Strengthening our nonprofit sector through collaboration

By Sue Hafkemeyer / President and CEO

You’ve seen it before. A single stick can be easily broken, but a bundle doesn’t even bend. It’s a familiar image because it’s a fundamental truth. We are so much stronger, and we can achieve so much more, when we do it together. This simple philosophy is at the core of the Center for Nonprofit Excellence at the Quad Cities Community Foundation, our new regional hub for nonprofit collaboration.

I am incredibly energized by the conversations our team has already had and the reactions we’ve heard about this project. Our nonprofit colleagues in the area are excited by the new resources and expanded opportunities the center will bring. The future is exciting, but it’s also important to consider the present and the strengths we are ready to build on. The new center would not be possible or necessary without the strong, passionate, and growing nonprofit sector that already exists in our Quad Cities region.

Just look at the numbers. The Quad Cities is home to nearly 4,000 nonprofits employing more than 40,000 residents. That’s more than 20 percent of all Quad Cities employees. Roughly 200 of these organizations are small operations made possible entirely by volunteers; 10 others are major employers with more than 1,000 people on staff.

Our region’s nonprofits are instrumental in addressing inequity and providing for social needs in the community. They provide recreational opportunities, support healthcare, engage our young people, and offer many other services we all rely on. You likely have a friend, family member, or neighbor who works for a nonprofit organization. In the Quad Cities, nonprofits touch all our lives.

Here’s where the Center for Nonprofit Excellence comes in. Dedicated to supporting these incredible organizations, the center is designed to work as a central hub where our thriving nonprofits can connect, build capacity, and champion important community goals to help organizations of all sizes meet the needs and challenges that arise as they continue to grow and extend their positive impact on our community.

Nonprofit organizations are complex organizations. Nonprofit leaders train volunteers, secure grants and funding, communicate with donors, and do so much more behind the scenes. Through the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, nonprofit professionals and leaders can come together to discuss their approaches to shared challenges. It will be home to educational materials and workshops that provide nonprofits with new chances to exchange knowledge and build new possibilities together.

The idea for the Center for Nonprofit Excellence grew directly out of our conversations and deep relationships with our local nonprofit peers. They asked for a resource that would allow their organizations to broaden their reach and serve more people here in the Quad Cities. The center will answer that call by providing a home for greater collaboration and organizational support. Because if we want to do more, it means doing it together.

If you are interested in joining our effort, consider becoming a part of the Center for Nonprofit Excellence advisory committee. Register your interest here.