Community Foundation awards three nonprofits $5,500 in Impact Grants

The Quad Cities Community Foundation is pleased to announce that three nonprofit organizations received Impact Grants totaling $5,500 during the April 2014 grant cycle. Impact Grants are distributed monthly, and are made possible by the Community Impact Endowment. This Endowment has over 100 donors and gives the Community Foundation the flexibility to meet a wide range of community needs as they arise.

A newly established initiative was chosen as a one of three grant recipients out of nine applicants.  The Thurgood Marshall Learning Center’s “Empowering Potential” reading program started on the first day of school, August 5, 2013.  The Center is a referral school for junior and senior high school students from the Rock Island-Milan School District and serves approximately 115 students with issues related to behavior, truancy, and learning difficulties.  The students are served by 10 certified staff members, two counselors, and a social worker.

Empowering Potential received a $1,500 Impact Grant from the Quad Cities Community Foundation to purchase Accelerated Reader (AR) books to support their mission of developing grade level reading skills among all Marshall Learning Center students.  Reading skills are essential to success in school, work, and life.  To be functionally literate in our society, an individual must read at a 9th grade level.  At the Marshall Learning Center, the students’ average reading ability is at the 5th grade level with over 85% reading below grade level.

Since its inception, as of December 2013, the average student reading grade-level increase by 1 full year of growth and student engagement has increased in homeroom classes and computer labs.  Students are now reading and taking quizzes when finished with class work.  “We are thrilled with the progress of the students in the Empowering Potential reading program,” said Phillip Ambrose, Thurgood Marshall’s Principal.  “This program has made a quick and significant impact on the 36 participating students and we look forward to its continued success.”

For the students in the program, there have been more successes, including:

  • 3,517,094 words read

  • 2,825 books read

  • 75% of the students met or exceeded expectations of one month of growth for one month of schooling

  • 20 students now have public library cards

Additional 2014 Impact Grant recipients:

  • LYDIA Home – Davenport, IA 

New Color copier/printer, $1,500

Strengthening families to care for children and caring for children when families cannot.

  • National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater Mississippi Valley – Davenport, IA

Education/Outreach Capacity Building, $2,500

NAMI is dedicated to the eradication of mental illnesses and to the improvement of the quality of life of all whose lives are affected by these diseases.

If you are interested in donating to the Community Impact Endowment to support causes like the Empowering Potential reading program, please call 563-326-2840 to speak with our Development staff about a charitable gift.

The Quad Cities Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that connects people who care with causes that matter. Community Foundation meets the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations as established by the Council on Foundations.

 

Melanie JonesNonprofits, Grant