CT Philanthropy Digest - May 2017

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Connecticut-Philanthropy-Digest-Header

FEATURED PHILANTHROPY NEWS >>

Two Honored With Philanthropy Awards for Strengthening the Field >>

What Does the Closure of the Care 4 Kids Mean to Providers? >>

2017 Count Finds Lowest Levels of Homelessness to Date in Connecticut >>

PHILANTHROPY NEWS LINKS >>
GRANTS and RFPS >>
EVENTS and OTHER OPPORTUNITIES >>
THE POWER OF GOOD PEOPLE >>
JOBS IN PHILANTHROPY >>
ABOUT CCP and the CONNECTICUT PHILANTHROPY DIGEST >>

  Featured Philanthropy News 

Two Honored With Philanthropy Awards for Strengthening the Field

At Connecticut Council for Philanthropy's (CCP) 2017 Annual Meeting & Philanthropy Awards Luncheon, Sheila Perrin, co-founder and board chair of the Perrin Family Foundation, and Diane Sierpina, director of justice initiatives for The Tow Foundation, were each honored with a CCP prestigious Philanthropy Awards.

Sheila Perrin was awarded the John H. Filer Award for creative leadership in philanthropy. Sheila founded the Perrin Family Foundation with her husband, Charlie in 1994. In her position as president and with the experience of working with many CT non-profit boards, she has actively stewarded the foundation’s evolution from a more traditional family foundation to one with a specific mission and focus on Youth Voice. Sheila is an emeritus director of the Fairfield County’s Community Foundation and actively served on the board from 1998-2013. “The Community Foundation is stronger because of Sheila’s longstanding board service,” said Juanita James, President and CEO of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, and current CCP Board member. “During the foundation’s challenging merger, Sheila’s steady, hands-on leadership was critical.” She served CCP as board member from 2003- 2009, and has been an active member of CCP’s Fairfield County Funder Network. Read more >>

Diane Sierpina was awarded the Martha S. Newman Award for exemplary service to the philanthropic sector. Diane is responsible for The Tow Foundation’s juvenile justice and criminal justice reform strategy and investments, which average more than $2.5 million a year. Diane has been an advocate of evidence-based, youth-centered justice system reform in Connecticut, New York, and nationally through her leadership roles with the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance, the New York Juvenile Justice Initiative, and the Youth Transition Funders Group. “Diane demonstrates all of the characteristics you could hope for in an awardee, including a long history of providing counsel and mentoring to her peers,” said Emily Tow Jackson, executive director of The Tow Foundation and past CCP Board member. “In addition to representing The Tow Foundation's vision to the public, Diane regularly advises new foundation staff, young social entrepreneurs, and philanthropic families as they develop their funding strategies.” Read more >>

Learn more about CCP's Philanthropy Awards >>     

What Does the Closure of the Care 4 Kids Mean to Providers?CCP-The-power-of-membership-logo

Care 4 Kids, sponsored by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), helps low to moderate income families in Connecticut pay for child care costs. To address a projected $33 million shortfall, the OEC closed the Care 4 Kids program to new applications for low-income working parents, low-income working parents who are former recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) within five years, and teen parents. The closure of the Care 4 Kids program is not only affecting Connecticut families, but also the financial stability of many providers across the state.

The Early Childhood Funder Collaborative (ECFC), a program of Connecticut Council for Philanthropy, is teaming up with OEC's Thrive! program to offer training for Care 4 Kids program providers affected by the budget cuts. The trainings, "Navigating the Closure of Care 4 Kids: Financial Planning for Childcare Programs," are scheduled for late May through mid-June in Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford, and are designed to help childcare programs develop a plan for dealing with reduced revenue brought on by the budget cuts. The trainings will include a review of the issues, and how to plan and budget with realistic enrollment and finance goals. The two-session, all-day trainings are intended to support teams from licensed early childhood programs. To ensure implementation of their plans, participants have the opportunity for consultation following the sessions.

