The Diane and late Hunt Harris family is giving a $10 million endowment gift to permanently name the Quad Cities Community Foundation’s Hunt and Diane Harris Center for Nonprofit Excellence.
The couple first dreamed of creating the center more than 10 years ago, according to a news release from the Community Foundation. The gift is part of the family’s dedication to building a vibrant, strong, generous community, the release said.
“The Harris family’s foresight and generosity are nothing short of remarkable,” Sue Hafkemeyer, the Community Foundation’s president and CEO, said in the release. “This gift demonstrates their confidence in our region’s nonprofits and ensures the Harris Center will always be here as a connector and capacity builder for the sector. It will impact every nonprofit in the Quad Cities and, by extension, our entire community.”
The Center for Nonprofit Excellence launched in 2023 as a hub where nonprofits can come together to collaborate, strengthen operations and expand their reach. More than 1,250 people have participated in educational workshops, peer networking sessions and other learning opportunities.
More than 85 individuals representing 50 organizations enrolled in the Center’s first two flagship programs, which focus on nonprofit management and board training.
“When our nonprofits are strong, our whole community benefits,” said Diane Harris. “Hunt and I watched our local organizations grow stronger and smarter by working together. This gift, and the programming it makes possible, is meant to ensure that learning, collaboration, and growth continue for the good of our entire community.”
Diane Harris previously served as board chair for the Community Foundation and as a leader on many nonprofit boards across the region. She continues her charitable work in Naperville, Illinois, where she now lives close to family.
Hunt Harris, who was president of Star Forms and Isabel Bloom, and a former Community Foundation committee member, died in 2023.
The couple formed the Hunt and Diane Harris Family Foundation in 1986. They worked closely with the Community Foundation for years, eventually converting their private foundations to funds that have made impacts across the Quad-Cities, including in economic development, education, health and the arts.
“Our parents have always believed in the power of nonprofits to transform communities,” said Alex Harris, of Naperville, son of Diane and Hunt. “With the Community Foundation, they have championed local organizations and worked to give them the tools and resources they need to grow. I’m proud that this gift indelibly names their incredible legacy of generosity.”