Areas of focus

The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation funds nonprofit organizations in Scott County, Iowa, and Rock Island Country, Illinois. The foundation has three long-term funding priorities:

Culture and the arts 

  • Cultivating and supporting the visual and performing arts

  • Investing in landmark cultural institutions

  • Supporting new and innovative programs and initiatives that enrich our community

Education

  • Supporting pre-K–12 education through:

    • After-school and summer programs

    • Creative learning initiatives

    • Life skills and career training

    • Environmental education with a focus on sustainability

  • Mental health programs for students and their families

Social welfare 

  • Supporting programs that are accessible to individuals and families through:

    • At-risk and low-income family services

    • Food and nutrition support

    • Housing security

    • Immigrant and refugee community support

    • Physical and mental health services

 What we do fund

Funding is awarded to support three areas of focus: culture and the arts, education, and social welfare. Within these areas, we provide support for:

  • Capital campaigns and capital acquisitions, including construction and renovations.

  • Operational and/or program grants not to exceed three years resulting from the completion of a capital campaign grant.

  • Multi-year program grants not to exceed three years. Program grants may include general operating expense reimbursement.

 

What we don’t fund

Because we believe in transparency, we have also identified projects that the foundation will not fund, including:

  • Debt retirement.

  • Membership or affiliation campaigns, dinners, or special events.

  • Conferences, symposia, and related travel.

  • Grants that further political doctrine.

  • Grants that further religious doctrine.

  • Grants to individuals.

  • Individual scholarships or sponsorships.

  • Medical, scientific, or academic research.

  • Endowments.

  • Organizations that discriminate based on race, color, religion (creed), gender, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or military status, except to serve an historically disadvantaged group. (Note: Inclusiveness is one of the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation's values. Therefore, we wish to fund organizations that are inclusive in their policies and practices.)