United Way Quad Cities (UWQC) announced it has awarded $2 million in grants to 53 local nonprofit organizations. These investments aim to improve lives and strengthen the Quad Cities region over a three-year period, pending annual performance reviews and UWQC’s fundraising efforts.
The funding is part of UWQC’s Community Impact Grant process, designed to support programs and accelerate progress toward a shared vision for a stronger, more vibrant Quad Cities. Each grant has measurable outcomes in one or more of United Way’s core focus areas. They are education, financial security, and health in Scott and Rock Island counties.
More than 90 local leaders, subject-matter experts, and community volunteers served on nine investment panels to evaluate applications, conduct interviews, and make collaborative funding decisions. These volunteers represented 39 businesses, nonprofits, and public sector organizations. They contributed both professional expertise and lived experience to the process.
“The Quad Cities is fortunate to have so many great nonprofits helping people and driving real change,” said Andrew Dasso, principal architect at Streamline Architects and UWQC Investment Panel volunteer. “Serving in this way showed me how critical community support really is. It also reminded me how easy it can be — especially through workplace giving — for businesses and employees to come together and make a difference. United Way connects those efforts in a way no single organization can.”
74 groups seek funds
UWQC received $5.5 million in requests from 74 nonprofits, highlighting both the region’s needs and the opportunity for further community investment.
“I was surprised by the number of programs I didn’t know existed and what they’re accomplishing,” said Kaela Matt, Assistant Vice President of Consumer Sales at Empeople Credit Union and UWQC Investment Panel volunteer. “This experience opened my eyes to all the good being done and how many people can be helped through United Way.”
For more than 50 years, UWQC has mobilized people, not just dollars, to drive change. Unlike government-funded or gambling-revenue models, United Way’s investments are powered by local residents — working families, retirees, and young professionals — who care deeply about building a stronger future for everyone.
Together, UWQC and its partners are advancing a shared vision: a Quad Cities where every child can succeed in school and life, every family has a path to financial stability, and every person has access to the building blocks of healthy living.
