United Way Quad Cities has released its 2024 Community Insights, Signals & Trends Report, offering a detailed look at the ongoing efforts and key opportunities to further strengthen the region. This data-driven report highlights the collective challenges and progress in areas such as child poverty, educational success, financial stability and health equity, underscoring the power of partnerships between nonprofits, businesses, educational institutions, and community members.
United Way Quad Cities collaborates with partners across all sectors — including funded partners, education leaders, businesses and other funders — to address these challenges and create lasting, measurable impact. The report reinforces the importance of continuing this collaborative work, ensuring resources are aligned and focused where they can make the most difference.
The findings reflect the Quad Cities stakeholders’ strong expectations for increased collaboration and collective problem-solving to scale impact and drive change. These insights, drawn from community data and feedback from nearly 1,000 residents and leaders, will guide strategic initiatives for the next three years.
Key findings of the report include:
- Child Poverty & Early Education: Over 19% of children in the Quad Cities live in poverty, and only half of children aged 3-4 are enrolled in early childhood education programs. Partnerships like Start Early and the work of Women United, a network of United Way, are helping prepare children for kindergarten success and lifelong learning.
- Educational Disparities: Students from low-income families face persistent barriers to success. United Way’s United for Schools initiative, in collaboration with local public school districts and Communities In Schools (CIS®), is delivering wraparound services to nearly 1,000 students in two Title I elementary campuses. This initiative will expand its reach to 2,000 students in January, with an amplified focus on improving literacy and attendance, alongside other critical supports, to help bridge these gaps and set students up for long-term success.
- Financial Instability: Despite positive employment figures, many residents still struggle with financial security due to rising living costs. United Way’s workforce development efforts aim to equip individuals with the skills needed to secure stable, well-paying jobs that align with the region’s needs. Greater collaboration between businesses, educators and community leaders is essential to identifying high-impact jobs and aligning resources to prioritize training and development programs that will fill these roles, ensuring long-term financial stability for more residents.
- Mental Health Access: Access to mental health care remains a priority. The report highlights United Way’s commitment to supporting and investing in expanded mental health services for youth and adults, with a focus on addressing the growing demand for support — especially among young children and in schools, where needs are increasing at alarming rates. While there are collaborative efforts across the community, meeting the demand for skilled staff and expertise requires ongoing innovation and creative problem-solving to ensure comprehensive care for all.
“The insights from this report underscore the critical importance of data-informed decision-making and ensuring we use donor and community resources efficiently and effectively,” said Rene Gellerman, President & CEO of United Way Quad Cities. “By aligning our efforts — across nonprofits, businesses, schools and residents — we are driving real, measurable change. These findings will help us continue to prioritize and scale initiatives that deliver lasting impact where it’s needed most.”
The report emphasizes the vital role that partnerships play in achieving large-scale impact. United Way’s collaborations with local community organizations, combined with the implementation of proven practices from national partners such as Communities in Schools, Start Early and Vision To Learn, showcase how collective efforts and best practices can drive innovative solutions and expand opportunities for all.
