Family giving with the Community Foundation

Dennis and Lynn Quinn (top center) with their children and grandchildren.

Lynn and Dennis Quinn started an endowment fund and seeded it with “a small amount” at the Quad Cities Community Foundation many, many years ago. Their intent was to begin a relationship with the Community Foundation, and then go from there. 

“We wanted to help others and support causes close to our heart,” said Lynn. “We were inspired by our daughter Kimberly, who had participated in the Community Foundation’s Teens for Tomorrow program when she was in high school.”

In fact, it was Kimberly who first encouraged them to really consider their charitable legacy—and first introduced her parents to the work of the Community Foundation. More than a decade later, the Quinns have established both endowed and non-endowed donor advised funds for their charitable giving. They’ve also grown to trust the Community Foundation as the place to go to act on their philanthropy in the best possible way. 

“The team is so, so knowledgeable,” said Dennis. “They are tuned into great opportunities in the Quad Cities and have been able to open our eyes to vast needs. Our biggest hope is that the gifts we make can be utilized in an effective way. The Community Foundation guides us in asking the right questions so we can make good decisions about our giving.” 

This spring, as nonprofits in the region responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Quinns came to the Community Foundation with a desire to support organizations leading recovery efforts. “We ended up making our gift to the Quad Cities Disaster Recovery Fund because we knew that they would grant those dollars out where they were most needed. We were confident of that.”

So confident, in fact, that they agreed to make the gift as a challenge match. For every $1 donated by others, the Quinns would donate $2, up to $50,000 for a total impact of $150,000. (The challenge is nearing its end—you can give to help complete it here.) 

This isn’t the first time the Quinn family has worked closely with the Community Foundation. “As they were establishing their non-endowed donor advised fund a few years ago, we discussed their real desire to be as informed as they could about their giving,” said Anne Calder, vice president of development.

They also wanted to involve their three daughters—Kimberly Kim, Stephanie DeRoo, and Marissa Quinn—in the decisions they were making. “Alongside Kelly Thompson, our vice president of grantmaking and community initiatives, we were able to step Lynn, Dennis, and their daughters through a series of readings, questions, and brainstorms that got to the heart of what they cared about, what they wanted to support, and how they could be effective philanthropists,” Calder added. 

“It was a conversation about what we value—things like diversity, acceptance, access to education, and hard work,” Dennis said. “By identifying what we valued, we were then able to identify what we wanted to do through our philanthropy.”

One of the ideas that came from those conversations was a desire to support students who were studying a skilled trade. “We arranged a meeting with leaders at Scott Community College so Lynn and Dennis could explore more about what students might need,” Calder said. “They learned that oftentimes transportation is a barrier to education and that unexpected emergency expenses can sidetrack a student’s studies.”

The Quinn Family decided to make two grants from their funds to support students, first through a ridership program that allowed Scott Community College students to use public transportation anywhere in the Quad Cities for free. An emergency fund for students they also funded provides financial resources to students who demonstrate need for textbook and supply costs they cannot afford.

“Since making the gifts, we have received feedback from Scott regarding student needs and how the grants are helping to remove a financial barrier to earning a degree," Dennis said. “The relationships that have been formed with the Community Foundation, and through the Community Foundation, are tremendously valuable to us. It’s just been a great experience.”