Listening, learning, and doing

By Sherry RIstau / President and CEO

“One of the reasons I’m proud to serve on the board of the Quad Cities Community Foundation is because we provide flexibility for donors—and the community,” Randy Moore said to me recently. “It is why I initially agreed to come on the board.”
 
I have thought about Randy’s comment a lot since our conversation. Certainly, the past few months have been a reminder of how critical it is to provide flexible, reliable funding for nonprofits. It has also been a reminder of how important it is for our community to have a place that they can trust—and turn to—in times of celebration and times of hardship.
 
Thanks to donors who give through the Community Foundation, we are able to listen to our community, and then act on the greatest opportunities and most pressing needs in our region. In all my years working with donors and nonprofit leaders, listening and acting has never been more critical than during this COVID-19 pandemic.
 
As we start the second half of this year, our board and staff continue to work diligently to find the very best ways to support people who live here, even if it’s in ways we’ve never done before. First, raising dollars to respond and recover from disasters has become a focus of our work. For two years now, we’ve activated the Quad Cities Disaster Recovery Fund and swiftly raised—and granted—dollars back into our community. Right now, we’re continuing to accept donations (all of which are being matched with $2) because there continues to be need. We can do this because of you and your generosity. Thank you.
 
Second, we continue to hear from donors and nonprofits alike that what is needed in the months and year ahead is flexible, reliable support for general operating and existing programs. This support provides the most stability for our community’s nonprofits as they navigate so much uncertainty while continuing their excellent service to our community. Therefore, our board has made the decision that this year we will add more than $150,000 to our Coordinated Field of Interest Grant opportunity to provide additional support for organizations who applied for grants. This is possible by reallocating funds from our 2020 discretionary grant budgets, mainly our Community Impact Fund (which donors have given to since our organization’s inception nearly 60 years ago).
 
Third, donors continue to turn to us to help them guide their philanthropic decisions. We’re here to listen, and provide you with options. Call us to schedule time through video conferencing to consider your giving opportunities. We’re learning a lot about community needs, and are here to share that knowledge with you.
 
We hope you see in the Community Foundation a place with an open door—meaning a genuine desire to welcome ideas, resources and partnerships that allow us to listen to your philanthropic goals and leverage our experience in ways that collectively have the greatest impact.