Helen Sudbrook was a shining example of the spirit of giving. She and her husband Herbert spent their lives slowly accumulating a fortune through careful spending and wise investments. After her husband passed away, Helen used that fortune to give back to and improve the community she loved so much.

For most of her life, Helen lived across the street from St. Ambrose University. She watched as the campus and students evolved and grew. After many years of watching, Helen decided to become more involved with the University and education as a whole. In addition to making contributions to St. Ambrose, she made donations to Augustana College to benefit needy students. After establishing scholarships at both schools, Ms. Sudbrook decided to create a Charitable Remainder Trust that would ultimately benefit Augustana College and St. Ambrose University.

When Helen passed away in 1997, she left behind many charitable gifts to local organizations. The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend received $300,000 from her estate to go to the Community Impact Fund. This gift was given to address the most urgent community needs and advance the most promising creative approaches to strengthening the local community. It will assist the Community Foundation in addressing the ever-changing needs of the community. Ms. Sudbrook once said, “I can’t take it with me, so I might as well leave it to people who can benefit.” Helen’s overwhelming generosity has benefited countless numbers of people in the Quad City community, and will continue to do so for years to come.

Community Impact Fund Contributors

The Community Impact Fund allows the Foundation the flexibility to respond to unmet community needs as they arise and vary from year to year. Gifts to this fund help the Community Foundation support nonprofit organizations that focus in the areas of arts and culture, health and human services, social services, the environment, and community and youth development.