Bright Spots 2025

Here are just some of the “bright spots” that made 2025 a great year at the Quad Cities Community Foundation.

  • Received more than $17.6 million through 1,427 gifts, demonstrating strong regional trust and generosity. Those gifts also established 44 new funds to support community priorities.

  • Donors worked with staff to plan 19 new estate gifts totaling $14.4 million, strengthening long-term community impact.

  • Through competitive grants, donor-advised funds, scholarships, and special initiatives, $14.9 million was awarded to nonprofits across the region.

  • Awarded a record $943,000 in scholarships, supported by six new scholarship funds.

  • Scholarship applications reached an all-time high, with 2,470 submissions from 405 students.

  • A $300,000 Transformation Grant was awarded to the Quad Cities Housing Council to advance housing stability and development.

  • Supported the Quad Cities River Connections program with awarding $315,000 in support of a shared vision for the Mississippi River, while securing additional funding from the Walton Family Foundation to sustain Clean River work through 2027.

  • Partnered with area funders in a matching challenge, generating more than $600,000 for the River Bend Food Bank Hunger Relief Fund during a critical period of need.

  • The teens in our Teens for Tomorrow youth philanthropy program raised $27,500 and granted more than $37,000 to 12 projects, empowering young philanthropists to shape their community.

  • It was a year of growth for Community Foundation Affiliates, as all six engaged in a strategic planning process guided by See What I Mean Consulting, and the Community Foundation of Cedar County hosted their first grantee event.

  • The Center for Nonprofit Excellence—now the Hunt and Diane Harris Center for Nonprofit Excellence, following a $10 million endowment gift announcement—served 901 nonprofit professionals and volunteers through training, cohorts, and network programs.

  • Harris Center Flagship programs demonstrated exceptional outcomes, with 100% of participants reporting they would recommend the programs and implement learnings within their organizations.

  • More than $595,000 was granted by two private foundations, supporting quality-of-life projects in Mercer County, and the Village of Milan.

  • Leveraged partnerships between the Harris Center and other organizations to deliver a wide range of collaborative programming that reached 200+ nonprofit professionals, board volunteers, and community members through virtual film viewings, celebrations of organizational impact, mental health workshops, and sector-wide listening sessions.

  • In response to July flash flooding and severe weather, funds were raised to support disaster recovery and strengthen community resilience.

  • Illinois taxpayers were guided through the first full year of the Illinois Gives tax credit program, with strong participation.

  • Successful launch of the new MyFund portal, an online portal for fund founders and advisors with enhanced transparency, access, and donor experience.

  • Sue Hafkemeyer, Anne Calder, and Daisy Moran all earned regional recognition, Juanita Passno graduated from the Lideramos Cohort, and Maddi Haan received her certification as a Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional, underscoring the Community Foundation’s commitment to leadership development.

THANK YOU to all who join us in ensuring Generosity Lives Here.

Will Van Camp