Rare merger will result in one community foundation serving Fairfield County

Connecticut's women and girls funds grew 500% in five years, survey reveals

Inaugural award honors Stamford school with $500 to every full-time employee

Fellows program in Greater Waterbury helps preschools keep their best teachers

Couple leaves Hartford Foundation its second largest gift ever

Council’s Holiday Wish List features needs of more than 200 local nonprofits

Groton woman's gift leads to animal protection initiative

Tom's of Maine commits $1 million to nation's rivers

Ford Foundation grant will help 10,000 Maine workers go to college

Betterment Fund challenges Androscoggin County to be extra charitable

Residents choose 39 winners in “Community Matters More” campaign

Bingham Program observes its 75th anniversary with a new initiative:
fighting violence against women and children in Maine

Switzer Foundation asks: How can business leaders help solve climate change?

Boston Foundation releases “sobering” Greater Boston Housing Report Card

Related report compares efforts to prevent homelessness in region

Cape Cod Foundation offers intensive leadership program for nonprofit CEOs

Local and national foundations seed effort, new organization to expand school time

Diversity in MA, NH foundations half the national average; AGM responds with initiative

Funders explore “Changing Face of New Hampshire”

Giving Matters features nonprofits on New Hampshire Public Radio

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation fighting childhood obesity

NH, VT foundations collaborating to protect, restore Upper Connecticut River

Amgen Foundation, 10 leading universities invite applicants for Scholars Program

Art museums in 17 states waiting to hear from MetLife Foundation

Understanding Vermont: New report takes pulse of state

All Vermont foundations now just a keystroke away

The “Future” is here for Vermonters

A.D. Henderson Foundation contributes to “virtual resource center” for state’s nonprofits

Rare merger will result in one community foundation serving Fairfield County

As of January 1, 2008, one foundation will do the work of two in Fairfield County, CT. The boards of the Fairfield County Community Foundation and the Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation recently voted unanimously for a rare merger in the community foundation world.

Combined net assets of the two foundations approach $150 million. Last year the two foundations awarded grants totaling $10 million. The new foundation, based in Norwalk, will serve 23 separate towns and cities.

For more information: www.fccfoundation.org. Media contact: Sue Lewis (860) 243-1447 (office), (860) 798-8909 (cell), (860) 653-2712 (home) slewis@aomc.com

Connecticut's women and girls funds grew 500% in five years, survey reveals

Ten women and girls funds have been started in Connecticut since 1993. A recent survey by the Connecticut Council on Philanthropy suggests they're a force to be reckoned with.

A five-year comparison of the funds shows that:

• Assets of the funds are five times those of 2002, having increased from $2.9 million to $14.5 million in 2006.
• Grants have nearly quadrupled from $150,000 in 2002 to more than $576,000 in 2006.
• The number of founding members and donors nearly quadrupled from a reported 1,200 in 2002 to more than 4,300 members and donors in 2006.

The full report is available at www.ctphilanthropy.org.

Media Contact:Carol Schofield, Director of Communications, Connecticut Council for Philanthropy, cschofield@ctphilanthropy.org, (860) 525-5585

Inaugural award honors Stamford school with $500 to every full-time employee

The Lone Pine Foundation awarded $500 grants to every full-time employee at The International School at Rogers Magnet in Stamford. Of all Fairfield County elementary schools, the International School made the greatest academic gain in student achievement, according to Lone Pine Foundation Executive Director Lucy Ball.

An advisory board first found the top five improved schools through test scores, then interviewed principals, students, teachers, and parents, looking at student work samples, school improvement plans, and professional development plans.

Lone Pine Foundation, Inc. is a private foundation funded by the employees of Lone Pine Capital LLC, all of whom are participating board members.

Media Contacts: Shawn Pattison, (212) 371-5999, shp@abmac.com ; Patrick Clifford, 212-371-5999, pfc@abmac.com

Fellows program in Greater Waterbury helps preschools keep their best teachers

Six nonprofit preschools in Greater Waterbury will get some financial help to keep their favorite teachers from leaving for better-paying jobs, thanks to the Connecticut Community Foundation.

