Since its inception in 1964, the Quad Cities Community Foundation has awarded more than $100 million in grants. This past year, the Community Foundation granted its biggest board-directed donation to date – a three-year, $350,000 commitment to the Center for Community and Economic Development.
As stated in a news release, "this significant achievement underlines the sheer breadth of the organization's efforts to serve the most urgent needs and potential prospects." The Marsha and Don Pedersen Endowment for Marriage and Family Counseling in Rock Island was responsible for bringing the organization over the $100 million mark. More than 50 years have passed since Don and Marsha Pedersen of Rock Island began assisting the organization.
After the birth of their second child, the couple began working as customers and quickly developed strong ties with the staff. Marsha became a member of the board of directors in the 1980s, serving as president from 1981 to 1982. According to Bill Hiebert, executive director of the Marriage and Family Counseling Center, Marsha's excitement was "ongoing and infectious."
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Senay Ataselim-Yilmaz, Chief Operating Officer, Turkish Philanthropy Funds, writes that philanthropy often solves the very problems that stems from market failure. Some social issues, however, cannot be tackled by questioning the return on investment.