Because of you
By Randy Moore / Board chairperson and interim president & CEO
In a few short weeks, we’ll welcome Sue Hafkemeyer to the Quad Cities Community Foundation as our next president and CEO. It’s easy to imagine the excitement and pride Sue must be feeling—and with her long background in nonprofit leadership and community development, we’re all thrilled to see her join the team.
At the same time, one thing the hiring process has underscored is that the Community Foundation is bigger than any one person. As board chairperson, I’ve had the privilege of working with our board, our more than 150 volunteers, and our staff, a group of dedicated, expert professionals who live out the Community Foundation’s mission to transform the region through the generosity of donors every day. But the Community Foundation is even bigger than that.
How big is it? As big as our community itself. After all, we were established by our community for our community—and we’re responsible to it.
Back in 1964, we were founded by community leaders as a place where our community could join together to build the resources needed to address our region’s most pressing needs and promising opportunities. That original vision is still with us today. Even more, the collaborative spirit our founders embodied is at the heart of why the Community Foundation has grown over the 57 years since then—and why we’ll continue to serve as the region’s trusted resource for generosity for decades to come.
The Community Foundation is a vibrant platform, but it’s your passion, your commitment, and your generosity that shapes the transformational work we do with you. And what transformational work it is! Just last year, donors made gifts totaling $19 million, while we granted out $10.8 million, surpassing $100 million in all-time grantmaking. Here’s how that $10.8 million broke down:
Arts, culture, and museums: $0.8 million
Health and human services: $3.5 million
Community improvement and development: $2 million
Education, research, and scholarships: $1.8 million
Philanthropy and voluntarism: $0.8 million
Religion and spiritual development: $1.7 million
Environment and animal welfare: $0.2 million
Our team plays the vital role of making it easy for donors to connect with the causes and nonprofits they care about in ways that are meaningful to them. And when Sue joins us, she’ll begin to help us play that role even better. But the community resources above—and that incredible milestone—are only possible because of you.
So today, ask yourself where you see a need or an opportunity in our community. What do you want to learn more about, and where do you want to make your impact? To explore those questions with us, just give our office a call or send us an email. We’re here for you—and we hope to see you soon.