The foundation's Fellows in Preschool Education program named ten teachers from the six schools. For each Foundation Fellow, a school will receive up to $9,000 over three years in matching funds for additional salary and compensation, training, and tuition reimbursement. Priority was given to nonprofit preschools that serve children from low-income homes or who have special needs.

The foundation credits the idea to a local couple who provided initial funding for the Fellows as well as training in math education for 48 preschool teachers and teacher coaching in 50 classrooms.

Media Contact:  Liz Acas, Connecticut Community Foundation, 203/753-1315, eacas@conncf.org

Couple leaves Hartford Foundation its second largest gift ever

John and Edith Murphy passed away within a month of each other earlier this year, both living well into their 90s. They left a considerable legacy, both to history and to the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, which has received an initial $14 million gift from the estate. It's the second largest donation ever to the 80+ year old community foundation.

A resident of West Hartford, John Murphy spent his entire business career at Wiremold, an electrical products manufacturer, which was purchased by his grandfather, Daniel, in 1900. The grandson worked in every department at Wiremold, becoming president and chief executive officer in 1952. He retired as chief executive in 1979 and continued as chairman of the board until 1991.

The couple was particularly active in the community, volunteering for the Salvation Army of Greater Hartford, Boys and Girls Club of Hartford, Junior Achievement of Greater Hartford, Hartford Hospital, and the YMCA, among others.

A few years ago, Mrs. Murphy commented on why she and her husband were so philanthropic. “We love this community we've lived in for many years. We feel good that, with the Foundation's help, we'll continue to do this long after we're gone.”

Holiday Wish List features needs of more than 200 CT nonprofits

With the holidays comes the Holiday Wish List issued annually by the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy, a membership association of the state's charitable foundations.

Each year, the Council surveys the state's nonprofits about their holiday needs. This year's list catalogued more than 200 nonprofits from 47 cities and towns, and ranges from toys, mittens and warm clothing to turkeys, paper goods, fruit and gift cards. Big wishes include vans, computers and furniture.

Since giving is more than a seasonal activity, many people and organizations use the Wish List as a resource throughout the year. Selections from the Wish List were published as the “Ways to Share” insert in The Hartford Courant on Tuesday, November 20, thanks to support from the Aetna. The full searchable 2007 Holiday Wish List is available on the Council’s website, www.ctphilanthropy.org

Woman's gift leads to animal protection initiative

Josephine Sacco of Groton loved her dog, Snooky. Before she passed away in 2006, she decided to ensure that other animals in her area would be cared for, too. So she left a bequest of $316,000 to the Community Foundation of Southeastern Connecticut to provide care and comfort for animals in the town forever.

The Community Foundation has decided to build on Mrs. Sacco's generosity by launching People for Animals & Wildlife (P.A.W.), and is encouraging endowments and contributions from other animal lovers in the town. "P.A.W. will be concerned with the well-being, humane treatment and protection of animals in southeastern Connecticut," points out CFSECT President Alice Fitzpatrick. "It will make grants for animal rescue and sheltering, low cost spaying/neutering and other veterinary care, educational programs and habitat preservation for threatened species, and other areas designated by endowments like Mrs. Sacco's."

Media Contact: Alison Woods, (860) 442-3572 or alison@cfsect.org  

Maine

Tom's of Maine commits $1 million to nation's rivers

Tom's of Maine is providing $1 million in support over five years to River Network and American Rivers to “enhance awareness, understanding and, ultimately, protection of rivers nationwide” in Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

The resulting Rivers Awareness Partnership looks to build the membership, sales, contributions and equity of local river groups, encourage 30,000 Tom's customers to reconnect to the rivers in their communities, bring 10,000 new members to American Rivers and River Network, generate $100,000 in rivers support from retailers and consumers, significantly increase the number of local watersheds annually assessed and monitored, and designate 40 additional rivers under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. For more information: www.tomsofmaine.com or www.AmericanRivers.org.

