The Better Health Foundation (BHF) has awarded $956,575 to five nonprofit organizations whose community-informed projects will improve the health and well-being of the greater Quad Cities region as part of its 2026 Innovation grant program. BHF has awarded over $6.27 million for prevention and wellness programs and services since it was organized in 2023.
“As a community, we depend on nonprofit organizations to meet the growing and changing needs of the people they serve,” said Rob Woodall, president of the Better Health Foundation Board of Directors. “Supporting nonprofit innovation is a priority for our Foundation because it ensures we’re responding to the community’s needs as they evolve. The impact of this year’s Innovation grants will be long-lasting and far-reaching.”
The 2026 Innovation grants range from $163,000 to $200,000 for programs and services aligned with the foundation’s current funding priorities: mental and behavioral health, maternal and child health, and risk reduction of obesity and diabetes.
These organizations received grants as part of the 2026 program:
$200,000 to the MercyOne Genesis Foundation to launch the region’s first Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Obstetrics & Gynecology outreach model in Geneseo. The program will serve Henry County, increasing rural access to preventive, gynecologic and prenatal care. Services will be provided under the supervision of Dr. May Yazeji at onsite clinics and through telehealth and community outreach.
$193,575 to Narratives for Mental Health at Work, the first mental-health-centered workforce development model in the QCA. Young adults will gain paid employment experience while building tools to manage anxiety, depression, stress and workplace conflict at The Story Coffee Company. Narratives will also offer the mental health curriculum to local businesses at low- to no-cost so employers of all sizes can improve workplace well-being and career pathways across the region.
$200,000 to The Rural Behavioral Health Institute to pilot the evidence-based Screening Linked to Care program in Illinois Quad Cities schools. The program will be fully virtual and deliver bi-annual universal mental health screenings, same-day care for high-risk students and care navigation support to students at their schools.
$163,000 to the Vera French Foundation to expand the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team and increase its effectiveness through court-ordered participation to people with chronic mental illness who are deemed high utilizers of community resources in Scott County. This approach was identified as a key solution by local law enforcement, healthcare, and judicial stakeholders comprising the Scott County Mental Health Alliance.
$200,000 to Youth Service Bureau to form a cooperative service model with Children’s Advocacy Center and EveryChild that strengthens the organizations while significantly improving access to community-wide, trauma-informed care. The formal, collaborative safety net will help child victims of trauma in the community and ensure that timely, high-quality therapy and family-support services are consistently available during the most critical period after victimization.
Better Health Foundation accepts requests from qualified 501(c)3 organizations in Cedar, Clinton, Louisa, Muscatine and Scott Counties in Iowa and Henry, Mercer, Rock Island and Whiteside Counties in Illinois. Contact Elaine Schilling, eschilling@thebetterhealthfoundation.org, or call the Better Health Foundation at 563-383-6065 for more information on applying for a grant.
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