Fifty-six Quad Cities community-based nonprofit organizations will receive $750,000 in grants from the Doris & Victor Day Foundation to expand essential services for vulnerable residents who struggle with meeting their basic needs.
“With these grants, we’re fortunate to have the opportunity to support the missions of so many dedicated local organizations to help expand essential services that are desperately needed right now,” said Tyla Sherwin-Cole, executive director of the Doris & Victor Day Foundation, in a news release announcing the awards.
The funds are granted each year and aimed at making the Quad Cities a “better place” since they were made possible by a $10 million gift from the Doris Day Estate in 1987. According to the release, Doris and Victor Day knew that money was essential in bringing change to the QC and believed the rewards they earned over their lifetime were better spent invested in the Quad Cities.
The foundation’s grants are designed to allow local nonprofit organizations to expand a wide range of essential programs, ranging from emergency rent assistance and legal advocacy for eviction prevention to food pantries and meals for seniors. Grant recipients serve a diverse client base, including military families, older adults, and refugees.
In all, over the last 35 years, the Doris & Victor Day Foundation has invested more than $25 million to support workforce development, food insecurity, environmental stewardship, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, among other causes. Most of Day’s Foundation giving is directed to diverse and underserved communities.
Who gets 2023 grants?
The 2023 Doris & Victor Day Foundation grants listed alphabetically include: American Red Cross Disaster Cycle Services $2,000; Augustana College Access to Speech, Language, and Hearing Services $3,000; Ballet Quad Cities’ Anti-Bullying, Literacy, and Social-Emotional Learning programs $2,500; Bethany for Children & Families Housing the Homeless $5,000; Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley Parent Engagement and Support Services $2,500;
Café On Vine Daily Readiness Program $2,000; Child Abuse Council/EveryChild Stucco/Brick Repair-Building Maintenance $15,000; Children’s Therapy Center of the Quad Cities, NFP Therapy for Children living in Rock Island whose families are unable to afford the cost $3,000; Christian Care Community Meal Site Program $5,000;
Christian Friendliness Association, Inc. Creative Arts Program for 400 At-risk Youth $1,500; Church of Peace, UCC, Rock Island Food Pantry $2,500; Clock, Inc. Continuing Mission $3,000; Community Health Care, Inc. critical equipment to Improve Pediatric Dental Care for RI Patients $10,000; Figge Art Museum Art and Activism at Tougaloo College Exhibition and Education Programming $2,000;
First Tee of the Quad Cities Expanding Summer Camp Experience for Community Partners $2,000; Fresh Films Inc Media Workforce Development and Career Path programs for underserved Rock Island teens $2,500; Friends of Hauberg Civic Center Foundation air conditioning for Hauberg Carriage House educational/STEAM Classroom for summer and fall use $2,000; Friendship Manor Re-Establishing Friendship $5,000;
Genesius Theatre Foundation directors for 2024 season $2,000; German American Heritage Center Puppetry at the German American Heritage Center and Museum $2,500; Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois Girl Scout Leadership Program Support for Rock Island and Illinois Quad Cities area Girls $2,000; Heart of Hope Ministries New Horizons-Help Us Climb $5,000; Humility Homes and Services, Inc. From Hopeless to Housed $10,000; LivWell CARES free placement, information and referral services for low income seniors in Rock Island County $2,000; Lutheran Social Services of Illinois Moline/Rock Island Children and Family Services $4,000;
Nahant Marsh Education Center Bridging the Nature Gap for Rock Island Students and Residents $2,500; NEST Cafe (Nourish Everyone Sustainably Together) general operating support $5,000 New Kingdom Trailriders Leading the Way with Learning and Development $1,000; Prairie State Legal Services 2023 General Operating Expenses for Rock Island office $5,000; Putnam Museum and Science Center Community Access Fund $2,000; Quad City Botanical Center Core operating support $20,000;
Quad City Symphony Orchestra QCSO Music Education Access Programs $2,000; River Bend Foodbank Feeding Rock Island, $2,500; Rock Island Girls Softball Field development and Improvement $1,500; Rock Island Milan Little League new program equipment to help Rock Island-Milan develop area youth $4,000; Rock Island Parks & Recreations RI Parks Foundation Youth Financial Assistance Program $5,000; Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation to remote the foundation in 2023-24 $3,000; Rocky Resource Room $5,000;
Safer Foundation Employment Services Program $3,000; SBC Music & Arts Academy Outreach Music and Arts Academy $3,000; STEAM on Wheels Bringing STEAM enrichment classes directly to underserved Rock Island students $5,000; Tapestry Farms to provide refugee Families with crucial services to build healthy new lives $10,000;
The Literacy Connection Operating Expenses 2023-2024 School year $1,000; Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences scholarships for underrepresented students $15,000; Two Rivers YMCA Teen Mentoring Program support $2,500; Western Illinois DREAMers general operating proposal $5,000;
Western Illinois University Foundation for WIU Quad Cities degree attainment assistance $10,000; WIUFoundation on behalf of WQPT educational programming and community outreach support $2,500;
WVIK, Quad Cities NPR WVIK, programming support $10,000; Spring Forward general operating support $80,000; Iowa Abortion Access Fund general operating support $30,000; Quad Cities Open Network General Operating Support $50,000 Transitions Mental Health Services.
To find out more about the Doris & Victor Day Foundation, which is based at 1800 Third Ave., Suite 302, Rock Island, visit www.dayfoundation.org.
