Moving forward together

Next week, I will have the honor of attending the fall conference of Forward Cities and I can’t help but think part of their title is our battle cry here at the Community Foundation.

Forward. We move forward together, in singularity, not always in identical mind and movement, but always in mission.

Forward Cities will convene with more than 400 leaders from 60 cities around the world, a robust think tank of community-minded people who want to connect, share and improve where they live. The Community Foundation has convened a cohort of community members from the public, private and nonprofit sectors to participate.

At the conference, we’ll be focused on helping each other build truly inclusive cities. How do we include the marginalized? How do we provide financial opportunities and other resources that will impact lives not just in the short term, but in the long run? How do we create neighborhoods that support stability and prosperity?

These are questions we’re asking ourselves in the Quad Cities (and they are not rhetorical, by the way—I’d love to hear your ideas!).

I believe the first step is inviting others to the table and that is at the very core of what we do at the Community Foundation. A community is strongest when many voices are heard. The multiple ways we provide voices to be heard demonstrates that the Community Foundation is an epicenter of connecting people and improving lives. 

We are in an exciting time of opportunity at the Community Foundation. We just announced our first $100,000 Transformation Grant to the Child Abuse Council, strengthening their work in the Quad Cities and improving the health and well-being of at-risk people in our community. And yes, I did say first. A second $100,000 Transformation Grant will be announced later this fall as well!

As we move forward together, know that we will continue to champion the work and initiatives that not one of us can do alone. It is the shared heart, resources and strength of many donors who have invested in the Community Foundation that allows us to accomplish good. I’ll be excited to share that vision with my fellow attendees at the conference, all the while keeping eyes and ears open to the ideas and encouragement that can be gained from seeing and hearing from other leaders at Forward Cities.