The Founders

The Grand Impact was established in 2021 by five Cedar Rapids business and community leaders—Lura McBride of Van Meter, James Klein of Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, Beth Malicki of KCRG-TV9, Jason Smith of TrueNorth Companies, and David Sorg of OPN Architects. They recognized a gap in traditional charitable giving—many nonprofits had innovative, high-impact ideas but lacked access to meaningful, project-specific funding to bring them to life. Drawing on their collective leadership across business, media, finance, and design, they created a model centered on pooled giving and direct community engagement. The vision was simple but powerful: bring together local companies to fund one transformative initiative each year, enabling a nonprofit to fully address an emerging need and create measurable, lasting impact across the Cedar Rapids community.

Lura McBride

Van Meter, Inc

Jason Smith

TrueNorth Companies

Beth Malicki

KCRG-TV9

James Klein

CRBT

David Sorg

OPN Architects

Operations Team

The Grand Impact is led by a dedicated managing team responsible for fundraising, planning, and executing the annual event. This group includes Parks McBride and Camden Stovie of Harrison Group, Inc., Danielle Monthei of Van Meter, and Chelsea Herber of Hall Perrine Foundation. Together, they work year-round to engage local businesses, coordinate the nonprofit application and selection process, and deliver a high-quality, community-focused event. Their efforts ensure The Grand Impact continues to grow, attract strong participation, and deliver meaningful results for nonprofits across the Cedar Rapids area.