CT Philanthropy Digest - April 2019

 

Connecticut Council for Philanthropy will honor Tracey and Russell Golden and Juanita T. James at its Annual Conference on May 7 at the Omni New Haven Hotel.

Tracey and Russell Golden are co-recipients of the 2019 John H. Filer Award for their leadership in promoting private action for the public good. “Tracey and Russ Golden are an amazing couple who have played a significant role, professionally and personally, in the greater coastal Fairfield County region,” said Merle Berke-Schlessel, president and CEO of United Way of Coastal Fairfield County (UWCFC). “Through a variety of actions they have made a lasting impact on the philanthropic work of the area.” Read more >>

Juanita T. James, president and CEO of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, is the recipient of the 2019 Martha S. Newman Award for her demonstrated, sustained, and exemplary service to the philanthropic sector in the state. “Juanita has led Fairfield County’s Community Foundation with laser-focus vision,” said Mirellise Vazquez, executive director of the Tauck Family Foundation. “Juanita also generously gives her time to counsel and mentor emerging leaders in philanthropy, including emerging leaders of color like myself.  Her wisdom and advice are invaluable and the time that she gives you makes you feel valued, important, and affirmed.” Read more >>   

Where is #CCP50 Keeps Members Guessing

  FEATURED PHILANTHROPY NEWS   

Stand Against Racism

YWCA USA's thirteenth annual Stand Against Racism, is a national campaign to build community among those who work for racial justice and to raise awareness about the negative impact of institutional and structural racism in communities. Taking place from April 25-28, YWCA invites communities to find an issue or cause that inspires them to take a stand against racism. This year’s theme is "NO HATE. NO FEAR. Immigrant Justice is Racial Justice." The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund invited nonprofits, especially those with a history of working on issues related to racial justice and/or immigrant rights, to apply for small grants to support activities and events related to Stand Against Racism. There are eight registered Stand Against Racism Events taking place in Connecticut:

• APRIL 25: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM: Hartford: Urban League of Greater Hartford - Woke…Ready… and Empowered to Stand
• APRIL 25: 6:00 - 8:00 PM: Hartford: YWCA Hartford Region - Stand Against Racism: No Hate, No Fear: Immigration, Equity and Sanctuary Cities
• APRIL 26: 9:00 - 11:00 AM: Hartford: The Village - The Village’s Stand Against Racism
• APRIL 26: 12:00 - 12:45 PM: Greenwich: YMCA Greenwich - Stand Against Racism
• APRIL 26: 12:30 - 2:30 PM: Hartford: Everyday Democracy - No Hate, No Fear: Immigration Justice is Racial Justice
• APRIL 26: 7:00 - 9:30 PM: Hartford: YWCA Hartford Region - Family Stand Night
• APRIL 26: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Hartford: Travelers (300 Windsor Street Diversity Council) - “Stand Against Racism” - Immigrant Justice is Racial Justice

• APRIL 30: 6:00 - 8:30 PM: New Britain: YWCA New Britain - Stand Against Racism

Find details and registration for Stand Against Racism Events in Connecticut >>  

Successful Civic Life Project Expands to Middle Schools in Northwest CT

Thanks to support from The Buchanan Fund, a fund of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, The Civic Life Project (www.civiclifeproject.org), which has successfully developed civic engagement, cross-cultural understanding, and social responsibility among high school students since 2010, will adapt and expand its existing program for a pilot middle school program. Since its founding in 2010, the Civic Life project has served hundreds of diverse high school students in Region One, Torrington, and across the state. This grant from the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation allows the program to be brought to younger students throughout Northwest Connecticut.

“Region One administrators asked us to adapt the proven Civic Life high school curriculum to the particular needs of middle school students," commented Civic Life Project Co-founder Dominique Lasseur. "With the input of participating teachers and students, we hope to create an effective program for younger students that then may be shared with a larger group of schools.“ Read more >>  

"The Green Book: Guide to Freedom" Debuted in Hartford

In honor of Black History Month, in Hartford, the Amistad Center for Art & Culture and Smithsonian Channel joined Comcast to co-host a private screening of Smithsonian Channel’s The Green Book: Guide to Freedom. This documentary version of the Golden Globe and Oscar winning major motion picture, The Green Book, tells the story of Victor H. Green’s eponymously named travel guide that provided information for African American travelers during pre-Civil Rights America, a time of severe institutionalized racism.

