This Op-Ed by Kathy Taylor, president and CEO of Connecticut Community Foundation appeared online November 16 and in the Sunday, November 17, 2024 print edition of the Republic-American.
Community foundations’ impact is worth celebrating
As we celebrate Community Foundation Week, which runs this year from Nov. 12 to 18, we reflect on the enduring power of community philanthropy and the vital role that local foundations play in shaping the future of our neighborhoods, cities, and beyond. This annual observance is a time to honor the impact of community foundations across the country, and to remind ourselves of the unique connection between local generosity and lasting change.
Community foundations are “place-based” public charities that provide grants to enhance the well-being of people in a specific geographic area. By pooling financial resources from individuals, families, and businesses, we support nonprofits within our communities. Nearly every type of gift, from cash to real estate to bitcoin to stock, can be donated to a community foundation and will directly support the causes that matter most to you in your own community.
With more than 900 community foundations in the country, foundations award more than $5 billion in grants each year in fields including arts and culture, education, the environment, and health and human services. In Connecticut, each one of our 169 towns is covered by a community foundation.
Community foundations embody the wise words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who reminded us, “In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” At Connecticut Community Foundation, we are committed to fostering a more inclusive community in Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills by inspiring generosity, supporting organizations, and cultivating effective leaders.
Since 1923, the Foundation has worked to step up to local challenges and improve the quality of life throughout the region.
For those of us who work in and alongside community foundations, we know that the essence of our work is not simply writing checks or distributing grants. It’s about nurturing relationships, building trust, connecting and collaborating, and supporting grassroots solutions that reflect the hopes and aspirations of those we serve. Our role is to listen – to understand the challenges our community faces – and to provide the resources and collaboration needed to help turn ideas into action.
In 2024, your community foundation is on track to infuse more than $7 million in grants and scholarships across Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills. To our local nonprofits, more than $5 million has been distributed to foster healthy aging and community connections for older adults, elevating people and communities through arts and culture, building nonprofit capacity to deliver crucial services, creating equitable access to education and employment and providing critical support in times of crisis and need.
This year, more than 450 students were awarded more than $1.1 million in scholarships, at a time when the average college tuition at a public four-year in-state is $11,610 and the average private nonprofit four-year tuition is $43,350. Our scholarship dollars are needed and thankfully, they are supported by over 160 scholarship funds established over the last 101 years by donors eager to expand opportunities for students and support them on their path to a bright tomorrow.
The beauty of community foundations lies in our flexibility. We can respond quickly to emerging needs, address local concerns, and tailor solutions that resonate with the specific challenges and opportunities in our region. Whether it’s helping a small nonprofit recover from the disastrous floods of Aug. 18, supporting mental health services in the wake of a crisis, or funding initiatives to combat homelessness, we are deeply embedded in the community, working with and for the people who know their needs best.
Recently, Connecticut Community Foundation signed the End Child Poverty Now Campaign. With 54 nonprofit partners, the Foundation is advocating and advancing a common vision: an economically robust Connecticut where no child experiences the debilitating effects of poverty. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt reminded us, “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”
None of this work is possible without the incredible generosity of donors, families, businesses, and organizations – who believe in the potential of our community. Each contribution, no matter the amount, is a powerful testament to what can be achieved when we all come together with a shared sense of responsibility and compassion. During this special week, we encourage you to think about the ways you can contribute to the community’s well-being, whether through giving of your time, talent, or treasure.
This week, we honor the past, celebrate the present, and hope for the future. We hold sacred what happened 101 years ago on little Field Street in Waterbury when seven forward-thinking people came together – they planted a seed that has grown into a strong, mighty, life-giving tree, the Connecticut Community Foundation. In the years to come, our Connecticut Community Foundation will continue to plant, we will continue to water, and we will continue to contribute to a more prosperous and vibrant Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills.
Kathy K. Taylor, Esq., is the president and CEO of the Waterbury-based Connecticut Community Foundation.
