A season of change

Change. Growth. Transformation.

If you’re like me, there’s a certain nostalgia when autumn arrives. Fall ushers in a season of transformation, of change—the weather, leaves, harvest and migration. When I lived on a lake I knew the time of change was upon us when the geese flew over our home making their way to the fields of harvested corn every morning and evening, honking loudly letting us know the season was here.

I’m excited to share with you the season of transformation happening at the Community Foundation. In fact, that’s what our mission is—to transform the region thanks to the generosity of donors like you. This fall, we’ve seen that happen in several transformative gifts and future estate promises by Quad Citizens, by challenge grants recently announced for area nonprofits, and through the addition of new staff members in our office. 

At our office, change is an opportunity for fresh eyes on a project, new relationships among co-workers, and new energy to continue great work. For our community, it means that we draw on the very best talent and empower staff to succeed. You’re going to see that most readily in our team.

No doubt, change can be hard. It can be uncertain. But it doesn’t have to be—especially when we work hard together. In fact, if we’re not changing we’re not growing. And we are most certainly growing for the benefit of our awesome community!

I’m especially excited about our ability to respond quickly to the needs of our community. On June 30 of this year for instance, we heard about a great idea: three guys were planning to ride their bikes from the headwaters of the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. They wanted the trip to be more than just about the challenge of making the ride in 21 days. They turned their trip into an opportunity to transform the lives of people in the Quad Cities—and ultimately, to break the cycle of poverty in our community by raising awareness, and money, for three outstanding organizations in the Quad Cities. We got to step in quickly and act as the vehicle for people to give.

Thanks to the generosity of people like you, they’ve raised more than $100,000 (and still counting!). 

At the Community Foundation, we are truly positioned to help people with great ideas to give back, to leverage their resources, and to help transform our river city—the Quad Cities. That’s a commitment we make to you, no matter the change of season.