Culture Matters Here. And it always will.A handful of philanthropists cared enough about our region and five of its core cultural organizations to found the Quad Cities Cultural Trust. They knew that in a global economy, communities with a good quality of life find greater traction when competing for talent and capital. These founding funders knew that Culture Matters Here, making the Quad Cities a great place to live and work.

That was 2007, and over 11 years QCCT has grown to $23 million and has distributed $9 million in operational support to the five in what has been a bold experiment, a unique big-picture approach. And it’s working. In a show of confidence for the future, QCCT added a sixth grantee organization in 2017.

Now it’s time to build on that success, to care enough to make another bold investment that will ensure the long-term financial health of these cultural institutions and the region’s quality of life, because Culture Matters Here, and it always will.

HONORARY CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS

Representatives of each of the founding Funders and their spouses have agreed to serve as Honorary Co-Chairs for this Campaign. Their participation speaks volumes about their commitment to the Quad Cities and its cultural institutions.

Sam and Marsha Allen

R. Richard and Joan Bittner

Dana and Faye Waterman

“ We founded the Trust

to get results. Now,

more than a decade

later, we hope others

will join us for even

greater outcomes. It

is an exciting time for

our community.”

John Deere Foundation

Bechtel Trusts

Hubbell-Waterman

Foundation

Culture Matters Here – Campaign Goal: $12 Million In late 2017, QCCT leaders decided to launch a campaign to raise another $12 million. A larger endowment will continue to grow and provide increased grants to these six institutions year after year in perpetuity. QCCT and its founding funders invite the community to play a part in achieving this goal. We can do it if we all pull together!

Culture Matters Here – Our supported organizations tell the story.QCCT knows that our region’s cultural amenities define and showcase our vibrant community and create the sense of place so crucial to success in a global market. But the stories we share, stories that illustrate a wealth of evidence about changed lives, small delights and great vitality are why Culture Matters Here.

FIGGE ART MUSEUM Bringing art and people together

Figge’s Day of the Dead exhibition and community celebration attracted 3,700 people in one day. Life-sized Katrina dolls, family altars, authentic food and mariachi bands all made this a day of bringing art and people together. The Figge has become a hub for community events and activities with significant increases in

visitors and enthusiastic support from across the Quad Cities.

“ Support from the Cultural Trust provides financial stability that has enabled the Figge to stretch its programming, bringing new audiences and exceptional exhibitions, such as the upcoming ‘French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850 to 1950.’ QCCT plays an important part in helping the Figge achieve its vision of being nationally known for the quality of its exhibitions and education programs”

~ Tim Schiffer, Executive Director

PUTNAM MUSEUM Creating the place and the space to learn and have fun

A week in the Putnam’s IMMERSE program makes profound connections: “Clark dreams of becoming a professor of paleontology at the University of Washington in Seattle,” says his mom. Clark was awestruck during a presentation given by the Putnam paleontologist Chris Chandler during his week of immersive, hands-on learning at the Putnam. “Clark said to me, ‘Mom, I can’t wait to do this kind of thing

when I grow up!’”

“ The Putnam is an education, adventure, and FUN treasure with a 150 year past and a meaningful place in the QC’s future. We plan strategically to keep the museum fresh, exciting and indispensable to our students, families and all of the ever-curious among us. We couldn’t do it without the Cultural Trust”

~ Kim Findlay, Executive Director

QUAD CITY BOTANICAL CENTER Abundant life, shared experience

We LOVE the Botanical Center!! We love investigating all the plants, seeing them change during the year, checking out the leaves, flowers, fruit, and nuts. We love feeding the fish and turtle and watching them interact. We love the sand mound each winter. We love the beautiful outdoor gardens, play areas and splash pad. True, that’s a lot of loves! Our kids are 7, 5, and 3, and we have such a great time

every visit. Thank you for providing this wonderful space! ~Sarah

“ The Quad City Botanical Center is proud of its unique contribution to the Quad Cities’ arts and cultural scene, and QCCT understands our value and provides operating support necessary to thrive. We envision continuous growth of our gardens for the benefit of the community we serve”

~ Ami Jenkins, Executive Director

QUAD CITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Making music, making change

In 2017 the Symphony and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley began a collaboration to bring cellos and music instruction to 2nd and 3rd graders in Moline and Davenport. Inspired by the El Sistema Movement, the cello project provides each student with a cello and all of the accessories as well as instruction and supervised practice time. The project provides the thrill of making music along with the responsibilities of participation.