"This is a great example of a collaboration between a state agency and philanthropy. The OEC is providing training for the providers and the ECFC can enhance and reinforce that training by funding follow up calls and consultations," commented Elena Trueworthy, associate director of early childhood investments for the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, a member of the ECFC.

For more information or to register for the training >>        

2017 Count Finds Lowest Levels of Homelessness to Date in ConnecticutCCP-The-power-of-membership-logo

The annual census of homelessness conducted on January 24 shows a third straight year of declining homelessness and the lowest homeless count recorded in Connecticut since 2007, according to the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count report. The Connecticut count is coordinated by the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.

The continuing decline follows major investments to end homelessness by the administration of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the General Assembly, in tandem with concerted efforts to coordinate and target resources at the community level. Connecticut’s work has earned national acclaim: the federal government confirmed in 2015 that Connecticut had effectively ended chronic homelessness among veterans. In 2016, Connecticut became one of the first two states to end all veteran homelessness by securing housing in less than 90 days for any veteran identified as homeless.

The 2017 Point-in-Time Count and Youth Count were funded with support from various government agencies and the following funders: Citizens Bank, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, Farmington Bank, Melville Charitable Trust, and Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. Read more >>             

  Philanthropy News Links
CCP-The-power-of-membership-logoCCP Member News Links

Aetna Foundation & Aetna

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation

Cigna Foundation

Citizens Bank

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut

Community Foundation of Greater New Britain

Connecticut Community Foundation

Fairfield County's Community Foundation

Farmington Bank Community Foundation

Gawlicki Family Foundation

Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation

Liberty Bank Foundation

The Melville Charitable Trust

Main Street Community Foundation

Newman's Own Foundation

Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation

SI Financial Group Foundation

The Tow Foundation

Valley Community Foundation

United Way of Coastal Fairfield County

United Way of Western Connecticut

Non-Member News Links

Berkshire Bank Foundation

Community Fund of Darien

Greater Hartford Arts Council

The Hartford

Impact Fairfield County

Inner City Foundation for Charity and Education

Ion Bank Foundation

KeyBank Foundation

Petit Family Foundation

Pitney Bowes Foundation

Social Venture Partners

Stanley Family Foundation

United Way of Southeastern Connecticut

  Grants and RFPs
CCP-The-power-of-membership-logoMembers Grants and RFPs

J. Walton Bissell Foundation

The Guilford Foundation

Bank of America

Everyday Democracy

Branford Community Foundation

Liberty Bank Foundation

Main Street Community Foundation

Fairfield County's Community Foundation

Nonmember Grants and RFPs

Santander

  Events and Other Opportunities

Uniting for United Competitive Food Drive >>CCP-The-power-of-membership-logo

MAY 15 - JUNE 1: Various locations in Southeastern Connecticut
Savings Institute Bank & Trust, along with Rotary Community Corps of Norwich are proud to announce the second annual Uniting for United Competitive Food Drive to benefit the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center, a program of United Way of Southeastern Connecticut. Last years’ competition brought together over 20 local businesses in 75 different locations and resulted in the equivalent of 46,000 meals, which will help feed the nearly 22,000 food insecure residents in New London County for two months. Participating locations include Chelsea Groton Bank, Dime Bank, Eastern Savings Bank, Jewett City Savings Bank, Liberty Bank, Putnam Bank, Savings Institute Bank & Trust.

Best Practices in Community College Success: CT and BeyondCCP-The-power-of-membership-logo

MAY 31: 8:15 AM - 12:00 PM: Housatonic Community College, Bridgeport
Professor Tom Bailey, Director of Community College Research Center at Teachers College, will provide a national landscape review of the field; how it has evolved in last 5 years and projections for the future; funding and scaling lessons learned. The symposium is hosted by Fairfield County's Community Foundation, and is intended for community college staff and faculty, funders and donors, community leaders and elected officials. To register contact Sjones@fccfoundation.org.

