BETTENDORF, IOWA (May 9, 2025) — Generous local teens are leading the way in Quad Cities regional philanthropy.
For more than twenty years, the Quad Cities Community Foundation’s Teens for Tomorrow Program has given young people the opportunity to steer philanthropic efforts and create grants for local non-profits. This year’s cohort of students from area high schools has now awarded $37,500 to 12 local non-profits. This total includes $27,500 that the students raised through their direct work with donors. To date, the Teens for Tomorrow program has granted more than $295,000 to local non-profits.
“The Teens for Tomorrow Program gives young people the tools and support to create meaningful, lasting change in their own communities,” said Sue Hafkemeyer, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “This year’s members showed remarkable dedication. They did the research, asked the tough questions, and made strategic choices that reflect both their values and our region’s most pressing needs.”
Based on their research and conversation with local donors and non-profit leaders, Teens for Tomorrow members chose to focus on four key granting areas: Affordable education and child-care, food insecurity, immigration support, and supportive housing. They also prioritized providing unrestricted, operational funding — resources that give non-profits the flexibility to meet real-time challenges and invest in long-term solutions.
“The focus areas the students chose are also an important indicator for all of us on what matters most to our community’s young people,” Hafkemeyer added.
Participants reviewed dozens of grant applications, received leadership and public speaking training, and worked with Community Foundation staff to refine their storytelling and fundraising skills. Program members met one-on-one with donors to share their Teens for Tomorrow experience. Thanks to these efforts and the generosity of donors, students raised $27,500 to support their grantmaking budget.
“This group was focused, driven, and unafraid to lead,” said Kaleigh Trammell, director of grantmaking and community initiatives. “They didn’t just meet expectations — they redefined what youth philanthropy can look like when young people are trusted with real responsibility and supported every step of the way.”
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 QCCommunityFoundation.org/t4t.
The following twelve non-profits received Teens for Tomorrow funding this year:
- Black Hawk College — Teens for Tomorrow program support for “Hawk 4 Hygiene” — $500
- Christian Care — General Operating Support for Community Meal Site — $2,500
- Hope at the BRICK House Inc — Hope at the BRICK House 2025 Summer Program for at-Risk Children — $7,500
- One Eighty — Supportive Housing for Women in Recovery — $2,000
- Project NOW Inc — Project NOW Seniors Home Delivered Meals program support — $2,000
- Project Renewal Inc — Summer Youth Program 2025 — $3,000
- Spring Forward Learning Center — Spring Forward general operating support — $2,500
- St. Anthony Church — McAnthony Window program support — $3,000
- Tapestry Farms — Tapestry Farms Operational Support — $5,000
- Testimonies of Hope — Healing Home for Women and Children Domestic Violence Survivors general operating support — $2,500
- World Relief Quad Cities —Refugee Family Literacy — $5,000
- YWCA of the Quad Cities — Food and Survival Kit Distribution Program — $2,000
