15 Minutes with Bill Knapp: ‘When You Die, You Don’t Take One Thing with You’

I sat down with West Des Moines real estate developer Bill Knapp recently and talked about his gift of land and money to the Meals from the Heartland hunger relief organization. That naturally led to a discussion about philanthropy in general and the importance of sharing good fortune to make communities better.

Knapp started out dirt poor in southern Iowa and is now one of the state’s leading philanthropists, especially to charities that support neighborhoods and the people living in them.

He and his company, Knapp Properties, where he is chairman emeritus, have  given some $20 million over the past several years to fund major cultural attractions, venues and charities, like Meals from the Heartland, which gives ordinary people with limited financial means the opportunity to contribute to community causes with volunteer labor.

“Bill epitomizes the members of any given community who know and feel an obligation to make the community better and make giving a big part of their success,” Neugent said.

Read more: Why Bill Knapp Opened His Heart – and His Checkbook – to Tackle Hunger

In down-to-earth, plain-spoken words, here are excerpts from the conversation:

What are the rewards of giving?

“I do it because I want to do it. It’s in my heart to do it.”

Do you feel an obligation to give?

“I wouldn’t feel good about living a pretty good life. I have a lot of good things, and I couldn’t feel good about having that if I didn’t give. Not everyone has an equal chance.”

You were one of those people who started out poor. How did that influence you?

“When you come from southern Iowa, from the farm, you don’t forget it. It’s hard for me to forget it. I feel very lucky that I have been able to give something back.”

As a person of significant means, do you have a special obligation?

“If you have the means to do it, you owe a lot back. It’s important that people know they have somewhat of an obligation to give back, and do it as an example to others.”

Where would the Des Moines area be without people who share that philosophy?

“A lot of good people have made something good happen in this community and state. When you die, you don’t take one thing with you, but making legacy gifts encourages other people to do something meaningful.”

Is there concern among community leaders about the next generation of philanthropists in the Des Moines metro area?

“There are a lot of companies that started here that are now owned by out-of-state corporations that don’t have the commitment a lot of us had, and some are very conservative in giving. But Des Moines is pretty special. We do seem to rise to the occasion.”

Is philanthropy good business?

“You will be a lot more successful in business if you take an interest in your community by giving back, by helping to raise money for good causes. You’ll get a lot more satisfaction out of being successful if you’re making a commitment to make the community a better place.”

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