Our Purpose

Connecting young people to their futures and communities.

LBA exists to help all kids lead, believe and achieve their way to a brighter future. Our work is based on the core belief that every child has leadership potential. We firmly believe with the right helping hand, every child has it within them to become successful leaders of their own destiny, regardless of socioeconomic status or any other fact.  Through intentional future mapping and programming which exposes kids to the possibilities of life after graduation, we help kids from all backgrounds develop a bridge between their now and tomorrow. By involving community leaders and businesses in the process, we bridge the gap between adults in the community today and our future adults of tomorrow.

History & Impact

LBA was founded in 2010 in Cedar Rapids, IA, born through a growing
and urgent need in the community
for programs that support and
mentor youth.

Click here to learn more about our ongoing work in this community.

More about our impact can be found
in our annual reports (2021, 2022).  

Special thanks to our 2023 Community Advisory council.

Ryan Bosch -Bosch Financial

Paul Bell – Financial Concepts

Trace Pickering – Educator, Iowa BIG School

Tremaine Sideeq – Linn County Sheriff’s Dept.

Kerry Crowell – Business Consultant

board of directors

  • Rashar Morgan

    President

    IA Department of Corrections - 6th Judicial

  • Todd Stark

    Vice President

    Entreprenuer

  • Sarah Hills Sandersfeld

    Secretary

    IA Department of Human Services

  • Albert Carr

    Treasurer

    Community Activist, Black Men of CR

  • Sharon lindo steele

    Board Member

    Entreprenuer

  • Alphonce O’Bannon

    Ex-Officio Board Member

    LBA Executive Director

  • "Being a part of the LBA Foundation showed me how important it is to give back to my community. I learned so much about myself and how I want to continue to serve others in my community. The LBA Foundation has shown me how you can change people's lives when you show you care about them."

    Keegan Murray, University of Iowa Basketball Player and NBA Lottery Draftee

  • "We do a lot of fun stuff in LBA and that makes it easier to work with the team when we have to really work hard. They always say ‘working on yourself is hard’ and that’s the truth! But I like how LBA has given me the confidence to ask questions and try new things.”

    Alysha

  • “I love working with LBA because they help me think about things no one has made me think about before.”

    Jacque

  • “LBA helped me create a whole plan of what I was going to do after high school—and didn’t dismiss my ideas as foolish or impractical. We worked together to come up with a written plan on how I would reach my dream and then I was able to share with my parents and have them better see how I really could achieve my goals.”

    Javon

  • “I never even realized all the different careers that were out there until I got involved in LBA. It has completely changed the way I see my future and now I’m connected to people in the field I want to pursue because of LBA.”

    Addison

  • “I love LBA because as Coach Al says, ‘It’s all about me.’ LBA is a place where I’ve learned to be a leader and realized I have some skills others don’t have but they don’t always get to shine in traditional classes. LBA has helped me figure out what I’m good at and try and focus on being great at those things.”

    Devon

Join us in helping form a brighter tomorrow for our communities.