Trio of foundations accepting 2022 grant applications

The Doris and Victor Day Foundation, Rauch Family Foundation I, and the Rock Island Community Foundation are accepting grant applications from non-profit agencies for 2022.

Doris and Victor Day applications are due May 31; Rauch Family Foundation I applications are due July 31; and Rock Island Community Foundation applications are due June 30. 

Grant information and access to the shared grant portal can be accessed here and here. 

In their wills, Doris and Victor Day, of Rock Island, principal owners of Bear Manufacturing, bequeathed $10 million to a grantmaking foundation for the betterment of a community in which they lived, loved and established their business.

Since their death, more than $20 million has been distributed to local nonprofits designed to help make the community a better place. Grants are available to nonprofits serving the people of Rock Island and Scott counties. Since 1986, the foundation has distributed more than $26 million in total grants. 

The Rauch Family Foundation I was established by brothers Albert and Lester Rauch in the late 1980s with an initial principal of $1 million. Grants are restricted to nonprofits that serve the citizens of the City of Rock Island. Since 1988, the foundation has distributed more than $1.3 million in grants. 

The first investments to the Rock Island Community Foundation (RICF) came from the foundation’s eight founders on April 16, 1967. Each member simply reached into their pockets and donated $20 a piece. Since then, the foundation has given away over $1.75 million to community groups. 

The RICF has grown to nearly $2 million in assets. Each foundation board member is required to give an annual gift to the foundation. It also is funded through gifts, bequests, and grants from the citizens of the community and area businesses. Through that community support, RICF has been able to help 191 different organizations. More than 200,000 individuals in Rock Island have benefitted from our grant-funded services. 

In effort to serve area nonprofits more effectively and efficiently, paper applications will not be accepted. 

For additional information about the application process for the Doris & Victor Day Foundation, contact Tyla Sherwin-Cole at (309) 788-2300 or tyla@dayfoundation.org. For the Rauch Family Foundation I or Rock Island Community Foundation, contact Gary Rowe at (309) 788-4412 or gnrowe47@gmail.com.