After eight years leading United Way Quad Cities, Rene Gellerman is leaving the regional nonprofit organization in late June, and is not sure what her next challenge will be, but she plans to stay in the area.
“Over the last eight years, we've kind of gone through a transformation and we have gotten to the point where there's such a strong foundation at United Way, both in diversified funding, in strategic community impact in the staff, and it just is the right time,” she said Monday. “It's better to leave an organization when it's strong, and that's where we are right now. So It's been a great honor to lead the organization over the last eight years, and it's ready for its next leader and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.”
“Whoever steps into this job has a very unique and exciting future ahead of them,” Gellerman (a 1990 Western Illinois University alum) said. “And it's a place where you get to work with nonprofits, businesses, education leaders and government leaders and really direct your focus and your skills and your attention, your resources to make the community better.
"And I'll miss being in the center of that, for sure. But over the last eight years, when I would look back at all that we've accomplished, we've raised over $50 million for this community over the last eight years," she noted. "We help over 70,000 people a year through all of our partnerships and investments. And I'm proud of what we accomplished, and I know we're going to continue doing great work in the future.”
“Eight years ago, we asked Rene to help us define what United Way should be in a changing world,” Bob Waterman, chair of the United Way Quad Cities Board of Directors, said Monday in the group’s release. “She did exactly that -- shifting the organization from a traditional passthrough model to one focused on aligning partners and resources around measurable results. Thanks to her leadership, our organization is in a position of strength, and confident in our path forward. We’re looking for a leader who will build on this momentum and continue advancing our work across the region.”
A national search is now underway to identify United Way QC’s next president and CEO.
After more than 12 years working at the Quad Cities Chamber (including several as senior vice president), Gellerman joined United Way Quad Cities in 2018, when the organization primarily raised funds and distributed them to local programs.
Today, through a coordinated network across Scott and Rock Island counties, United Way plays a broader role -- connecting people to what they need to move their lives forward, according to the nonprofit.
That includes strengthening early learning, ensuring families can access essentials like food, childcare, housing and healthcare, and creating pathways for individuals to gain the skills needed for better-paying jobs and achieve greater financial security.
During her tenure, United Way Quad Cities evolved into a strategic community impact organization -- aligning more than 75 nonprofit organizations, school districts, grassroots efforts, and businesses around shared goals that drive measurable results. Along the way, individuals and business leaders increased their investment in the work, reflecting growing confidence in both direction and results.
This progress has been driven by a disciplined internal team working alongside organizations across the community -- bringing expertise, data, focus, and a shared commitment to results.
That work has been guided by the Rise United 2030 goals, United Way Quad Cities’ long-term commitment to improving education, financial security and health throughout the region.
“These aren’t United Way goals, they’re community goals,” said Gellerman. “They only move when people come together, stay focused, and keep going - even when progress is hard.”
Under Gellerman’s leadership, United Way shifted from broadly distributing funds to aligning investments around measurable community outcomes. This positioned United Way as a convener and performance-driven partner—not a pass-through organization. Changes included:
- Old model: Fund good programs; new model: Invest in outcomes that move the community
- Funding tied directly to measurable outcomes
- Nonprofit partners aligned to shared community goals
- Shift from grantmaking to co-investment in results
- Maintained strong partner network while increasing accountability
The Rise United 2030 strategic plan was launched in 2020, to make local improvements in education, income and health, aligned with the long-term Q2030 plan for the region that Gellerman was the point person for with QC Chamber.
“One of the areas that I'm most proud in is what we've done with really addressing education in our region and partnering with public schools to provide the support they need to fill the gaps where public funding ends,” she said Monday. “And so our United for Schools initiative that we launched a few years ago is probably the clearest example of the transformation we've made and our strategy in action in the Quad Cities.”
“It's improving third-grade reading proficiency. Because when a child is reading by third grade, they're four times more likely to graduate high school, to go to college or a career, and to be successful in being able to take care of their family financially every month,” Gellerman said. “In finance and income, our goal is to increase the number of people in living wage jobs. And so we've really realigned funding to support people in training, skill development and making sure that they have those wraparound supports so that they could complete the training and education they need to obtain a living wage job.
“And then the third one is just increase access to routine healthcare, so that everyone has that preventative care that keeps them healthy and sets them up for success to be able to maintain a good job and take care of their family long term,” she added.
United for Schools was a new model launched under Gellerman’s leadership.
