by Sue Hafkemeyer
Quad Cities Community Foundation president and CEO

When we launched the new Quad Cities Community Foundation Center for Nonprofit Excellence last summer, we said it was created “by nonprofits, for nonprofits.” And we’ve kept our word. The opportunities available through the Center are shaped in direct response to what we have heard from our region’s nonprofit professionals and volunteers. They asked for more collaboration, support, and opportunities for their organizations to grow.

And they guided us toward launching new flagship programs housed in the Center—two cohort-based programs that will focus on board governance and organizational effectiveness.

Together, the programs will welcome up to 40 nonprofit professionals to improve their fundraising prowess, become more inclusive, broaden their network, and more. By training board members and making organizations more effective, these nonprofits will be able to grow, expand their mission, and better serve their communities.

We believe strongly in the cohort structure of these programs. The programs will unfold over a three-to-six-month period. In addition to knowledge gained through the program, as nonprofit professionals and volunteers move through the program, they join a peer network which can lead to greater learning and future collaboration.

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence was launched in 2023 with the support of donors who are committed to the success of our region’s nonprofit sector. Since then, the program’s momentum has steadily grown. We have added more events, launched new partnerships, and connected with a growing network of nonprofits.

Workshops and seminars are most often at capacity, and participants report that what they learn directly impacts the growth and function of their organization. This year alone, Center events have had a total attendance of more than 450 people, with many finding the workshops so valuable that they return every month.

Generous donors and driven nonprofit professionals have made the Center’s first year a huge success. Now, these two flagship programs mark the Center's next phase of growth, and we can’t wait to see how our nonprofit sector makes the most of this resource.

We are currently working to finalize the design of these two programs and intend to launch this winter. Thank you to each and every one of you who have championed our work. The result of your generosity is—and will continue to be—a vibrant, powerful nonprofit sector.