Black Hawk College Foundation

What Black Hawk College Foundation does

Black Hawk College Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable foundation headquartered in Moline, Illinois, serving as the philanthropic arm of Black Hawk College, a two-campus community college within Illinois Community College District #503. The foundation's core function is to raise, manage, and disburse charitable funds in support of Black Hawk College students and programs across nine counties of northwestern Illinois. In the most recent fiscal year it awarded over $250,000 in scholarships to approximately 257 students, while the prior year it awarded $211,275 to 219 students; it also administered 36 student emergency fund requests and supported programs including GED testing, nursing, EMS, Physical Therapist Assistant, and agribusiness.

The foundation operates a diversified fundraising platform anchored by an online donation portal, planned giving services through the Heritage Society (bequests, charitable trusts, gift annuities, beneficiary designations), endowed scholarship establishment (minimum $10,000), annual scholarship creation (starting at $500), employee giving via payroll deduction, and four signature annual events: the Black & Gold Celebration gala (raising $58,000+ in 2026 and $56,000 in 2025), the Scholarship Banquet, the Hot Roddin' for Scholars Car Show, and the For the Hill of It 5K Hustle (cumulative $85,000+ since 2011). It also participates in the John Deere Classic Birdies for Charity program, which has channeled over $206 million to regional nonprofits since 1971. Corporate and institutional partners include Generate Capital, Prairieland Hospice Foundation, Cultivate Power, Modern Woodmen of America, Ascentra Credit Union, Group O, Bally's Quad Cities Casino, Tyson Foods, and IMEG Corp.

The foundation is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Dave L. Emerick, Jr., with day-to-day operations led by Executive Director Zenaida Landeros and Foundation Specialist Connie Herrell, supported by a small staff of 2–5. It is legally separate from but affiliated with Black Hawk College, whose president (Dr. Jeremy Thomas) serves as an ex-officio nonvoting board member. Recent strategic initiatives include the 2024 grand opening of Building 3 and the 2025 renovation of Building 2 (66,000 square feet of career and technical education space) at the Quad-Cities Campus, alongside a 13%+ enrollment growth at the college that expands the foundation's addressable scholarship demand.

Name

Black Hawk College Foundation

Legal name

Black Hawk College Foundation

Website

https://blackhawkcollegefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Hawk College Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation in Moline, Illinois, that raises and administers donations, endowments, and event proceeds to fund scholarships and programs for students of Black Hawk College's Quad-Cities and East campuses across northwestern Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Community college scholarships
• Charitable foundation giving
• Scholarship fund management
• Planned giving services
• Educational philanthropy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Moline

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The foundation receives donations from individuals, families, businesses, and community partners. Donors can give through online portals, planned giving, endowment establishment, and one-time or recurring gifts. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
2. Event-Based Fundraising: Annual events including Black & Gold Celebration (raised over $58,000 in 2026), Hot Roddin' for Scholars Car Show, and Birdies for Charity generate donations and sponsor support.
3. Planned Giving and Endowments: Heritage Society members include the foundation in estate plans through bequests, charitable trusts, gift annuities, life insurance, and retirement accounts. Endowed scholarships provide permanent support with earnings awarded annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Black Hawk College Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation that raises, manages, and distributes philanthropic funds to support students and programs at Black Hawk College. Its core activity is administering a Scholarship Management Program that matches students with scholarships from a single application (awarding over $250,000 annually to hundreds of students), alongside operating online donation portals, planned giving services, and signature annual fundraising events that engage donors, alumni, and community partners.

Product overview

Black Hawk College Foundation operates as a unified giving and student support platform centered on its core scholarship management program. The foundation connects donors with students through multiple giving mechanisms including an online donation platform, planned giving services, and annual events (Black & Gold Celebration, Hot Roddin' for Scholars Car Show, For the Hill of It 5K Hustle, Scholarship Banquet). The Scholarship Management Program serves as the primary product, processing applications and awarding over $250,000 annually to students. Supporting services include planned giving through the Heritage Society, the Birdies for Charity partnership program, and emergency student grants. Together these offerings form a comprehensive educational philanthropy ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scholarship Management Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 85% of career program graduates found employment in their field or pursued further education within six months of graduation (2023)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• John Deere Classic / Birdies for CharitycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Annual golf tournament partnership where Black Hawk College Foundation participates in Birdies for Charity program. Donors use Birdies number #667 to direct gifts to the foundation, receiving at least 5% bonus match. Since 1971, the tournament has generated over $206 million for regional charities.
• Black Hawk East Campus FoundationcoreOthersSeparate foundation serving the East Campus in Galva, Illinois. Referenced as related organization on the Black Hawk College Foundation website.
• The Sedona GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partner with preference given to employees or dependents of employees for The Sedona Group Scholarship. Provides scholarship support for transfer/career program students with preference to computer science majors.
• Ascentra Credit UnionmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBuilding Communities Sponsor for 2026 Black & Gold Celebration. Led by Linda Andry, BHC alumna and President/CEO of Ascentra Credit Union, who was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame.
• Bally's Quad Cities CasinomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBuilding Communities Sponsor for 2026 Black & Gold Celebration, supporting the foundation's annual fundraising efforts.
• Tyson FoodsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBuilding Communities Sponsor for 2026 Black & Gold Celebration, supporting workforce development and education initiatives.
• IMEG CorpmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBuilding Communities Sponsor for 2026 Black & Gold Celebration. Engineering firm with connections to BHC programs including Building 2 renovation support.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heartland Community College Foundation: Foundation supporting Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois. Closely comparable mission, scholarship administration, alumni giving programs, and Illinois community-college operating environment.
• Quad Cities Community Foundation: Regional community foundation serving the same Quad Cities / northwestern Illinois geography. Comparable in mission (education grantmaking, scholarships, donor stewardship) and donor overlap, providing a direct benchmark for foundation scale and competitive context.
• Illinois Central College Foundation: Foundation supporting Illinois Central College in the Peoria area. Directly comparable as an Illinois community college foundation operating scholarship programs, planned giving, and event-based fundraising for a two-campus public community college.
• Community Foundation of the Great River Bend: Regional grantmaking foundation operating in the Quad Cities region. Comparable as a community-based grantmaking entity supporting education and student success, sharing donor pools and competing for the same charitable dollars.
• John Wood Community College Foundation: Foundation serving John Wood Community College in western Illinois. Directly comparable as a small Illinois community college foundation with scholarship programs, planned giving, and event-based fundraising.
• Parkland College Foundation: Philanthropic arm of Parkland College, a similar Illinois community college. Closely matched structure, mission (scholarships, program support, capital campaigns), and donor base dynamics for an Illinois community college foundation.
• Doris & Victor Day Foundation: Rock Island, Illinois-based private foundation focused on education, health, and human services grantmaking in the Quad Cities. Directly comparable education grantmaking focus; also a documented donor to Black Hawk College Foundation ($3,000 in 2024).

Broad incumbents

• Scholarship America: National nonprofit scholarship management and administration organization. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the scholarship administration space; offers similar services (scholarship management, donor fund administration) but at national scale rather than single-college scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mybhcfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/blackhawkcollegefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-hawk-college-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Hawk College Foundation