History

For more than 55 years, the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation has supported opportunities and needs in the Quad Cities region.

The foundation was established as a charitable trust on October 1, 1967, by Mary Hubbell Waterman and Larned Allen Waterman as a memorial to their parents, James Windsor Hubbell of Des Moines, Iowa, and Charles Dana Waterman of Bettendorf, Iowa. The founders wished to honor their respective parents’ philanthropic ideals and accomplishments which have set the example of giving back to one’s community in our family.

Over the years, the endowment has grown, and scope of the foundation has increased. In 2007, the number of trustees was expanded to include all the founders’ children. In December 2008, the trustees adopted a mission that focused the foundation’s giving in the Quad Cities. The mission emphasizes three areas of focus to be funded on an annual basis: culture and the arts, education (pre-K to 12), and social welfare.

In 2018, the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation entered into an agreement with the Quad Cities Community Foundation to manage its online grant system, provide technical support to its applicants, answer questions about applications, and coordinate answers from the trustees as needed. All grantmaking decisions continue to be made by the trustees.