A $10 million legacy gift from Diane and the late Hunt Harris family

by Sue Hafkemeyer, President & CEO
and Kent Pilcher, Board Chair

We are overjoyed to share news that will forever shape the future of our nonprofit sector and the community we all love. Diane and the late Hunt Harris family have made a historic $10 million endowment gift to the Quad Cities Community Foundation, providing sustained funding for the newly named Hunt and Diane Harris Center for Nonprofit Excellence.

This gift is transformative. It provides the Harris Center with the permanent resources it needs to strengthen and grow the nonprofits that serve every corner of the Quad Cities region. It also honors Diane and Hunt’s decades of visionary leadership, generosity, and unwavering belief that nonprofits are the backbone of a strong, vibrant, and generous community.

The Harris Center, originally envisioned by the Harrises more than a decade ago and launched in 2023, has already become a hub for collaboration, learning, and growth. More than 1,250 nonprofit leaders have participated in its workshops, networking sessions, and training programs. This includes 85 leaders representing 50 organizations who have completed flagship courses in nonprofit management and board development—and they’re already putting those lessons to work, creating impact in their organizations and beyond. 

With this gift, that momentum will continue for generations.

We are deeply grateful to the Harris family for entrusting the Community Foundation with this legacy. Their gift builds on their dream of a program “built by nonprofits, for nonprofits” that equips leaders with the tools they need to thrive. 

As we look ahead, we invite you to join us in celebrating this milestone and all that it makes possible. The Harris Center represents our community’s commitment to nonprofits. Now, our local organizations will always have the support they need to grow stronger and make an even greater impact.