Something remarkable is happening in our community

by Sue Hafkemeyer
President & CEO

Last year, our region reached a new level of generosity and collective impact. At a time when nonprofits and communities are facing growing and complex challenges, donors stepped forward with renewed commitment and purpose.

With more than $31 million raised through estate commitments and donor gifts, it truly was an incredible year of philanthropy.

That includes a record $692,000 in donor-funded Community Foundation scholarships awarded to local students. And, in just the last two months of the year, we granted $2.4 million to community organizations. That’s real dollars making real change for individuals and families in our community. Donor support for education, healthcare, housing, food, the arts, and dozens of other important causes all add up to making a positive, tangible change in the Quad Cities region. 

In addition to this tremendous generosity, the Harris family made a historic $10 million commitment to endow the Hunt and Diane Harris Center for Nonprofit Excellence. That commitment will ensure the Harris Center—built by nonprofits, for nonprofits—can continue to bring hundreds of nonprofit professionals through our doors each year to learn, share, and grow together.

We saw the same commitment in December, when ten local funders, including the Community Foundation, came together to issue a $300,000 matching challenge to raise funds for River Bend Food Bank. Our community rose to the occasion, surpassing the match and contributing over $600,000 for hunger relief in our region.

That’s what I mean when I call our progress a movement. It’s thousands of people rising to the occasion to say, “Count me in.” And the movement is growing wider every year. It’s building for our affiliates in Fulton, Geneseo, Morrison, Mount Carroll, Cedar County, and Van Buren County. And it's building for our corporate partners who are giving back to the communities they work in. 

You—our donors, nonprofit partners, friends, and neighbors—were the key to our success last year. In this New Year, we will revisit our strategic direction and consider the ways we can deepen relationships, welcome new ones, and continue to double down on our mission to transform the region through generosity. And as always, you’ll be an integral part of how we do our work together.