Generosity promotes kindness and compassion in local schools

One Quad Citian is using charitable giving in a creative way—to inspire acts of kindness and compassion in area middle schools. The anonymous donor has established endowment funds called “Donna’s Gift” to recognize caring among students at two Quad Cities schools, with the plan to add more schools in the future.

“I wanted to give gifts that would cause ripples of kindness,” said the donor, “by planting seeds of kindness in schools that will grow out into the community.

At Pleasant Valley Junior High, school leaders are using the annual endowment distribution to support the Spartan Legacy of Kindness Award, recognizing dozens of students who exhibit kindness and concern for their peers and school.

“It’s amazing to read about these students,” said the donor. “They’re helping their classmates, standing up against bullying, promoting acceptance, and modeling kindness for their peers. These young people are creating ripples that will go out into the world. When students are lifted up, they can then lift up others.”

As the founder of these endowment funds, the donor has chosen to remain anonymous. “There are practical reasons to remain private, like keeping my name off of solicitation lists, but I also want the focus to be on the gift as an act of compassion highlighting others’ acts of compassion,” shares the donor.“I see myself and these gifts as a small part of a larger chain. I’m trying to reflect compassion, and there’s no reason to take credit for that. Maybe by remaining anonymous, it will encourage others to find their place in that chain.”

The Community Foundation takes the privacy of donors seriously. “Donors should know their information and identity are completely confidential,” said Anne Calder, Community Foundation vice president of development. “We respect the privacy wishes of everyone we work with, and we are here to support donors and the causes that matter to them. This donor’s goals are unique, and it has been very rewarding to work with this person and the local schools to create a plan that is already making an impact on students.”

The donor recently established the second endowment fund to bring similar recognition to Bettendorf Middle School students. “You don't know what effect these things will have,” the donor said. “Think of it like waves in the ocean: some go one way, some go the other, and some cancel each other out. If you create enough positive waves, maybe the effects of positivity will win out.”