by Sue Hafkemeyer
President & CEO

Last month, we formally announced the launch of our Quad Cities Community Foundation Center for Nonprofit Excellence’s cohort-based programs to fuel the growth and development of our local nonprofits. We will start the New Year by welcoming teams of nonprofit professionals and volunteers—representing a range of local of organizations—into this new program. Over the following months, they’ll gain valuable knowledge from field experts and create peer networks that support future growth.

Our nonprofit community was integral in the design of this cohort program. During that process, Tom Fisher-King, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities, provided an important perspective and reminder as we talked about the needs and strengths of nonprofits. “Nonprofits face all the same challenges as for-profit businesses, but our advantage is that we can work together,” he told me. “We can lean into openness, collaboration, and shared growth.”

That’s exactly what we are doing at the Center and in all our philanthropic work.

The cohort structure is central. Each cohort is made up of small teams representing different organizations. Following the program, each team will go back to impact their own organization, and they will have created a network of support that spans the region. I am so eager to see the ripples of growth and change that will spread because of the lessons and connections these programs facilitate.

By next fall, more area nonprofits will be led by teams with advanced training under their belts and a network of supportive peers at their disposal. Imagine what they can accomplish together.

Sue Hafkemeyer
President & CEO

That was the vision when we launched the Center just one year ago. Donors wanted to drive change and make a difference for the entire sector. Nonprofits were asking for more resources and opportunities for collaboration. The Center has delivered on both, and these cohort programs are the next phase of that mission.

The exciting growth we have seen at the Community Foundation this year couldn’t have happened without the visionary support of you, our donors, supporters, and friends. You ask us to be leaders and to see opportunities where others see challenges. I am grateful for your trust in our work and in the critical importance of our local nonprofits. And as the end of the year draws near, I welcome your continued participation in ensuring that generosity continues to live here.