shutterstock_574036852-fundinfo.jpg

What We Look For 

How do you plan to transform our region?  

At the Quad Cities Community Foundation, our grantmaking team (and really, our entire team) is committed to making your experience applying for grants as simple and helpful as possible. We’re often asked, “What do you look for in a grant application?”

The truth is, a lot. Because of the variety of grant opportunities we offer, eligibility and criteria vary by program. And there’s no one right answer, or easy answer. What we can say is that we are looking for your best ideas—ones that you know will help you move forward with your mission, or move the needle on an issue critical to strengthening our region.

We've provided these guidelines and resources for grantseekers. If there is any information you can't find on our website, please don't hesitate to call Kaleigh Trammell, grantmaking specialist, at (563) 326-2840. We are here to help.

General grant program eligibility requirements 

Qualified organizations include those recognized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, government entities, or charitable programs. Organizations working in the field(s) of health and human services, education, the arts, the environment, youth services, social services and any other charitable field are eligible to receive grants from our granting programs.

Unless otherwise stated, organizations must be located in or significantly serve residents of Rock Island County, Illinois and/or Scott County, Iowa.

Each granting program targets specific community goals and is awarded according to specific criteria. Please see each individual grant program page for details.

Areas not funded by grant programs

Our application-based granting programs are intended to meet the diverse needs of nonprofits and the people they serve. There are some activities we do not fund with these granting programs, due to our policies and funding priorities. The following areas or program types are not funded by application-based grant programs of the Quad Cities Community Foundation.

  • Advertising or marketing campaigns

  • Deficit funding or debt retirement

  • Direct financial support to individuals

  • Endowments (unless otherwise state by grant criteria)

  • Fundraising activities or events

  • Political or lobbying activities

  • Projects that are not for a charitable purpose

  • Projects or events that have already been completed

  • Religious or sectarian activities that attempt to convert a person to a particular faith or perspective, or social service activities that require participation in such

  • Organizations or activities which do not comply with our Diversity and Non-Discrimination Policy.


Preparing to submit a grant application

All grant applications are accepted through our online grant system. If you are using this system for the first time, you will be asked to create a username (your email address), password, and organizational profile. Before you open a new account, you should collect the following information about your organization:

  • Organization Name

  • Organization Tax ID Number (Employer Identification Number)

  • Complete Organization Contact Information

  • Complete Organization CEO/Executive Director Contact Information

When preparing to start a new grant application, the following documents may be helpful to collect. (Requirements for grant programs vary; not all grants will require the following documents.)

  • Organization income statement and balance sheet

  • Organization list of board members

  • Project budget

  • Quotes or bids for project costs

Online Grant System Resources

Our online grant system allows applicants to complete, save and submit their grant applications and final reports in one place and have ongoing access to them. 

  • For a brief written overview of the features of this system, click here.

  • For a five minute video that demonstrates the steps for creating an organizational profile and completing a grant application, click here.

  • For step-by-step written instructions for using the online grant system, click here.

So that you don't miss any important communication from us, please add this email address to your email contact lists: administrator@grantinterface.com. Automated emails from the online grants system will come from this address. (Do not send email to this address.)

Grantwriting Resources

You may find the resources listed below helpful as you begin the grantwriting process.