Ford Foundation grant will help 10,000 Maine workers go to college

The Ford Foundation has contributed $125,000 to help as many as 10,000 Maine workers earn college degrees over the next decade.

“This goal is ambitious, but achievable,” says Maine Community Foundation President Henry Schmelzer, who received the grant on behalf of the Maine Compact for Higher Education. Particularly targeted are workers who have a high school diploma but little or no college experience.

MaineCF and the Maine Development Foundation established the Maine Compact in 2003 to champion higher education in the state.

For more information: www.mainecf.org or Carl Little, MaineCF, 207-667-9735, clittle@mainecf.org.

Betterment Fund challenges Androscoggin County

The Betterment Fund has challenged the residents of Androscoggin County to be particularly charitable in the coming year. For every $2 they contribute to the Androscoggin County Fund of the Maine Community Foundation, Betterment will add a dollar of its own, up to $100,000.

“The Androscoggin County advisors hope many community-spirited individuals and businesses join our efforts to achieve this goal,” said William Hiss, chair of MaineCF's Androscoggin County Committee. “A successful campaign will enable us to invest in more projects for greater community benefit,” he said. Established in 2000, the Androscoggin County Fund has grown from $50,000 to just over $225,000 today. Since making its first grants in 2001, the committee overseeing the fund has awarded 60 grants totaling more than $165,000 to nonprofits and public agencies. The Betterment Fund has now awarded four challenge grants aimed at helping to spur the growth of MaineCF county funds.

For more information: www.megrants.org

Residents choose 39 winners in “Community Matters More” campaign

Residents of Bangor & Northern, Eastern and Midcoast Maine cast more than 37,000 votes for their favorite nonprofit organizations, through the unique Community Matters More program of charitable giving launched in early September. The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation gave $75,000 to the 39 top vote-getters.

Bangor Savings Bank Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Yellow Light Breen said that dozens of bank employees chipped in to count ballots during their lunch breaks over a weeklong period.

The bank partnered with radio station Kiss 94.5 and Clear Channel.

For more information: Yellow Light Breen, (207) 478-3633, yellow.breen@bangor.com.

Bingham Program observes its 75th anniversary with a new initiative:
fighting violence against women and children in Maine

The Bingham Program celebrated 75 years of grantmaking last month, and used the opportunity to announce its new initiative. The Bingham advisors have committed up to $1 million with a pledge to raise an equal amount of match over the next four years “to focus on changing the cultural acceptance of violence against women and children in Maine”.

“Today the cost of this violence is more than $1,000 per year for every man, woman and child in the state and it cuts across the economy -- criminal justice, health, welfare, education, and productivity in the workplace. The initiative will bring together business and religious leaders, educators and health professionals, those working in criminal justice and community organizations, as well as those in philanthropy,” the organization reports.

The Bingham Program is a charitable endowment established in 1932 to promote health and advance medicine in Maine.

For more information: Karen Heck and Lisa Miller, Program Officers, The Bingham Program, (207) 622-2085, info@binghamprogram.org or www.binghamprogram.org.

Switzer Foundation asks: How can business leaders help solve climate change?

The Belfast, ME-based Switzer Foundation issued the results of its survey of 154 Switzer Fellows, environmental scientists and leaders in the area of climate change research and other fields in a paper entitled “What the Scientists Know: How Business Leaders can help Solve Climate Change.”

Participants said energy efficiency is the most effective company-wide initiative that corporate leaders can implement. Improving manufacturing and distribution (62%); engaging corporate affairs in state, federal or international policy discussions (31%); hiring or empowering an environmental officer (28%) and shifting investments to climate neutral funds and securities (23%) were also called upon as beneficial tactics.

“We often hear Switzer Fellows express their concern that ‘all the science in the world won't change a thing' unless business leaders and policy-makers step forward and act on the available data,” said Lissa Widoff, executive director of the foundation.

For more information: The executive summary of the survey is available at www.switzernetwork.org and www.bluepractice.com. Media Contacts: Jessica Switzer, jessica@bluepractice.com, (415) 381-1100; Lissa Widoff, lissa@switzernetwork.org, (207) 338-5654.