“ Performing music promotes social development by instilling important values: solidarity, harmony, mutual compassion. An entire community can be transformed by music and its expression of sublime feelings. QCCT believes in and supports this transformation.”

~ Mark Russell Smith, Music Director

RIVER MUSIC EXPERIENCE Launching lives

“When I went to Rock Camp at RME, I was just a little kid among teenagers, but I learned a lot. Rock Camp and Winter Blues fed my passion to play music, and I started my own bands! An audio engineer internship in RME’s Redstone Room helped me decide to study audio engineering in Nashville, TN. Now I’m interning at Dark Horse Recording, where albums by artists like Taylor Swift and Relient K were recorded! It’s been an awesome ride so far, and it all got started with RME.” ~ Kaleb Dykema

“ QCCT has helped RME touch the lives of music makers and music appreciators alike. Our vision is to make the Quad Cities a destination for musicians, music professionals like Kaleb, and fans of great music. With QCCT support we can make the QC THE music center of the Midwest.”

~ Bret Dale, Director of Programming and Education

QUAD CITY ARTS Realizing the profound impact of art

Quad City Arts’ impact is routinely made in quiet and profound experiences during the Visiting Artist Series. During multi-GRAMMY winning jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon’s recent residency a group of teens from foster homes were invited to sit in on her concert rehearsal. She asked if any of them liked to sing, and one girl timidly raised her hand. On stage, she sang an original work for Nnenna, who then pulled her close and said “You got it, girl. You keep working and practicing and you can do anything you want to in this life.”

“ Visiting Artists, the educational program presenting multi-disciplinary performing arts through residencies in schools and at community sites, has been incredibly successful at introducing students and audiences alike to new and exciting performers. Our goal for Quad City Arts is to reach every school child in the Quad Cities Region with this program. We know it can happen with QCCT support.”

~ Carmen Darland, Executive Director

How QCCT makes a differenceQuad Cities Cultural Trust is unique in granting operational dollars to the bottom line of the organizations; this strengthens cores and makes it possible to carry out great programming. An increased Trust means increased impact.

A successful campaign will be a combination of commitments:

• Multi-year commitments of cash, stock or other assets from those who appreciate and USE the arts will provide immediate support.

• Planned giving provides a way to make a stretch gift, fulfilling the commitment beyond what is possible over three to five years.

• Leaving a legacy for the place you call home, where a successful business was built and a family raised, is a gift for the generations.

QCCT will work to successfully fulfill the wishes of each individual donor using one or more of these ways to give.

Who’s Helping

CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS

Because Culture Matters Here, three community leaders have committed to shepherd this ambitious campaign to strengthen our cultural resources for the near term and the long term.

John Anderson Linda Bowers Aaron Tennant

“ It’s difficult to imagine the Quad Cities without its arts scene! Those of us who appreciate and use the arts know how important it is to support the continued excitement and vibrancy we all love. A gift to QCCT provides the crucial operating support the arts need in perpetuity.”

“ For more than a decade, the Bechtel Trusts, the John Deere Foundation and the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation have carried the load of helping to support operations for fabulous cultural entities. Now it’s time for all of us to help. I have decided to stretch my giving goal to make a personally significant donation to QCCT. I am honored to donate to the vibrancy of our region.”

“ My roots, my family and my business are all here in the Quad Cities. This home of mine is important to me, and I care about the vitality of its life. A gift to Quad Cities Cultural Trust helps ensure that vitality. A planned gift is a good way to leave a legacy that lasts.”

Northwest OffiCenter • 2550 Middle Road, Suite 300

Bettendorf, IA 52722

qcct.org

How We’ll SucceedBy partnering with Q2030, this region is becoming THE place to work, live, and raise families. With this $12 million endowment campaign, we ensure the cultural amenities continue to thrive and grow.