Transformation Grant targets persistent racial disparities

The Quad Cities Community Foundation is targeting the persistent racial disparities that impact the social and economic well-being of Quad Citizens of color with a $50,000 Transformation Grant to United Way.

The grant will bolster efforts to reduce inequities across education, income and health systems in the Quad Cities.

“We know that strong communities are ones that embrace increased diversity and the powerful assets that diversity brings,” said Sherry Ristau, president and CEO of the Quad Cities Community Foundation. “The Quad Cities is a wonderful place to live, and like other cities, we also experience many challenges which are made worse by inequity. This Transformation Grant is one way we affirm our commitment to ensure this is a place where people can bring their whole selves to the task of using their skills and gifts to benefit themselves, their families, and our community.”

The Community Foundation will announce additional Transformation Grants before the end of the year.

“The Quad Cities Community Foundation has been and continues to set the example for others,” United Way President and CEO Rene Gellerman said. “They are a vital, courageous partner in our shared goals of ending racial inequity and making a lasting positive impact on the lives of Quad Citizens.”

The investment was announced during the virtual event, Courageous Conversations: Equity in Action, where United Way presented strategies, findings and priorities identified through dozens of small-group conversations including more than 400 Quad Cities residents in October.

“United Way is a powerful force in our community, and this year is a defining moment of solidarity,” Ristau added. “The Community Foundation board and donors are proud to join with United Way, and Quad Citizens of color, to build a community that is equitable and just, innovative and collaborative.”

“With the help of the Community Foundation’s lead gift and partnership, we are more confident and determined to find and fund solutions that address the systemic challenges that prevent too many of our neighbors from living their best life,” Gellerman said.

The $50,000 investment in the United for Equity initiative accounts for one quarter of the fund’s goal of $200,000, to be made available to eligible social entrepreneurs, nonprofits and grassroots organizations who apply for the grants.

The application period opens early December. A diverse panel of 18 Quad-Cities residents, led by Dr. Burl Randolph Jr., Col. U.S. Army, retired, will review the pool of applications and decide how the grants will be awarded in February 2021.

For more information on the United for Equity Fund, visit http://www.unitedwayqc.org/united-for-equity or call (563) 355-4310.