The Boston Foundation releases “sobering” Greater Boston Housing Report Card

The fifth annual survey of the state of housing in Greater Boston provides a sobering overview of the region's economy at a time when stresses — eroding home values, a tighter mortgage market, flat or falling incomes and a sharp decline in housing starts — add up to a “perfect housing storm,” according to Barry Bluestone, a co-author of the report. The survey was commissioned by The Boston Foundation.

PDFs of the detailed report, complete with executive summary, are available at www.tbf.org.

Related report compares efforts to prevent homelessness in region

The Boston Foundation issued a related report, Preventing Homelessness and Promoting Housing Stability, comparing three programs to prevent homelessness supported by TBF and other foundations and agencies, including the Starr Foundation, Tufts Health Plan, Massachusetts Medical Society & Alliance Charitable Foundation, the Ludcke Foundation in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, One Family, Inc., and the Oak Foundation.

The full report, which took three years to compile, is available at www.tbf.org/uploadedFiles/Homelessness_June07.pdf

Cape Cod Foundation offers intensive leadership program for nonprofit CEOs

The Cape Cod Foundation is looking for nonprofit leaders who will make a 10-month commitment to greatly improve their leadership skills. In partnership with the Gestalt International Study Center in Wellfleet, and with support from the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation, the Leadership Development Program includes seven intensive three-day sessions on board and staff development, strategic planning, fundraising and marketing, and other issues essential to the modern nonprofit.

A descriptive brochure is available at www.capecodfoundation.org.

Local and national foundations seed effort, new organization to expand school time

The Quincy, MA-based Nellie Mae Education Foundation joined several other prestigious national foundations to establish a new nonprofit that will research and support national, state, and local initiatives to add more school time. The National Center on Time & Learning partially grew out of Massachusetts 2020, a successful statewide initiative that has thus far helped 19 schools redesign and expand their school schedules, with each school adding a minimum of 25% more time.
More information at www.timeandlearning.org.

Diversity in MA, NH foundations half the national average; AGM responds

A sampling of Massachusetts and New Hampshire foundations reveals that only 11% of their staffs are non-white, compared to 22.9% nationally.

Associated Grant Makers (AGM), a regional association serving the two states, is responding by sending a team of six Diversity Fellows to area foundations to learn the craft of philanthropy.

The foundations serving as host organizations for the second year of the Diversity Fellowship Program are The Barr Foundation, The Boston Foundation, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, Hyams Foundation, Nellie Mae Education Foundation and The Rhode Island Foundation. Each fellow will be at their host site for 4 days per week for nine months, working with professional staff and trustees to gain hands-on experience in grantmaking as well as engaging in group learning, research, and professional development.

For more information: Gail Pinkham, AGM Communications Director, 617-426-2606 x29; gpinkham@agmconnect.org or http://agmconnect.org.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation fighting childhood obesity

Approximately 30% of American children ages 6–11 are overweight and 15% are obese, a trend the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation hopes to reverse with its new, five-year Growing Up Healthy Initiative. The Foundation and Harvard Pilgrim expect to invest over $1 million annually in Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, in addition to substantial in-kind contributions of executive and professional staff time.

For more information: https://www.harvardpilgrim.org

NH, VT foundations collaborating to protect Upper Connecticut River

The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Vermont Community Foundation are working together to restore, protect, and enhance the Connecticut River watershed above White River Junction.

The Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund managed by the two foundations was created in 2002 as part of a settlement agreement over the awarding of a new operating license for three hydroelectric dams on the Connecticut River at Fifteen Mile Falls near Littleton, NH and Ryegate, VT. Under the terms of the agreement, dam operator TransCanada Hydro Northeast, Inc. makes an annual contribution to the fund.

Over the next several years, the fund is expected to provide a total of approximately $12 million. Awards for the upcoming grant round will be announced early in 2008.

For more information on the Fund or the grantmaking program, contact Kevin Peterson at the Charitable Foundation office in Hanover, NH at (603) 653-0387 or kp@nhcf.org.

