The Quad Cities Center for Nonprofit Excellence

The Quad Cities Center for Nonprofit Excellence will strengthen the nonprofit sector as a connector, capacity builder, and champion for regional nonprofits and philanthropy. Together, we will build and strengthen the systems, structures, cultures, skills, resources, and power we all need to serve our community with excellence.

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence is a values-driven program designed by nonprofits, for nonprofits. With equity at the center of the mission, programs and services are developed to work against the existing racial and other disparities present in our sector and to engage the strengths of all for the benefit of our community. Center programming is constantly updated in response to shared growth and in an effort to benefit the local nonprofit and philanthropic sector.

Answering the call for solutions

The Quad Cities nonprofit sector has many strengths—leaders and staff dedicated to their missions and to supporting each other, many strong collaborations, effective and innovative programs, and caring donors. Yet common challenges persist. Filling key positions and supporting the people in those positions. Increasing the diversity and effectiveness of board leadership. Advancing equity and inclusion in our community. And the ever-present effort to raise resources for our missions.

Common challenges call for collective solutions

Many consultants, educational programs, and grant opportunities exist to strengthen Quad Cities nonprofits, but the lack of alignment among those services and the lack of financial resources and time among nonprofits make them less effective. We don’t need to replace or duplicate these supports, but we do need to build on them. Through the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, the Quad Cities Community Foundation aligns and increases access to opportunities to strengthen our community’s nonprofits—individually and collectively.

The Community Foundation aims to play a central role in strengthening the nonprofit sector through the Quad Cities Center for Nonprofit Excellence, building on:

• our mutually trusting relationships with nonprofits, donors, and fellow funders

• our commitment to advancing equity and inclusion 

• our decade-plus focus on nonprofit capacity building, and

• our ability to build on our existing services and our organizational backbone—as a community foundation, we are designed to be here for the long term.

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence is possible thanks to the generosity of donors

Regional Development Authority / The Late Hunt Harris and Diane Harris
Ascentra Credit Union / Jeff and Reggie Goldstein / Quad Cities Community Impact Fund
The Morency Family / Cal Werner Jr. / Rick Bowers
Mark Kleine and the Kleine Family Foundation Endowment

Have Questions?

If you have any questions about the Quad Cities Center for Nonprofit Excellence, please contact:

Daisy Moran / email

Call (563) 326-2840

The Center is guided by an Advisory Committee made up of leaders from the organizations it serves—nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.

Interested in getting involved? Fill out the form below.

Upcoming events

A Program Driven by Values

By Nonprofits, For Nonprofits

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence is guided by the stated and evaluated needs and preferences of the nonprofit sector, and by an Advisory Committee representing diverse aspects of our sector and our community. 

Equity at the center

Programs and services are developed and conducted with an equity lens to work against the existing racial and other disparities present in our sector, and to engage the strengths of all for the benefit of our community. View the Community Foundation’s Commitment to Equity here.

A contextual, continuous, and collective approach

Programs and services offer different entry points for greatest impact and meaningful choice by different organizations. Programs and services are also ongoing because change does not happen from one learning experience, and they take advantage of the benefits of learning together to benefit not only that individual or organization, but the Quad Cities nonprofit and philanthropic sector.