Anne E. Calder
Vice president of Development at Quad Cities Community Foundation since 2017. “My whole career has been in nonprofit development, where I help people support their community and causes that are most important to them.“
What causes are you most passionate about and why? I love working with people on their charitable giving, helping them dream what’s possible and then helping them achieve it. At the Quad Cities Community Foundation, I’m invited into conversations that are very personal to a donor’s situation, whether it be for a memorial scholarship or for an extended family legacy. It’s really an honor to be part of those conversations and to help craft giving plans that bring about fulfillment for the donor as well as impact on their community. I feel giving should be joyful for the giver and the receiver—and that my job is to set the stage for that joy.
In what ways do you give back to the community? One of the biggest things I do is connect people with nonprofits and causes they might not yet know about, like Argrow’s House of Healing and Hope. This is a big part of what the Quad Cities Community Foundation and community foundations around the state do every day. Because we’re out working in our communities, we know where the greatest needs and most promising opportunities are. We also know how charitable gifts can make our local communities more equitable, vibrant, healthy and inclusive for all our neighbors. In introducing people to nonprofits making a real difference in our community, we help further their missions so that organizations like Argrow’s House can have a positive impact on women who are moving beyond abusive situations.
If someone is new to nonprofit or volunteer work, how do you recommend they get started? Working as a nonprofit professional is a great career choice—there are endless possibilities that have positive impacts on every sector of our nation. If you have a skill to offer, there’s likely a nonprofit near you that could use it. I’d recommend asking another nonprofit professional for a cup of coffee to learn about their career path and what’s needed in your community.
How can readers support your favorite causes? Visit your local community foundation! Each community in Iowa is served by a local community foundation that exists for this very reason—to help facilitate charitable giving from people who care to causes that matter. We are experts on our local communities and region, and we love to share what we know. As we at the Quad Cities Community Foundation like to say, we can achieve far more together than any one of us can on our own, so check your local community foundation out today.