BETTENDORF, IOWA (May 13, 2024) — Teens are central to transforming the Quad Cities region through generosity.
For more than twenty years, the Quad Cities Community Foundation’s Teens for Tomorrow (T4T) program has put young people in the driver’s seat of philanthropy. This year’s cohort of students from area high schools has now awarded $29,500 to six local non-profits. This total includes $18,500 the students raised through their direct work with donors.
“The T4T program gives young people an opportunity to lead real change right here in our community,” said Sue Hafkemeyer, the Community Foundation’s president and CEO. “This cohort did exactly that. They worked together, met with donors, learned from nonprofits, and ultimately made some big decisions that will positively impact our community.”
The T4T program provides a supportive space for idea-sharing and mentoring between its students and Community Foundation leaders. Teens learn about the logistics of fundraising and the realities of running a non-profit and have opportunities for leadership training and public speaking. After a focused nine-month period of grant-application reviews, site visits, interviews, and donor visits, students selected six final grant recipients. The organizations awarded grants are focused on various causes, from food insecurity to health-care access.
“This year’s cohort was deeply committed to providing as much full funding and operational support as possible,” said Kaleigh Trammell, grantmaking specialist at the Community Foundation. “Throughout the process, even when that commitment was difficult, they reminded each other of their goals and made it happen. They also focused on “upstream” solutions, which influenced their decisions with these grants.”
The Community Foundation is now accepting applications for next year’s T4T program. Teens interested in learning about philanthropy and driving positive change in their community — and donors who would like to support the T4T program’s continued operations — can learn more at www.QCCommunityFoundation.org/t4t.
The following six nonprofits received Teens for Tomorrow funding this year:
- Bethany for Children and Families: Give Kids a Smile Mobile Dental Clinic Support — $5,000
- Project NOW, CAA: Project NOW General Operating Support — $6,500
- River Bend Food Bank: River Bend Food Bank School Backpack Program — $2,000
- Salvation Army — Quad Cities: Hygiene/Household Supplies Program Support — $3,000
- Tapestry Farms: Tapestry Farms program support — $5,000
- World Relief Quad Cities: World Relief Quad Cities general operating support — $8,000
