Last weekend's Special Olympics' Eunice Kennedy Shriver Bocce Invitational among the projects receiving funds.

BETTENDORF, Iowa - The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend is pleased to announce that four nonprofit organizations received Impact Grants totaling nearly $10,000. These grants were awarded to nonprofit organizations who submitted grant applications during the August 2013 grant cycle. Impact Grants are distributed monthly, and are made possible by the Community Impact Endowment. This Endowment has over 100 donors and gives the Community Foundation the flexibility to meet a wide range of community needs as they arise.

August 2013 Impact Grant recipients:

The Center - Davenport, IA o Funding will support the Street Team: Homeless Outreach and their efforts to provide self care resources, employment services, and housing options to homeless families and individuals at Kings Harvest and to homeless students in Davenport Community Schools.

The Center for Youth and Family Solutions - Rock Island, IL o Funding will support advanced training in child-focused skills including: sexual abuse treatment, play therapy, divorce mediation, and other issues that impact a child's well-being.

Quad City Youth Conference - Bettendorf, IA o Funding will support the 2014 Quad City Youth Conference. This conference is a workshop based event for approximately 700-900 local 7th-12th grade students. The workshops will focus on providing students with tools for healthy decision-making, skills for networking, and information to encourage them to avoid high risk behaviors.

Special Olympics Iowa - Davenport, IA o Funding will support the purchase of adaptive athletic equipment for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Bocce Invitational, the East Area Bowling Tournament, and the East Area Spring Games. The new equipment will provide a safe and meaningful sports experience for nearly 2,200 local athletes.

To see the Impact Grants in action, we encourage you to attend the Special Olympics' Eunice Kennedy Shriver Bocce Invitational on Sept. 28th from 1-5pm at River's Edge Recreation Center in Davenport, IA. Since 2006, Special Olympics Iowa has received over $2,000 in grants from Donor-Advised Funds at the Community Foundation. The August 2013 Impact Grant is the first they have received from the Community Impact Endowment. For more information on Community Foundation grants, visit our website at www.cfgrb.org.

If you are interested in donating to the Community Impact Endowment to support causes like the Special Olympics, please call 563-326-2840 to speak with our Development Staff about a charitable gift.

The Community Foundation of the Great River Bend is a nonprofit organization that connects people who care with causes that matter. CFGRB meets the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations as established by the Council on Foundations.

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BETTENDORF, Iowa - Nonprofit organizations in Scott and Rock Island counties are invited to nominate their top volunteers for the 2013 Quad City Caring Awards. The awards are presented each year by the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend to honor a select group of volunteers who have demonstrated their commitment to the betterment of our community.

This year, five volunteers will be honored. One of the awards will be given to a young volunteer under the age of 21.

"Nonprofits depend on volunteers," said Susan Skora, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. "These generous people give the community something very valuable - their time and hard work. Recognizing them for this gift is one of the happiest events of the year."

Nonprofits are encouraged to submit their nominations. A citizen committee of community leaders will select the winners. Each nonprofit that nominates an award recipient will receive a $1,000 grant from the Community Foundation in honor of the winner.

Quad City Caring Award winners will be recognized at the Community Foundation's Annual Celebration on September 10, 2013. The event will be held at the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf.

Nomination forms are available at the Community Foundation office, or on the website www.cfgrb.org in the News Section. Completed forms must be submitted by August 1 to the Community Foundation, 852 Middle Road, Suite 100, Bettendorf, IA. Can also be faxed to 563-326-2870 or emailed to info@cfgrb.org.

To learn more, call 563-326-2840 or visit www.cfgrb.org.

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ROCK ISLAND, Illinois - Twenty-seven area nonprofit organizations will be awarded $338,950 on Wednesday, April 24th during The Amy Helpenstell Foundation's Spring Grant Reception at 8:30 a.m. at the Quad City Botanical Center in Rock Island. This is the largest amount of funding awarded by the Foundation in a single grant cycle.

The Amy Helpenstell Foundation promotes awareness, understanding, diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders in the greater Quad Cities area. Amy Helpenstell passed away in 2003 from complications related to an eating disorder. Ms. Helpenstell created the Foundation through her estate to support causes related to health, education, youth development, community development and cultural activities within a 60-mile radius of Rock Island, where she lived and worked.

"Amy's Foundation has given nearly $4 million back to the community since 2005, all to causes that she cared about very much," said Franz "Bud" Helpenstell, Amy's father and President of The Amy Helpenstell Foundation. "With the full impact of state cutbacks to nonprofits being especially noticeable now, we are happy to support these organizations in every way we can. The important work they do can be felt in the lives of real people every day."

