Community Foundation seeks Center for Nonprofit Excellence leaders

The Quad Cities Community Foundation is wasting no time in its quest to launch a new Center for Nonprofit Excellence designed to strengthen and grow the region’s nonprofit sector’s impact. Just weeks after announcing the new initiative, the foundation has begun phase one of the ambitious project. It includes hiring the center’s first employee as […]

The Quad Cities Community Foundation is wasting no time in its quest to launch a new Center for Nonprofit Excellence designed to strengthen and grow the region’s nonprofit sector’s impact. Just weeks after announcing the new initiative, the foundation has begun phase one of the ambitious project. It includes hiring the center’s first employee as well as creating and recruiting members for an advisory committee to help carry out its mission.  “The Center for Nonprofit Excellence grows out of the existing strength of the Quad Cities region's nonprofit sector,” Sue Hafkemeyer, the Community Foundation’s president and CEO told the QCBJ on Tuesday, June 27. “At the Quad Cities Community Foundation, we have worked with hundreds of the region’s nonprofits over the last six decades; we know how passionate and effective they already are, and we had conversations with these organizations about what they needed to continue their growth. The response was a desire for greater collaboration and more shared resources.”

The process of creating and launching the new center was made possible through funding from the Regional Development Authority (RDA) and contributions from private donors. The initiative is designed to support nonprofits by providing expanded resources that help advance their missions. Donors and nonprofits have asked for this type of nonprofit hub, Kelly Thompson, the Community Foundation’s vice president of grantmaking and community initiatives, said in a recent news release.  “The center will be a place to connect the dots,” she said. “Our local nonprofits are deepening their work every year; that growth brings new questions, and for so many, they trust the Community Foundation to help them answer those questions. We want to build on that trust, and that’s where the center comes in.” The search for its first director is particularly important to the project’s future. “A core member of the Quad Cities Community Foundation team, the center’s director will be someone with a history of leadership in the nonprofit sector and a creative vision for how that sector can grow through collaboration,” Ms. Hafkemeyer told the QCBJ. “Most importantly, the director will facilitate relationship-building between the advisory committee, nonprofit organizations, and the community.” According to the community foundation website, the center’s first leader will work with Ms. Thompson to bring the center from concept to reality, including by helping form that inaugural community advisory committee. The organization is seeking experienced applicants who can “bring a visionary, entrepreneurial bent to developing the center,” have “deep knowledge of and a passionate belief in the value of the nonprofit sector,” and possess “a collaborative nature with community leadership experience.” Regarding the new advisory committee, Ms. Hafkemeyer said, “We are looking for 12 advisory committee members representing the sector the Center for Nonprofit Excellence will serve.” She added, “Prospective members should be connected to nonprofit work in the Quad Cities and have a genuine desire to see the sector flourish. We especially encourage interest from people of color and leaders of organizations that serve historically marginalized communities, as these groups are frequently underrepresented in the nonprofit sector.” Those interested in joining that panel are urged to fill out the form that can be found here.  Ms. Hafkemeyer has previously said, “The vision for the center has grown naturally and intentionally. Now is the right time to move our efforts forward into something more holistic and accessible to organizations of all sizes.” Designed as a capacity builder, the center will bring together and add to the Community Foundation’s existing initiatives, which include capacity building grant programs, fiscal sponsorship support, and peer learning groups for nonprofit CEOs and fundraisers. These and other new offerings will be organized and shared with wider audiences through workshops, programming, and other opportunities designed to further strengthen the operational capabilities of local nonprofits and amplify their impact in the region. “We hope the center will be a place where nonprofits find new partnerships and new opportunities,” Ms. Hafkemeyer said. “We expect that the Center for Nonprofit Excellence will be a valuable resource for organizations that have often been underserved. To be effective, the center needs to have a mission of equity at its center, and that’s how it has been designed.” In addition, she said, “The Quad Cities Community Foundation is already offering workshops, a resource library, and many other opportunities for nonprofit leaders. This center will allow us to expand those efforts and reach more organizations.” The foundation also sees the Center for Nonprofit Excellence as a permanent home for collective sector-specific knowledge. It will do that by providing a “common point of connection for our regional partners, allowing them to access our educational resources and work collaboratively with other local nonprofits,” Ms. Hafkemeyer said. The Center also will house CEOLink, DevelopmentLink, and other new peer learning groups; extend the Community Foundation’s grantmaking strategy offerings; and catalyze relationships between potential partners in the community. Some offerings will be led by Community Foundation staff, and others by local, regional, or national providers contracted to deliver various programs.