The Iowa FOI Council is grateful for the support our many friends have provided us. In each of the past two years, your gifts have become the Council’s largest source of revenue, surpassing the annual dues our members pay and proceeds from sale of our “Iowa Open Meetings, Open Records Handbook.”
We hope you will consider making a tax-deductible contribution to our organization to help us continue our important work.
Your financial assistance has allowed us to travel across our state speaking to community groups, providing training on Iowa’s “sunshine” laws for journalists, government officials and ordinary citizens, and taking our quest for improved access to records and meetings to lawmakers.
And, when necessary, your donations have permitted us to retain attorneys to argue our cause in the courts in person and in amicus briefs.
Our highest profile court case during 2018 was fought in U.S. District Court in Davenport. There, with the incomparable Michael Giudicessi representing us, we secured the release of police body camera videos and other documents that had been introduced into evidence in the wrongful-death lawsuit the family of Autumn Steele brought against the Burlington Police Department.
The court victory answered questions that had been met with stonewalling since January 2015 by police and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
There are two ways you can contribute to the Council’s work. You can mail a check to us at P.O. Box 8002, Des Moines, IA 50301. Or you can make your contribution by credit card using the “Donation” link at the top of our website, https://www.ifoic.org.
As our way of thanking contributors, a friend of the Council has given us a stack of autographed copies of Pulitzer Prize-winner Art Cullen’s new book, “Storm Lake: A Chronicle of Change, Resilience, and Hope from a Heartland Newspaper.” We will send a copy to donors who give $150 or more.
Again, thank you for your support.
— Randy Evans, Executive Director