Champions of our community
Generous. Committed. Visionaries.
I can’t think of a better description for the special group of individuals and families who have made purposeful decisions to give forever by establishing legacy and endowment gifts through the Quad Cities Community Foundation.
It was an honor to celebrate these donors recently, people who have become members of the Endowment and Legacy Societies, at Modern Woodmen Park’s Champions Club in the Quad Cities. The venue was fitting—the baseball stadium is a home for champions. And the men and women of these societies are just that—champions of our community.
The two societies differ in requirements, but share the same mission to connect, celebrate and empower those who want to create a legacy through giving.
The Endowment Society recognizes donors who have established an endowed fund during their lifetime. The Legacy Society honors donors who have included the Community Foundation in their estate plans.
What motivates these donors is far-reaching and inspiring. It could be a desire to give broadly through the Community Foundation’s discretionary endowed Community Impact Fund. Or it could be the desire to support or encourage a particular cause—homelessness, children, health, education or the arts. Or it could be the desire to endow their annual contribution to their favorite charity.
We know that giving changes the life of the giver, so how much more is it shaped when that person has chosen to give during their lifetime and beyond? We have seen this kind of generosity transform the Quad Cities, from the smallest causes to the overarching issues that face this place we call home.
We have also watched members of these societies listen carefully to the counsel of professional advisors, men and women who have their ear to the ground in their communities, their eyes open to the financial landscape, and their hearts in tune with the philanthropic goals of their clients.
We, too, gathered those professional advisors earlier this month, thanking them for their wisdom and discernment as they help their clients achieve their charitable goals. It is exciting to watch these relationships form, reminding us that generosity is not about the individual but the community.
When I looked around at both of these events—and the countless other great things that have happened recently, I was reminded again that giving has no criteria. People from all walks of life can give in both big and small ways. We see every conversation, every meeting, and every handshake as a way to convey that message.
More so, we know this is a message being led by the individuals we recently celebrated, people who believe so strongly in giving to others that they have chosen to walk it out in a very real way. For that, and for the many tangible and intangible ways they help us transform the region, we thank OUR CHAMPIONS!