60 years of generosity
by Sue Hafkemeyer
President & CEO
In November of 1964, two local leaders—Bea Conrad and John Nagle—organized their neighbors and created a lasting impact in their community. Their idea became the Quad Cities Community Foundation.
Sixty years later, and coincidentally coinciding with National Philanthropy Day on November 15, we are celebrating and honoring their vision, the transformation it has brought to our region, and the countless individuals who have made that work possible over the last six decades.
I joined the Community Foundation in 2022, and it has become abundantly clear to me why Bea and John, and many others, started the Community Foundation. In my first years as president and CEO, I have seen our region’s generosity, passion, and care firsthand. Every day, our donors, nonprofit partners, staff, and board members inspire me with their dedication to making the Quad Cities region a better place for all.
Throughout the year, we’ve been collecting and sharing stories from our history. I encourage you to read these amazing stories here. In the end, we’ll have 60 stories of transformative generosity featuring the people and organizations that have helped to create the region we know and love.
The most exciting part about these stories? They are only the beginning. They represent just a fraction of the hundreds of stories we could tell from our history.
The stories also give us a vision of the future, a future that will be filled with innovation, passion, and generosity. In 2025 alone, we’re looking forward to opportunities that will strengthen nonprofits, grow philanthropy, and support our community.
Next year, we’re going to award a Transformation Grant to one local nonprofit. The grant, now in its 11th year, will dedicate $300,000 in operational funding to a vital project that’s transforming our community. We’re going to award more than $600,000 in scholarships to local students attending trade and technical schools, community colleges, and four-year institutions. And we’re going to welcome nonprofits into two cohort-based education programs through our Center for Nonprofit Excellence. Dozens of organizations will learn and share ideas to build organization effectiveness and board member participation.
Amazingly, all of this is scheduled to happen before the last snow melts!
Anniversaries should give us pause. As we reflect and celebrate this milestone, I’m proud to say that our future is as bright as our past. That is because of you, your generosity, and your love for our home. Thank you for being a part of our mission today, tomorrow, and always.