Iowa Finance Authority Honors Charla Schafer with Kay Anderson Friend of Iowa Award

Charla Schafer, President of the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, has

received the 2026 Kay Anderson Friend of Iowa Award from the Iowa Finance Authority, one of the HousingIowa Conference’s most prestigious honors.

Presented at the 2026 HousingIowa Conference in Des Moines, the award recognizes Schafer’s leadership in advancing housing solutions in Muscatine and rural Iowa. This recognition reflects the work of the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine team and board, together with community partners and donors committed to addressing housing challenges in new ways.

Under Schafer’s leadership, the Foundation has brought together philanthropy, public and private resources, and community expertise to turn housing ideas into action. That work has included attainable homeownership, new housing development, alternative construction technologies, and financing approaches designed to make housing more feasible in rural communities.

This work is part of a broader effort by the Foundation and its partners to increase housing supply while testing approaches that can create lasting value locally and offer lessons for other rural communities facing similar challenges.

The Kay Anderson Friend of Iowa Award honors the legacy of Kay Anderson, a longtime Iowa Finance Authority board member whose service reflected a deep commitment to improving the quality of life for Iowans. The award recognizes individuals who continue that commitment through leadership and service.