The Spring Grant recipients and the programs that received funding include :

• Aldridge Early Learning Center - Parent Education, $2,000

• Arrowhead Ranch - Computer Based Learning Program for Arrowhead Academy, $10,750
• Augustana College - Amy Helpenstell Student Interns Program, $20,000
• Bethany for Children and Families - Youth Transitional Housing for Homeless Youth (Rock Island), $8,000
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley - One-to-One Mentoring, $15,000
• Black Hawk College Foundation - Nursing Education: Extending Simulation into the Classroom and Beyond, $3,000
• Black Hawk College Optional Education Program - Adult Education English as a Second Language Coordination, $20,000
• Boys and Girls Club of the Mississippi Valley - Core Mission Grant, $16,000
• Child Abuse Council - Building Capacity for the Future, $10,000
• Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities - Enhanced Feeding Therapy Program, $16,000
• Community Housing Services - JumpStart After School Program, $10,000
• Community Resource and Learning Center, Inc. - Preschool Project, $5,000
• Gilda's Club of the Quad Cities - Children in Need Continuation and Expansion, $15,000
• Hand in Hand - Adapted Enrichment Programs for Children With Disabilities, $4,200
• Henry County Youth Services Bureau - Free Home-Based and School-Based Counseling, $12,000
• Junior Achievement of the Heartland - Building a Stronger Community-Junior Achievement Core-Mission Programs, $15,000
• Junior High Drop-In Center / South Park Presbyterian Church - Healthy Eating Program, $3,000
• Marriage and Family Counseling Service - Spanish Family Therapy Program, $10,000
• National Alliance on Mental Illness, Scott County - NAMI Scott County Office Expansion; Bringing NAMI's Signature Education Classes In-House, $5,000
• New Kingdom Trail Riders - 2012-2014 Horse Care Project, $10,000
• Rick's House of Hope - Ongoing Training of Volunteers and Staff, $4,000
• Robert Young Center for Community Mental Health - Quad Cities Eating Disorders Consortium, $50,000
• School Health LINK, Inc. - Behavioral Health Specialist, $15,000
• Spring Forward Learning Center - After-School Tutoring and Mentoring, $15,000
• St. Ambrose University - The Amy Helpenstell Scholars Program at St. Ambrose University, $10,000
• theplace2b - theplace2b Community Outreach Project, $15,000
• Vera French Foundation - School-Based Mental Health Therapy Program, $20,000

For more information about The Amy Helpenstell Foundation, visit www.amyhelpenstell.org orcall 563-326-2840. The Amy Helpenstell Foundation is administered by the CommunityFoundation of the Great River Bend.

BETTENDORF, Iowa - Supporters of fifteen nonprofit organizations contributed over $1 million to help those nonprofits succeed in the 2012 Endowment Challenge issued by the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend (CFGRB). The endowments funded by these donations and $75,000 in matching grants from the CFGRB will create a permanent, consistent source of income, allowing organizations to fulfill their missions for years to come.

Nonprofits that raised $15,000 in new gifts for their endowment at CFGRB received a $5,000 matching grant for their endowment. Alternatively, nonprofits that raised $30,000 in new gifts had the option to add the $5,000 matching grant to their endowment or use it for current operations. Every year, 4.5% of endowment assets held at the CFGRB are distributed back out to the community to support the work of nonprofit organizations, while the principal remains intact as a permanent resource.

Because gifts had to come from at least ten people, organizations had to spread the message of the importance of endowment. Jay Morrow, Superintendent of United Township, had conversations with alumni about how they could support the United Education Foundation, which provides scholarships to students and mini-grants to teachers. "We let them know that they could be significant in the future of our foundation, giving tomorrow's students the same opportunities that they had."

CFGRB Vice President of Programs Matt Mendenhall agrees. "While the $5,000 award is certainly helpful to these organizations, increased stakeholder awareness of endowment as permanent support for a mission they care about will have much greater value over the long run." In total, 397 donors contributed to the 2012 Endowment Challenge.

For all but one organization, the 2012 Endowment Challenge was their first time raising funds specifically for endowment. Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities, already an Endowment Partner, took the opportunity to grow their endowment. "In today's economy, a lot of organizational energy is focused on the 'now' - making sure we can provide services today," says George McDoniel, Executive Director. "The Community Foundation through their challenge match encourages us to focus energy on securing our future with endowment."

Both Endowment Partners and CFGRB staff stressed the value of the partnerships they built through this process. Barb Melbourne, Vice President of Development at the CFGRB, says, "I am very proud of our partners who committed to building endowment for a sustainable future." Mark Drake, Executive Director of Youth Hope, says, "We are so excited about our new
endowment with the Community Foundation! We received a generous match, a new partnership, new income, and unlimited long term potential."

Each Endowment Partner who met the match will be featured on the CFGRB Facebook page as "Endowment Partner of the Week" beginning January 28th. To learn more about the impact of these organizations and how you can make a difference, Like our Facebook page.

2012 CFGRB Endowment Challenge

Bettendorf Community Schools Foundation
Catholic Diocese of Davenport
Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities
Eastern Iowa Community College District Foundation
Family Resources, Inc.
German-American Heritage Center
Habitat for Humanity
Handicapped Development Center
Midwest Writing Center
Oakdale Memorial Gardens
Saint Anthony's Catholic Church - Davenport
Scott County Family Y
United Education Foundation
Women's Choice Center
Youth Hope

CFGRB 2012 Endowment Challenge - By the numbers:

Successful Endowment Partners: 15
Total gifts: $956,680.31
Total donors: 397
Total match: $75,000

If you have questions, please contact the Community Foundation at 563-326-2840, or info@cfgrb.org.

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