"At Comcast NBC Universal diversity and inclusion is a fundamental part of our company culture and are crucial components to all of our efforts to create and deliver the best and boldest technology and entertainment for our customers," noted Brad Palazzo, director of community impact for Comcast. "The Green Book: Guide to Freedom screening is another way for us to bring diverse entertainment and story-telling locally to Hartford-area residents."  Comcast, with Connecticut offices in Berlin, has partnered with the Amistad on a number of initiatives over the years and "is proud to play a small role in helping them to tell their cultural story." Read more @ Connecticut By The Numbers >>

View video from the Hartford debut event >>  

Liberty Bank Foundation Supports St. Vincent de Paul in Bid for Arts Center

Late last year, St. Vincent de Paul Middletown, a Liberty Bank Foundation grantee, was one of three groups submitting an RFP to the City of Middletown for purchase of the currently unoccupied Green Street Arts Center. While St. Vincent’s bid was endorsed by Mayor Drew, it still needed to pass two additional hurdles – a public hearing before the Common Council as well as a public presentation by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission. Both meetings attracted crowds of residents wishing to express their views for and against St. Vincent’s move from Main Street to Green Street.

Foundation Executive Director Sue Murphy spoke at both hearings in support of St. Vincent’s work and its value to community. Following the March 14, hearing, Planning and Zoning approved the proposal for St. Vincent to lease the Green Street Arts Center for one dollar per year for ten years. Read more >>   

At its March board meeting, the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy elected four new members to its board of directors, as well as new board officers. The new members are: Leon Bailey, Jr. (New Haven), senior vice president for human resources and organizational culture, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven; Nancy L. Heaton (New Milford), CEO, Foundation for Community Health; Laura McCargar (New Haven), president, Perrin Family Foundation; and Paul Suter (Avon), vice president for finance & operations, Children's Fund of Connecticut.

“The Connecticut Council for Philanthropy is thrilled to welcome these outstanding philanthropic leaders to its board,” said CCP Board Chair Kathryn Luria, SVP of community affairs and director of philanthropy for Webster Bank. “It is important to the strength of the organization to continuously engage talented leaders to move the organization forward, especially as we celebrate our 50th anniversary.”

The CCP board also elected Board Officers. Re-elected officers include Board Chair Kathryn Luria, senior vice president, director of philanthropy, Webster Bank (Woodbury); and Board Treasurer Paul Ballasy (Ellington), a partner with CohnReznick LLP. The new vice chair and secretary, respectively, are Elaine V. Mintz (Redding), vice president of operations, Fairfield County's Community Foundation; and Tiffany S. Donelson (West Hartford), vice president of program, Connecticut Health Foundation. Read more >>

The Community Foundation of Greater New Britain has elected three new board members to join the Foundation’s already-strong team of volunteers. Elected to serve new multi-year board terms were John Cookley, Dr. Camelia Lawrence, and Dr. Zulma Toro.

John E. Cookley serves as the Regional Vice President of TD Bank's Greater New Britain/Waterbury region in Connecticut. Based in New Britain, he manages TD Bank’s regional and small business lenders who service commercial customers located predominately in Central and Northwest Connecticut.

Dr. Camelia Lawrence, MD, FACS is a board-certified surgeon specializing in benign and malignant breast disease. She serves as Assistant Professor of Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, University of Connecticut where she works with medical students and surgical residents nurturing her personal interest in teaching and education of the future generation.

Dr. Zulma Toro is the 13th President of Central Connecticut State University, the oldest publicly supported institution of higher education in Connecticut. She is the first female and first Hispanic president in Central’s history.