Preventing Future Chronic Homelessness >>CCP-The-power-of-membership-logo

MAY 31: 8:30 - 11:00 AM: The Lyceum, Hartford
This Partnership for Strong Communities' IForum will explore how we integrate mainstream systems, such as behavioral health, criminal justice, and health care systems, and assure that they are equipped to address issues related to affordable and supportive housing. Adequate case management and health services to promote housing stability for those experiencing chronic homelessness will also be discussed, along with ways to sustain our progress. The keynote speaker is Terri Power, Senior Program Manager for Returning Home Ohio. The event also features a panel discussion on the intersection of feeder systems and innovative approaches to ending chronic homelessness. The IForums are produced with the support of CT Housing Finance Authority, CT Department of Housing, Bank of America, the Ensworth Charitable Foundation, Melville Charitable Trust and Webster Bank.

Two-Part Workshop with Tom Ahern >>CCP-The-power-of-membership-logo

JUNE 1: 1:00 - 4:00 PM: 50 Church Street, Great Barrington, MA
Back by popular demand, Tom Ahern will present two back-to-back workshops: “The Big (little) Diff: Writing for Online Readers,” a discussion of best practices in writing for web, email and social media platforms; and “Writing a Powerful Case for Support,” which will review effective fundraising methods. The New York Times calls Ahern "one of the country's most sought-after creators of fundraising messages.” This event is part of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation's popular annual “Seminars in Nonprofit Excellence” series.

Power of Philanthropy Reception >>CCP-The-power-of-membership-logo

JUNE 6: 5:00 - 7:00 pm: Governor's Residents, Hartford
Join us the Aurora Foundation for Women and Girls in Greater Hartford for an evening of networking, good food, drink and conversation about the role of philanthropy in the Greater Hartford community. The evening will feature guest speaker Sarah Bronin, an architect, author, and UConn Law School professor. Sara chairs Hartford’s Planning & Zoning Commission and the Climate Stewardship Council, having previously served as vice chair of the city’s Historic Properties Commission and secretary of the Charter Revision Commission. Proceeds will benefit the Aurora Foundation’s work to better the lives of women and girls in Greater Hartford.

Women Give! Your Inspiration. Your Values. Your Impact >>CCP-The-power-of-membership-logo

JUNE 8: 5:30 - 8:30 pm: Heritage Hotel and Conference Center, Southbury
The Women's Fund at Connecticut Community Foundation is hosting a compelling evening, exploring and celebrating women’s giving with special guest Abigail E. Disney, filmmaker, philanthropist, and president and CEO of Fork Films. The evening includes dinner, drinks and conversation led by Jill Faherty Lloyd of Evercore Wealth Management about transforming your inspiration and values into meaningful impact for the causes that you love.

Workforce of the Future Initiative >>CCP-The-power-of-membership-logo

JUNE 8: 5:30 - 7:30 pm: Hospital of Central Connecticut, New Britain
The public is invited to attend the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain's Catalyst Fund meeting. Experts in the workforce topic will make a presentation and Fund members will launch the process of crafting a Request for Proposal, which will be made available to programs and agencies interested in applying for the grant. Two more meetings will follow in September and November, with the process resulting in an end-of-year, $10,000 award. A light supper and refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to Kimberly Duncan by June 1 at kduncan@cfgnb.org or 860-229-6018, ext. 300.

Power of the Purse >>CCP-The-power-of-membership-logo

JUNE 15: 11:00 am - 1:30 pm: Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford
United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut's Women's Leadership Council presents their sixth annual Power of the Purse Luncheon and Silent Auction. The event raises awareness and funding for the family financial stability initiative, which provides lower-income residents living in Hartford with onsite financial coaching and education, including basic banking, budgeting and saving skills, free tax preparation, and access to matching funds to help participants reach their personal financial goals.

Fact to Act: Data Driven Decision Making >>CCP-The-power-of-membership-logo

JUNE 26: 8:30 am - 12:00 pm: University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport
Join the community, stakeholders, funders, and all partners to engage in Bridgeport data, hear from state/national experts and be solution innovators in Bridgeport Prospers' Cradle to Career outcomes. United Way of Coastal Fairfield County is the backbone organization for this effort.      

