Envisioning our future, together
By Sue Hafkemeyer / President and CEO
We’re always thinking about the future while keeping laser-focused on how we support our region today.
Right now, the Quad Cities Community Foundation is creating an intentional and focused plan for what’s to come—and we’re doing it with the help of our community. This spring, we engaged just over 200 community members in discussions about generosity, collaboration, growth, and what we want the Community Foundation—and our region—to look like in the next few years.
During these candid and energetic discussions, we asked how philanthropy can impact our region, what support was effective, and where there were gaps in that support. The answers were illuminating.
I left these conversations humbled by the dedication and imagination of our community, and I was energized by the vision of the future we had begun to sketch together. Something that came up again and again in our discussions was the belief that “we all win when everyone does better.” But how do we turn that shared belief into action? How do we shape a future around that idea?
That’s what we’re answering right now. Our staff has sat with all we learned and distilled the feedback into four priority areas: expanding philanthropy, strengthening the nonprofit sector, engaging young people in philanthropy, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
These are big priorities, but we do not imagine them as independent projects; each one is connected to the rest. For the nonprofit sector to be strong, it has to include everyone. That means advancing DEI efforts. Not merely a box to check, DEI is about expanding our reach to underserved populations and supporting the work of minority-led nonprofits. As an organization, we will continue to elevate this vital work, which in turn elevates the entire nonprofit sector.
And if we want to expand philanthropy, that means engaging new audiences, especially young people. This means introducing young people to philanthropic work through programs like Teens for Tomorrow—it also means trusting young people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s and taking their ideas seriously. It means listening, learning, and acting.
As our vision for the future continues to take shape, we are committed to maintaining a transparent process. This fall, expect regular updates and—very soon—opportunities to get involved.
Alongside our community, we are working hard to identify new, meaningful ways for donors to express their generosity and support the effectiveness of nonprofit work so all Quad Citians can thrive in the passionate, collaborative, and equitable region we call home. As always, we remain open to your ideas and thoughts on how we can transform this region through generosity together.