Proudly announcing our largest Transformation Grant ever

By Randy Moore / Board Chairperson and Interim President and CEO

They say actions speak louder than words. But I like to think there’s a time and place for both, that powerful words can spur powerful action—and then amplify that action again, in an incredible cycle of good.  

With our latest Transformation Grant, which is the largest in our history and a direct product of the generosity of donors to our Quad Cities Community Impact Fund, we’re taking a tangible action that grows out of the knowledge we’ve gained of the affordable housing crisis in our region. And today I’m writing to share this great news with you to inspire you to think about the actions you can take to support a cause that affects every member of our community.   

It’s my pleasure this morning to announce that the Quad Cities Community Foundation is awarding $350,000 over the next three years to the Quad Cities Housing Council.

The Council has worked since 1998 to develop the resources for creating affordable housing opportunities that promote economic and community development in our region. Several years ago, we began investing our time to listen to, learn from, and actively participate in their conversations about the need for affordable housing in the Quad Cities and the ways we can close the gap.

Now, we’re acting on what we’ve learned by leveraging the resources gifted by generous people in our community to provide significant and sustained funding to support the Council’s vision. What’s so motivating about that vision—apart from the broad positive impact it stands to make—is that the Council has broken it down into six clear-cut strategies that put its goals within reach. 

Read more about the grant and the Council’s vision here.

If the path being forged by the Council is clear, that’s not to say the work ahead to ensure affordable housing for all in our community is easy. We’re confident that the concrete actions we’re taking to support the Council’s vision will lead to concrete benefits—and a more equitable, inclusive, and prosperous community—for every Quad Citizen.

After all, the shortage of affordable housing in the Quad Cities doesn’t just affect the people and families who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing homelessness. As the pandemic has shown us, housing instability isn’t always as far away as many of us would like to think. And when a permanent and growing group of our neighbors can’t find safe, affordable, and decent housing, it destabilizes our whole community, from our workforce to our education, healthcare, and law enforcement systems. In that way, making more affordable housing available isn’t just the right thing to do for the sake of those who have been disproportionately affected by an imperfect housing infrastructure. It’s also a way to benefit everyone who lives in this community, now and into the future.

So, as we celebrate and amplify this major investment, I ask you to consider the steps you can take to join us in advancing affordable housing for all and a stronger Quad Cities. Learn about the issue—but don’t stop there. There are many organizations working alongside the Quad Cities Housing Council to chart comprehensive progress in this area, and they are all worthy of financial support. You can use your voice, too, to transform your knowledge and passion into meaningful action on higher levels by influencing your local decision-makers. If enough people contribute their words and their actions—and their gifts—to a cause this important, there’s no end to the good we can do in our community.