The initiative brings coordinated resources directly into six Title I schools, addressing the barriers that keep kids from showing up and succeeding. At several participating schools, early results have included double-digit improvements in attendance and reading proficiency, an encouraging signal of what’s possible when efforts are aligned around students and families.
The work has also drawn national attention and national investment. Last year, the Ballmer Group awarded United Way Quad Cities a $1-million challenge grant to expand the model, recognizing both its early results and long-term potential. That dollar-for-dollar match was completed by United Way in March.
Most proud of United for Schools
Of her tenure, Gellerman said United for Schools is the legacy she’s most proud of.
“If we can change the lives of kids in elementary school in particular, it will change the dynamics of our community over time related to education, income, and health,” she said. “And really helping these kids and families that are in the most struggling neighborhoods to overcome some of the barriers that they face so that they can achieve in school is so rewarding. And I'm so optimistic about the impact of that initiative.”
The biggest United Way goal still unfinished is to get more kids reading proficiently by third grade, the CEO said.
“We've made progress, but we have yet to really exceed the pre-pandemic numbers. It's not just Quad Cities. This is across the United States,” Gellerman said. “Every community is facing this. But third-grade reading is such a catalytic milestone that I hope that that continues to be a focus and we continue helping families and kids get on track in reading.”
United Way nationally is 150 years old and it’s been in the Quad Cities for almost 55 years.
“And just like every business and every organization, you have to look at yourselves over time and evolve to meet the needs of the community, to stay relevant, impactful, and sustainable,” Gellerman said. “And there are other United Ways that are looking at transformation themselves and for our community.
"The time is right. When I came in, we were mostly a fundraising organization that provided grants to nonprofits. And, you know, when you looked at where we were as a community and looked at past trends of how we were doing related to population growth, related to poverty, academic achievement, per capita income, and when I came into United Way, those trends were pretty flat.
“And thankfully, the board and the staff, we all agreed and our partners, that we couldn't keep doing the same thing and expect different results,” she said. “And so we got to work. And I'm grateful for all the people that have come to the table to look at what are our biggest needs in our community, and not to fix the problem just for today, but how do we change systems and change lives over time? And that's what we've done. We've really transformed the organization and into a more strategic organization, really addressing key needs in the community and hoping to change its trajectory of a generation.”
Her United Way work coincided with significant disruption across the region, according to the nonprofit:
- Student learning loss and chronic absenteeism surged during COVID
- Youth and family mental health needs increased
- Nearly 1 in 5 children live in poverty
- Housing instability and financial pressure intensified for many families
At a time of bitter divisions across the country, the QC United Way has a motto, “United is the way,” relying on community support from all demographics and types of groups, Gellerman said.
“And it does take people putting their ego aside and coming together and grudgingly consent on a few priorities that we can all focus on. And it is the beauty of United Way,” she said.
“There aren't many organizations that actually are a fundraiser and a grant maker in the same way that we are. And I think that is a unique asset and resource for this community that I'm not sure we always appreciate, but there's a lot of momentum and a lot of energy behind the work we do. And it is a great opportunity to unite around some key issues in the region.”
“I’ve loved this work, and I’m proud of where we are today,” Gellerman said. “The progress we’ve made happened because enough people in the Quad Cities chose to show up – to invest, stay at the table, and to work toward something bigger than their own piece of it. That’s harder than it sounds, and it’s something this community should be proud of.”
Gellerman noted that the timing of her departure was intentional and planned to align with the organization’s momentum and readiness for its next chapter.
“This is a strong moment for our United Way,” she said. “The foundation is in place, the goals are clear, and the work is gaining traction. There are a lot of important needs in every community, but real progress requires clarity and focus. We can’t do everything. What matters is being clear about where we can make the greatest difference and bringing people together around that. That’s the approach we’ve taken, and it’s starting to show the results we’re seeing across the region. Whoever comes next will have the opportunity to build on that and take it even further.”
Looking ahead, Gellerman plans to remain engaged in the community and explore new ways to support philanthropy, social impact and long-term strength of the Quad Cities.
“I’ve spent my career working to improve the conditions that shape people’s lives,” she said. “That work doesn’t stop here. I’m excited about what’s next and the opportunity to continue contributing to the future of this community in new ways.”
“I'm still working out what's next. I'm not done,” Gellerman said. “I am really looking forward to continuing to make a difference in our community. And I'm not sure what that's going to look like, but I know I'm ready to take on a new challenge.”
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