Funders explore “Changing Face of New Hampshire”

A funder's forum was held in Concord this fall to discuss the role that foundations, corporate funders and government can play in fostering healthy two-way integration between lifelong residents and immigrants and refugees who have moved to the state. The event was co-hosted by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, The Endowment for Health, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) and the Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation.

A publication prepared for the event told inspiring local stories: Immigrants and Refugees: 10 Profiles of Leadership. The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation said it is now printing copies for public distribution. For more information: Julia Fagan Olivares, jfo@nhcf.org.

“Giving Matters” features nonprofits on New Hampshire Public Radio

New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) is airing the stories of 26 nonprofit organizations in the Giving Matters weekly radio series. The new series is a joint project of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and NHPR to showcase the stories of the nonprofit sector and the ways in which nonprofits strengthen communities and enrich lives. Giving Matters airs at 8:35 a.m. on Saturdays.

Over five years, the Charitable Foundation and NHPR have jointly produced short spots highlighting more than 120 charitable groups by featuring first-hand stories of real people whose lives have been touched by nonprofits' work.

Check it out on NHPR.

Amgen Foundation, 10 leading universities invite applicants for Scholars Program

The Amgen Scholars Program, a partnership of the Amgen Foundation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and premier universities around the country, is now accepting applications for the summer of 2008. The annual Amgen Scholars Program provides undergraduates the opportunity for hands-on research at 10 of the nation's leading universities to explore an area of research under a faculty mentor beyond what they may be able to do as part of their regular undergraduate education.

In 2007, the program's first year, 238 undergraduate students were selected as Amgen Scholars from approximately 1,700 applicants.

For more information: Kristen Davis, Amgen Foundation, (805) 447-3008 or www.amgenscholars.com.

Art museums in 17 states waiting to hear from MetLife Foundation

The MetLife Foundation’s new initiative entitled Museum and Community Connections is expected to announce a million dollars in grants in December.The purpose of the program is to “encourage art museums to reach out to large numbers of people of all ages and backgrounds through imaginative programs and/or exhibits that help us understand and appreciate each other and our world.”

Applicants from all the New England states plus 11 more were encouraged to apply for collaborations, artist residencies, exhibits, and offsite programming into diverse and underserved communities.

For more information: www.metlife.com.

Understanding Vermont: New report takes pulse of state

The Vermont Community Foundation has issued a publication that monitors nearly every issue in the state, from child poverty to cultural heritage. The publication’s findings are updated at an interactive website. Free copies and more information at www.vermontcf.org.

All the Vermont foundations now just a keystroke away

The Vermont Directory of Foundations, a comprehensive listing of the state’s funders, has found a new home on the Vermont Community Foundation’s website, www.vermontcf.org. The latest edition is a collaboration with New York’s Foundation Center, and allows grantseekers to quickly sort through hundreds of grantmakers using criteria such as field of interest, type of grantmaker, type of support, total giving, and geographic focus. VCF gives special credit to Directory founder Christine Graham, the Bay and Paul Foundations, and the A.D. Henderson Foundation.

The “Future” is here for Vermonters

The Vermont Council on Rural Development (www.vtrural.org) has formed the Council on the Future and raised $400,000 in private money to conduct a once-in-a-generation survey of where Vermonters believe the state is headed. The two-year project will include surveys, webtools, community forums, and more. Meetings are planned throughout Vermont for the next nine months.

For more information and forum dates please visit www.vtrural.org or contact Sarah Waring, (802) 223-6098 or CFV@sover.net.

