RDA awards more than $2M in fall grants

The Regional Development Authority recently awarded more than $2 million in fall grants to area nonprofits, educational and governmental entities, the RDA announced. 

The authority is the nonprofit license holder and Qualified Sponsoring Organization for the Rhythm City Casino Resort in Davenport, according to the organization’s website. The RDA receives funds from Rhythm City Casino’s gaming operations to create community grants for qualified nonprofits, educational and governmental entities. 

The RDA Board accepts grant applications each spring and fall. The most recent recipients were approved at the board’s meeting Thursday, Nov. 16. The latest awards totaled 70 grant payments, including two multi-cycle payments, for a total of $2,005,075. 

The RDA’s fall grant recipients and their corresponding projects include:   

• 100 Black Men Quad Cities, Inc., HBCU Initiative 2024 “The Journey Continues,” $30,000.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals, Helping Nonprofit Professionals Enhance Their Organization’s Fundraising, $6,000.
• Ballet Quad Cities, Building K-6 critical thinking, literacy, and SEL skills through ballet, $30,000. 
• Bettendorf Christian Church, 2024 Quad Cities Night to Shine – Prom for the QCA Special Needs Community, $3,750. 
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley, Little to be Big Community Engagement Campaign, $50,000.
• Birdies for Charity, Building the Bonus Fund with a new staff member, $20,000.
• Black Resources Inc., Culture Crush — Paving the Way to Success through Organization, $10,300.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley, Summer Programming for Underserved Youth, $12,500.
• Center for Active Seniors, Inc., operations bridge grant (multi-cycle, three-year grant for $75,000 per year), $225,000 total.
• City of Blue Grass, restroom and storm-shelter facilities for Gless Field, $25,000. 
• City of Davenport, Main Street Landing | dynamic LED lighting (Five grants at $75,000 per cycle) $375,000.
• City of Eldridge, Centennial Park restroom, $25,000.
• City of Eldridge Police Department, Operation: Protected Protectors, $7,874. 
• City of Long Grove, City Hall back-up generator installation, $6,345.
• Clock Inc., support groups, $8,750. 
• Common Chord, Davenport Riverfront Concert Series, $11,750.
• Community Health Care, Inc., modernizing dental equipment to better serve the Scott County community, $50,000.
• Davenport Fire Department, rescue task force equipment, $23,000. 
• Davenport North Little League, lighting for Davenport North Little League Baseball Fields, $50,000.
• Dixon Volunteer Fire Department, self-contained breathing apparatuses, $20,102. 
• EveryChild, child abuse prevention, $10,000. 
• Family Museum, outdoor courtyard updates, $17,720. 
• Freight House Farmers Market, People Movers – Mobility Matters, $24,000. 
• Fresh Films, year-round workforce development and Career Pathway for Scott County Youth, $25,000.
• Friends of Bettendorf Parks Foundation, Lincoln Park permanent restrooms, $5,000. 
• Friends of the Quad Cities, Group Business Empowers Tourism Development, $50,000. 
• Genesis Health Services Foundation, Genesis FoodPlex, $22,500. 
• German American Heritage Center, Anchors Aweigh: Children’s Activity Space, $20,000. 
• Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, Leadership & Life Skill Development opportunities for girls in Scott County, $25,000. 
• Great Sounds Promotions, The richness and diversity of African-Americans in art, culture and music, $5,000. 
• Hand in Hand, capacity building, $67,000. 
• Handicapped Development Center, Improving Inclusiveness and Accessibility, $20,505.
• Humble Dwellings, additional new beds for clients in need, $35,123.
• Humility Homes and Services, Inc., The Community Impact of Homeless to Housed, $45,000.
• Inspire Next, Promote cultural awareness and post-secondary education opportunities, $20,000.
• Kinnas House Of Love Inc., general operating for ongoing programs, $6,000.
• LeClaire Fire Association, firefighter training facility, $25,000.
• Mississippi Bend AEA Special Events Committee, David E. Lane Coats for Kids, $17,660.
• Mississippi Valley Blues Society, expanding Online Education Program delivery capacity, $10,000.
• Mississippi Valley Track Club, expanding awareness, capacity, and access to summer track and field, $15,069.
• Narratives, expanding services for vulnerable young adults to Scott County, $20,000.
• One Eighty, Automotive Repair Career Training Pilot for residents overcoming addiction, $15,000.
• Opera Quad Cities, Innovative Artistry through Technology, $5,000.
• Project Renewal, Youth Program Expansion and Renovations, $100,000.
• Putnam Museum and Science Center, Engines of Progress: Trains in the QCA, $13,860.
• Quad Cities Chamber Foundation – Iowa, Alternating Currents QC Festival, $50,000.
• Quad Cities Community Broadcasting Group, Inc., Media messaging to promote Access to Affordable Housing, $25,000.
• Quad Cities Housing Council, Winter Emergency Shelter 5-Year Plan – Year Five, $15,000.
• Quad Cities Housing Council, creation and preservation of affordable housing units, $50,000.
• Quad Cities Jazz Festival, LTD, Third Sunday Jazz Series and Bill Bell Jazz & Heritage Festival, $10,000.
• Quad City Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees, establishing the Quad Cities’ first Welcome Center for Newcomers, $20,000.
• Quad City Arts, 2023-2024 Visiting Artist Series, $23,000. 
• Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Quad City Symphony Orchestra Symphony Day, $7,500.
• River Action, Inc., bridge funding for Leadership and Succession Planning, $40,000.
• River Bend Food Bank, Closing the Meal Gap in Scott County, $75,000.
• Safe Families for Children Alliance, Keeping Children Safe and Families Together, $5,000.
• Safer Foundation, Filling the financial gap to ensure motivated students aren’t left behind, $41,971.
• St. Ambrose University, Studio Theatre Enhancement, $27,500.
• St. Anthony Catholic Church, Expanding storage and distribution of healthy foods at McAnthony Window, $23,982.
• STEAM on Wheels, Bringing LEGO Robotics to underserved Scott County children, $25,576.
• Tapestry Farms, Investing in the Lives of Scott County Refugees, $12,000.
• The Project of the Quad Cities, Linkage to Behavioral Healthcare Using Peer Navigation, $40,000.
• TMBC – Together Making A Better Community, Start Up Bridge Three of Three, $35,000.
• Up With Families, 2024 Annual Family Weekend Retreat, $6,000. 
• Vera French Foundation, serving more and improving access at the new Vera French Clinic at Duck Creek (multi-cycle, two cycles of $75,000 each), $150,000. 
• Vera French Foundation, Planning To Succeed: A Second Contingency Grant For New Supportive Housing (multi-cycle contingent on federal grant, $75,000 per cycle for two cycles), $150,000. 
• Western Illinois University Foundation on behalf of WQPT Quad Cities PBS, Membership Support Challenge Grant to Fund Educational Initiatives, $12,500.
• World Relief Quad Cities, RHW: Mental Health Services for Non-ORR-Eligible Clients, $25,238. 

Other multi-cycle commitments

• City of Bettendorf, The Landing – A Waterpark, Youth Rec Center and Permanent Ice Rink (multi-cycle two of 10), $100,000.  
• Figge Art Museum, Evanescent Field: light sculpture for the Figge Art Museum (multi-cycle three of 10), $100,000.

The RDA’s next grant cycle will open by Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, with an application deadline of Sunday, March 31. For more information and grant applications, visit the RDA website.