Through the Community Foundation’s grant and scholarship programs, we have distributed more than $20 million to the community and have enhanced the lives of many Quad City area residents. We monitor the needs of the community and distribute grants to address those needs by supporting nonprofit organizations that deal directly with the issues and the people affected. The needs we help address each year are varied, ranging from hunger, homelessness and domestic abuse to the environment, education, and the arts.

The Community Foundation also brings together nonprofits, government agencies, businesses and others to address problems in a strategic way. Three of our strategic issues include boosting the high school graduation rate through a partnership called Achieve Quad Cities; raising the quality of early childhood education with a partnership called Bi-State Early Childhood Leadership; and we're working to enhance the capacity of area nursing schools with annother partnership -- Partners in Nursing.

We also have programs for teens to become involved and learn about the world of philanthropy by making decisions on $10,000 in grants. To learn more, visit our Teens for Tomorrow page. 

The photo above shows some of the members of our Community Grants Committee working to make grant decisions in 2011.