Welcome to the team, Anne

If there's one human trait we understand well at the Quad Cities Community Foundation, it is the importance of relationships. And that's something our new Vice President of Development, Anne Calder, believes in deeply—and has committed to investing in as she begins her new job with us.

Anne comes to the Community Foundation from Augustana College, where she served as the Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship. She has spent her career cultivating healthy, strong relationships with people to better the organization she was working for at the time, and the entire community.

She said something in our office the other day that reminded me of one of the pillars of our mission. She said that people, by nature, want to give back. Sure, sometimes they need logistical help—like setting up a new endowment fund, researching needs around them, running numbers. But more often than not, they want to partner with someone who will listen to their ideas, connect their passions with opportunities in our community, and simply be reminded that their generosity can transform our region.

And that is what we do. We bridge the gap between the opportunity and the giver and then we get to stand back and watch generosity take hold. That's why we truly invest in establishing and maintaining relationships with our donors. We want them to rely on us to be available, helpful and encouraging.

You know that Anne is joining a team here at the Community Foundation who has spent more than five decades cultivating that very idea—that stewardship in its best and simplest form is about people helping people. It is thrilling to me to be able to welcome someone to our team who embraces that idea, and is excited and motivated by it.

At the Community Foundation, we are deeply moved by our donors—people who have given of themselves, time or finances for a cause. It happens because we see each individual who walks through the door as a person with the potential to make a difference, and we have the honor of helping make that possible.

Our history is page after page of remarkable stories of people in our region who have invested in creative ways to fill the possibilities that exist for our community. The story is not over. We will continue to invest in the people who need us. We will continue to care. We will continue to stand amazed as transformation happens with each donation, each connection, and each individual story.

We are honored to turn the next page with Anne on our leadership team. She is enthusiastic about walking alongside people like you as you make decisions about how and when to give.

The future looks bright. Please join me in welcoming Anne to the Community Foundation.