Family and private foundations at the Community Foundation are pushing philanthropy forward

Dozens of local families and businesses are growing their giving and making a permanent impact in the Quad Cities region through the Quad Cities Community Foundation’s private foundation services.

“We’re here to make giving back as easy and flexible as possible, and more and more, family and private foundations across the region are turning to the Community Foundation for support,” said Anne Calder, vice president of development. “Our team of philanthropy experts provides long-term assistance to families and foundations who want to do more with their generosity.”

Family and private foundations are often established by individuals, families, or businesses as part of a philanthropic legacy plan. However, with the formation of private foundations comes significant annual requirements for administration, tax filing, and reporting. 

“The administrative duties involved in running a foundation can be daunting and don’t improve over time,” said Calder. “By converting private foundation assets to a flexible charitable fund at the Community Foundation, donors can continue to give generously while the Community Foundation handles the work of administration. The donors still make all the grantmaking decisions, and we are here to help guide them along the way and to steward their legacy in the years to come.”

Private foundations also have the option of contracting with the Community Foundation to leverage its core philanthropic, grantmaking, administrative, financial, communication, and stewardship functions to ensure the purpose and legacy of the private foundation continue to have meaningful and transformative charitable impact.

One longstanding private foundation is the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, which makes grants for capital construction projects, program and initiatives grants, and operational expenses to organizations working within its three focus areas: culture and the arts, education, and social welfare. The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation was established as a charitable trust in 1967, and a partnership with the Community Foundation was formed in 2018. Since its founding, it has granted more than $35 million to a wide range of local organizations, including entities large, small, established, and new.

The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation’s yearly grant cycle will open on May 15, 2025. Interested organizations can find more information at www.hubbellwaterman.org/process. And donors, families, and businesses looking to create a lasting impact in the community can contact the Community Foundation’s development team at development@QCCommunityFoundation.org.