  The power of good people

CCP-The-power-of-membership-logoThe Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has announced the appointment of Jay Williams of Washington, DC as president of the Hartford Foundation. He will assume responsibilities on July 17, 2017 and succeeds former board chair Yvette Melendez, now acting as interim president, following the planned retirement of Linda J. Kelly who served the Foundation as its president for over 11 years.

Mr. Williams recently served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development where he led the federal economic development agenda for the United States as head of the U.S. Economic Development Administration. He brings experience and knowledge in capacity building, workforce readiness, economic security and urban revitalization. Mr. Williams has also served as Deputy Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs at The White House where he was the principal liaison between the President of the United States and local elected officials. He came to the White House after serving as Mayor of the City of Youngstown, Ohio for more than 5 years.

“After a thorough and deliberate selection process, the board of directors is delighted to have Jay join us at the Foundation. He is the right person, at the right time and the right place. The Board of Directors and I are extremely excited that Jay will work with us, our staff, donors, and grantees, to address the needs of the communities we serve,” said JoAnn H. Price, board chair of the Hartford Foundation. Read more >>

CCP-The-power-of-membership-logoPaula Van Ness, president and CEO of Connecticut Community Foundation, has announced her retirement after six years at the helm of the oldest community foundation in the state, which serves 21 towns in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills. She is only the second person to head the Foundation in its 94-year history, and will step down at the end of 2017.

Martha Bernstein, chair of Connecticut Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees, said, “All of us at Connecticut Community Foundation are grateful for Paula's dynamic leadership and commitment to our mission. We look to the future with optimism and excitement as we build on her many successes.  Our region is better and stronger thanks to Paula.

During Van Ness’s tenure, the Foundation has refined its strategic direction, and communities in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills have reaped the benefits in meaningful and tangible ways. The Foundation’s Board of Trustees has formed a transition committee, chaired by former board chair Jack Baker, to lead the selection process for their next president and CEO. They’ve retained an executive transition search firm to assist them and plans are well underway to solicit community input on leadership needs and expectations for the position. Read more >>

CCP-The-power-of-membership-logo The Connecticut Bar Foundation has appointed Robinson+Cole lawyer Edward J. Heath to its board of directors. Mr. Heath is chair of the firm's Business Litigation Group and leads its Government Investigations and Corporate Compliance Team. In addition to serving on the board of directors, Mr. Heath is a Fellow of the Foundation's James W. Cooper Fellows Program. Read more >>  

 

IN MEMORIAM

CCP-The-power-of-membership-logoSusan M. Ross, Fairfield County's Community Foundation's former president & CEO from 1996-2011, passed away on May 17, 2017, after a seven year battle with cancer. In addition to leading the Community Foundation through its fastest growth period, Susan also championed the importance of nonprofit executive leadership through the Foundation’s Center for Nonprofit Excellence. Susan served on the board of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy from 2004-2010, and was an early leader in the Connecticut Network of Community Foundations. Read more >>

  

  About CCP and Connecticut Philanthropy Digest

Connecticut Council for Philanthropy (CCP) is an association of grantmakers committed to promoting and supporting effective philanthropy for the public good.
     CCP's members are foundations (private, corporate, community), business and corporate giving programs, bank trusts, donor-advised funds, individual philanthropists, and those serving the philanthropic sector. CCP members granted more than $720 million in 2013 from assets of more than $6.3 billion.
     The Connecticut Philanthropy Digest (Digest) is brought to you by the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy. Edited by Laurie Allen, Director of Communications. The Digest is a summary of recent activities by Connecticut foundations and grantmakers, and is compiled and distributed monthly to media outlets, local legislators and grantmakers to raise the profile of philanthropy throughout Connecticut. News about Connecticut funders may be submitted to CCP for consideration. 2017 Publication Dates: June 19; July 24; August 21; September 18; October 23; November 20; December 18. Submission Deadlines: Close of business one week before the publication date.