Planning today, for tomorrow
What does it mean to be prepared?
How are we planning today, as individuals, as organizations, and as communities, to ensure that we are ready for tomorrow?
Being prepared means several things to us at the Quad Cities Community Foundation.
It means being poised as a transformative leader in the region through steady, consistent steps that lead to real change.
It also means partnering with community leaders and organizations to develop emergency plans for their agencies in the event of a disaster. One of the most effective ways we've done that this year was through our Nonprofit Disaster Preparedness Grant Program, which readies our region's nonprofits to survive and meet the increased need for their services in the event of a disaster.
Programs like this not only prepare our communities, but also transform our region.
How would communities be transformed if their local nonprofits were provided the training and resources to ensure they can continue to operate when disaster strikes? They would not only be equipped to continue their work, but also be prepared to take on more, particularly with our most vulnerable citizens who are often disproportionately impacted when disaster occurs.
Being prepared also means not only having an eye to the future, but identifying leaders in the next generation who will carry on the vital work of philanthropy. It means breathing life into young peoples' vision of caring and serving, and equipping them with the resources now to start making a difference.
The Teens for Tomorrow program does just that. Local high school students are immersed in the grant process, which not only arms them with knowledge about their communities, but introduces them to the exciting things that can happen when people are generous.
Being prepared means consistently producing high quality work with integrity and passion. As we work toward our second reaccreditation this year with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, we recognize the importance of being good stewards of resources, maintaining confidentiality, remaining diligent in record keeping, and upholding strong business standards and ethics.
In times of peace, when we are helping people from all areas of our community walk out their philanthropic goals, or during times of trouble, when our community is faced with hardship, we are confident that our community can rely on us.
We know that with foresight and planning, this Community Foundation—your Community Foundation—can strengthen, empower and shape our region for the better, today and tomorrow.