New team member is digging into data

For Shannon Milton, 60 miles has made all the difference.

Milton, who is the new Database and Donor Relations Associate at the Quad Cities Community Foundation, worked at the Children's Miracle Network at University of Iowa Children's Hospital and University of Iowa Foundation for eight years.

Living in the Quad Cities and commuting to Iowa City every day was a challenge. The new position at the Community Foundation is not only a perfect fit for her skills, but good timing for her family. "We have three small children and it is important to me to make a difference in the community where we are raising them," she said.

Milton started her new job at the beginning of August, first navigating her way through the Community Foundation's two difference database systems. "My job is to unite the work done from all sides of the foundation, and to harness the power of that data to make our work more efficient and improve the experience of our donors," she said.

The Community Foundation, which operates in the three departments of development, finance, and programming, utilizes its data to support grantmaking decisions, communicate with donors, and educate the community. "I'll take all the data and make sure it's consistent and concise and use that to improve our daily work," she said.

Milton's work at the children's hospital has translated well into her new position. "I enjoyed the families I worked with," she said. "My favorite was working with donors and seeing the look on their faces when they realized they made a difference in the life of a child."

She hopes to connect with donors at the Community Foundation as well. "The people here are very nice," she said. "The work they do to connect donors to causes they care about and the impact they have on the community they live in is incredible. I hope to be able to interact with donors and be a more active part of the development team."

Milton has lived in Quad Cities for nine years, but this is the first time she has been able to work in the community. "It's so nice to be here," she said. "It's great to really feel part of the community."

Milton's parents live in Cascade, Iowa, and her husband, Andy, grew up in the Quad Cities. They returned in 2007. They have three children, ages 11, 6, and 1. Milton said she's excited to contribute to the Community Foundation's work. "I hope to be able to get the data as clear and organized as we can so we can make the biggest impact with our donors," she said.

The team at the Community Foundation is made up of experts who can help you leave a legacy. Find out how we can support your philanthropic wishes by contacting our Development Team, at 563/326-2840 or development@qccommunityfoundation.org.