for the college.
Based in southwest Indiana since early 2021, she shares her home with two large dogs and a small cat, relishing the transition from Las Vegas, Nevada, to embrace the Midwest's distinct seasons and pursue her newfound passion for gardening, particularly successful with tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers. Beyond her professional endeavors, Susan dedicates her time to volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters and serving on the Board of Directors of NewLife Rescue and Adoption.
Anne Denholm
Hospice Development Coordinator
Anne joined Allen Foundation and the UnityPoint Hospice program in March of 2024 as a Development Coordinator. She brings more than 30 years of experience in marketing, communications, fundraising and public relations. Her most recent position was with Self-Help International in Waverly, where she served as the Development Director.
In her current role, Anne focuses on planning the Hops for Hospice event, overseeing the IMPACT Grant program and coordinating the Hospice GIFT (Giving It Forward Together) fund, in addition to other duties that support the patients and families of UnityPoint Hospice in Waterloo.
She and her husband, Jack, moved to Cedar Falls in 2021 following his retirement. They have two adult children and one grandchild.
Jan Erpelding
Legacy Program Coordinator
Jan is the Legacy Program Coordinator and actively recruits Allen College nursing students to commit to at least two years of employment at Allen Hospital. In return, students receive financial assistance during their final two semesters of their healthcare program. Jan's motivation lies in encouraging top Allen College BSN graduates to remain with Allen Hospital, ensuring they contribute to providing excellent care for patients and families. With nearly two decades of experience as a nurse recruiter, she brings valuable expertise to her role.
She actively supports the Alumni Association and fosters relationships with donors who generously support the Allen Foundation initiatives. She passionately advocates for the Nursing Honor Guard and plays an active role in Business Professional Women which offers scholarships for women.
Jan and her husband, Bruce, enjoy time with their four children and seven grandchildren, prioritizing family vacations, and activities of their grandchildren.
Kim French
Development Director
Kim is honored to serve as the Development Director for the Allen Foundation. With nearly a decade of dedicated service to the Foundation and 32 years with UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital in various roles, she is deeply committed to our mission and community. Some affectionately call her a “lifer” at Allen, a testament to her unwavering dedication and passion for the organization. Kim obtained her CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) certification in 2023 and recently graduated from the Cedar Valley Leadership Institute.
Throughout her tenure, she has witnessed the remarkable care and compassion the team consistently provides to the community. Her goal is to leverage her extensive experience within the organization to align with the philanthropic passions of generous donors. She is eager to connect with individuals to help expand the impactful programs and initiatives of the Allen Foundation.
She is a proud native of the Cedar Valley, where she lives with her husband, Carlin. They are blessed with four grown children and five wonderful grandchildren. In her spare time, she enjoys putting her Master Gardener designation to good use, nurturing her own yard and volunteering at Prairie Parkway Garden.
Leann Hoffman
Foundation Operations Coordinator
Leann joined the Allen Foundation in January of 2022 as the Foundation Operations Coordinator. Along with her degree from the University of Northern Iowa, she offers over 30 years of experience in marketing, community education, public relations and the non-profit sector.
Throughout her career, she has owned her own restaurant and lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado for seven years while working for the Arthritis Foundation and later, the Medical Education and Research Institute of Colorado.
Leann lives in Waterloo with her furry friend, Layla, a 7-pound peke-a-poo, and enjoys hiking, reading, music, being outdoors and volunteering at her church.
Mary Kunkle
Grant Services Manager
Mary is the Manager of Grant Services for UnityPoint Health – Allen Foundation. She joined Allen’s team in 2010, bringing fundraising experience in the arts, economic development and higher education. She works with teams from across the Waterloo region to discover grant opportunities, develop applications and budgets, and manage reporting and claims. The resulting grants equip UnityPoint Health – Waterloo entities to better serve our community through a wide range of exceptional programs and impactful capital projects that would otherwise not be financially feasible.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from the University of Northern Iowa and a Master of Urban Planning degree from Wayne State University (Detroit). She is a member of the Grant Professionals Association and is Grant Professional Certified (GPC). She also earned a Certificate in Federal Grants Management for Recipients from Management Concepts.
Mary and her husband recently moved to Tennessee, where hiking to discover new trails and waterfalls is becoming a way of life. In the process, Mary also enjoys birdwatching and practicing photography.