“The Foundation is so very pleased to have Dr. Lawrence, Dr. Toro and Mr. Cookley join our Board,” said Foundation Board Chair Lynn Ricci, president and CEO for Hospital for Special Care. “We look forward to working with each of them as our organization continues to make a growing and positive impact in the communities we serve.” Read more >>

The Main Street Community Foundation elected new officers at its annual meeting, last month. John D. Scarritt handed off the gavel of board chair to Marguerite P. Fletcher. Serving alongside Fletcher will be two vice chairs, Valerie A. DePaolo and Scott Fournier. Moving into the role of secretary is David J. Aldieri and the assistant secretary will be Kristine J. Dargenio. Finally, the new treasurer will be Michael J. Brault. In addition, two directors, Mark Malley (no photo available) of Plymouth and Jennifer Scully of Wolcott, were re-elected to the Board. The Community Foundation Board consists of community leaders charged with ensuring donors’ intentions are fulfilled in perpetuity. “The Board of Directors plays an essential role in guiding the Foundation’s work in the region,” said Susan Sadecki, president & CEO of the Foundation. “We are grateful for their generous commitment of time and the valuable expertise each brings to the Foundation.” Read more >>

At its annual meeting in March, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut named Karen Perham-Lippman, of Vernon, with its 2018 Community Service Award winner, and elected seven members to the board of directors.  “We’re pleased to recognize Karen with our United Way’s highest volunteer honor,” said Paula S. Gilberto, President and CEO, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. “She’s a fierce advocate for working families. Karen continually finds a way to make a difference for local children and families in our region.”

Elected board members are: Donald Allan, Jr. (chair) Stanley Black & Decker, succeeding James P. O’Meara, Webster Bank; Michael J. Auseré (treasurer), Eversource; Peter Collins, Travelers; Colleen A. McGuire, Silver Fern Healthcare LLC; Natalie B. Morris, United Technologies Corporation; Richard J. Tavolieri, Deloitte & Touche LLP; and Jaime Young, Aetna, Inc. Read more >>

Two CCP member colleagues were recently named to DataHaven's Board of Directors, Adhlere Coffy, the manager of data science and evaluation at Fairfield County's Community Foundation, and Gina Federico, director of the North Hartford Triple Aim Collaborative at the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. Two additional new board are Mary Stuart of Trinity Health of New England and Maritza Bond from the City of Bridgeport.

"For the past 25 years, DataHaven has expanded access to community data to inform decision-making in Greater New Haven and Connecticut. The guidance of the volunteer Board of Directors has been crucial to the organization’s success and longevity," said Mark Abraham, DataHaven's Executive Director. "The new board members join a group of ten other public data and policy experts. In particular, the addition of these four individuals will help DataHaven expand its scope of expertise in the Greater Hartford and Fairfield County regions, where many of the organization’s current projects are underway." Read more >>

Kara Straun, knowledge and evaluation manager for The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven  received the Association of Black Foundation Executives’ (ABFE) Philanthropic Emerging Leadership Award on April 5 in Detroit. In the photo, Kara (right) poses with AFBE’s Vice President of Programs Edward Jones (left) at the James A. Joseph Lecture & Awards Ceremony at ABFE’s annual conference, this year titled “HARAMBEE: Let’s All Pull Together.” In her address, Kara said, “I look at this award less as an acknowledgment of any great facts achieved thus far, but a call to action and challenge to do more, to continue connecting dots and work for that balance and healing for people of color and those most disenfranchised.” Read more >>

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven's Progreso Latino Fund Celebrating Latino Leaders Series features personal interviews with Latino leaders serving Greater New Haven and Connecticut. This month Enna Garcia is celebrated. Enna, a native of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, is the director of programs for 'R Kids Family Center in New Haven. Her strong and knowledgeable voice has assisted hundreds of children and parents achieve permanency, ultimately creating stable families and a stronger New Haven. Read more >>   

  JOBS LISTINGS

• Marketing Director - Jewish Community Foundation >>
• Development and Communications Officer - Universal Health Care Foundation of CT >>
• Communications Associate - Universal Health Care Foundation of CT >>
• Director of Workplace Solutions Collaborative - United Way of Central and Northeastern CT >>
• Director of Workplace Giving - United Way of Central and Northeastern CT >>
• Project Coordinator - Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut >>
• Senior Associate for Sustainability - The Child Health and Development Institute >>
• eBusiness Manager - United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut >>
• Advocacy & Community Engagement Fellow - Fairfield County's Community Foundation >>
• Grants Database Specialist - Hartford Foundation for Public Giving >>
• Director of Human Resources - Hartford Foundation for Public Giving >>
• Program Officer - The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation >>
• Vice President of Communications & Marketing - Hartford Foundation for Public Giving >>
• Grants Manager - William Caspar Graustein Memorial >>

Find More Jobs >>