A.D. Henderson Foundation contributes to “virtual resource center” for state’s nonprofits

A $25,000 grant from the A.D. Henderson Foundation, matched with a $25,000 grant from the Vermont Community Foundation, is starting the ball rolling on an online resource center that will provide some of the nonprofit sector's most frequently-requested tools: a calendar of nonprofit trainings and events, job listings, and a searchable database of both nonprofits and consultants/businesses that work with nonprofits. The online center will also support regional and local networking events. For more information: www.vermontcf.org

Connecticut

W. Michael Funck, current board chairman of the Fairfield County Community Foundation, will become chairman of the newly-merged (but still-named) Fairfield County Community Foundation (FCCF). John Chiota, current chairman of the Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation board, becomes the FCCF vice chairman. Susan Ross, FCCF president and CEO, will continue in this position with the merged foundation. The offices will be in Norwalk.

The Connecticut Council for Philanthropy is seeking nominations for two prestigious awards.

The John H. Filer Award honors a man who inspired his peers in Hartford's business community by example and urged the nation's business leaders to accept the responsibility of corporate citizenship. The award is given to an individual or individuals who are leaders in promoting private action for the public good.

The Martha Newman Award remembers a much-admired and well-respected member of Hartford's giving community. The award will be given to a staff member of a philanthropic organization who exemplifies personal integrity, dedication to the philanthropic field and a willingness to share his or her knowledge and expertise.

Nomination forms are available at www.ctphilanthropy.org.

The Jewish Community Foundation of greater Hartford welcomed two new trustees this fall. Eleanor Neiditz Caplan of West Hartford had a long career with the state of Connecticut's Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, where she aided the passage of many state anti-discrimination laws. She also serves on the Public Policy Committee of the Mental Health Association of Connecticut and on the Board of Overseers of The Bushnell. Andrew M. Schatz is a founder and partner of the Hartford law firm Schatz Nobel Izard, P.C. A director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut and the Greater Hartford Legal Aid Foundation, he is a past member of the West Hartford Council and is currently president of West Hartford Community Television.

Maine

The Maine Community Foundation bestowed its 2007 Noyce Awards for Nonprofit Excellence on Coastal Enterprises, Inc. of Wiscasset and the Maine Mountain Sustainable Development Initiative of Farmington. The unrestricted $10,000 grants honor Maine nonprofits that promote economic development and preserve quality of place. The award is named for philanthropist Elizabeth Noyce (1930-1996).

For more information, Carl Little, Maine Community Foundation, (877) 700-6800

Dexter Shoe Co. founder and Maine philanthropist Harold Alfond died recently at age 93 at his home in Belgrade. Newspaper reports estimate Alfond's charitable giving exceeded $100 million throughout the state. He left his estate to the Harold Alfond Foundation.

"His philanthropy really was the kind of philanthropy that made things happen," said Janet Henry, president of the Maine Philanthropy Center. "It's a very significant loss, but he's taught a lot of people to give."

Massachusetts

Kerry Sullivan, national foundation advisory executive for Philanthropic Management at Bank of America, has moved to the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Linda Franciscovich will take over for Ms. Sullivan.

On January 1, 2008, Michael K. Durkin will become the new CEO and president of The United Way Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. Mr. Durkin replaces the former United Way CEO and president Milton J. Little Jr., who left in April to become president and chief professional officer of United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta. Durkin is currently the acting CEO of Mile High United Way in Denver, and has more than 30 years of experience in the United Way system, including regional United Way experience in Lawrence, MA, and Portsmouth, NH.

The Boston Globe Foundation and State Street won awards at the Boston Business Journal Corporate Philanthropy Summit this fall. The Boston Globe Foundation was selected as the Innovation Partner of the Year for its work with WriteBoston. State Street was awarded the 2007 Corporate Philanthropy Award for the second consecutive year.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Foundation President Ronald V. Gallo has stepped down after a 15-year tenure that saw the community foundation grow nearly fourfold in assets, to more than a half-billion dollars. Board Chair George Graboys is acting president during the national search for Gallo’s replacement.

In other news at the Foundation, Kimberly Butler, vice president for gift planning & stewardship, has been elected president of the Planned Giving Council of Rhode Island.

Karen Davis, vice president at Hasbro Childrens Fund and a founding member of the Rhode Island Women Ending Hunger program, was chosen one of YWCA Northern Rhode Island’s 2007 Women of Achievement. The honor goes to women who improve the lives of children or youth.