2023 marked 100 years since Connecticut Community Foundation’s seven founders dreamed of what could happen if they pooled their resources and worked with others to resolve their community’s challenges and build on their community’s strengths. Embracing the power of community, they created the first community foundation in Connecticut with a vision of timeless impact
A century later, the Foundation embodies the legacy not only of our founders, but of the thousands of people throughout Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills who have come together over a span of decades to identify our community’s needs, combine their resources, and resolve to make change that benefits us all. Since our founding, more than 600 local residents have played their part in building the Foundation by creating permanent, charitable funds that form our endowment. In 2023 alone, those funds infused more than $7 million in grants and scholarships across Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills. In addition to these fund holders, thousands of volunteers, donors, and community and nonprofit leaders have partnered with Connecticut Community Foundation to address our community’s needs, as they have evolved over time.
Each of these people is a thread in the tapestry begun in 1923, and each has helped to weave the Foundation into a permanent resource that is uniquely situated to meet the needs of the community we serve. Looking forward, we know that people who haven’t even been born yet will add their own texture, color, and design before our second century is
through. They will build on what has come before and address needs, challenges, and opportunities in our community that we can’t even imagine from where we sit today.
As we enter our second century and a year of transition in our leadership, we are mindful that we are stewards in this moment of an institution that has been built by so many over such a long time, and that will move forward long beyond our tenures. Inspired by the example of those who came before us, we remain focused in 2024 on our community’s assets and needs, and on the Foundation’s vision of an equitable, inclusive, just, and vibrant community in which all residents have what they need to thrive.
We are grateful to each of you who has shared your time, your skills, and your resources with us—you are part of Connecticut Community Foundation’s story. The pages that follow reflect a celebration of 100 years of timeless impact, as well as the stories of people working hard today to expand opportunity, reduce disparities, build stronger institutions, and make positive change.
Michael Giardina Board Chair
Julie Loughran President and CEO
Providing Critical Support in Times of Crisis and Need Health & Environmental Justice
Connecticut Community Foundation aims to reduce disparities in our region that affect the health of individuals, families and the community. Only when everyone has access to housing, food, healthcare and a safe, healthy environment will we all thrive together.
Ann’s Place: Offering Crucial Support Following Diagnosis
The words no one wants to hear: “You have cancer.” It is a life-changing moment that touches nearly 23,000 Connecticut residents who receive a new diagnosis each year. For more than three decades, Ann’s Place has provided community-based comfort, support and resources to people living with cancer and their loved ones. Since 2015, through its Health Equity Initiative, the organization has focused on reaching patients who have been less able to access mental health care and other cancer support, including patients of color, patients who identify as LGBTQ+, and financially unstable patients. With a Foundation grant of $6,000, Ann’s Place expanded this initiative in Greater Waterbury to ensure that patients who face language, economic, transportation and other barriers receive the culturally relevant care they need.
The Salvation Army: Helping Families Navigate Toward a Stable Future
For families facing emergencies, having a safe and stable place to call home is crucial. With a $13,826 grant from the Foundation, families living at the Salvation Army’s nine-room, 30-bed Family Emergency Shelter work with housing specialists to get the care, support and services they need to rebuild their dreams and become self-sufficient once again. The impact extends beyond individual families and into the community, as stable housing creates emotional well-being, financial stability and economic mobility for adults and their children.
Creating Equitable Access to Education and Employment
Building Equitable Opportunity
What does real change look like? We support solutions that reshape inequitable systems, reduce disparities and aim to ensure that all residents have the opportunity to learn, grow, and build a future for themselves and for generations to come.
Career Resources, Inc.: Providing Crucial Career Support to Residents Re-entering the Community
A critical resource in any community–and economy–is a healthy, skillful and knowledgeable workforce. Through its STRIVE Waterbury Program, Career Resources, Inc. provides an intensive workforce readiness training program for residents returning from incarceration and other individuals in the Greater Waterbury area who have been involved with the criminal justice system. The goal is to expand and provide access to employment opportunities and mitigate the causes and effects of poverty. With a $10,000 grant from the Foundation, the program has trained individuals on the soft skills they need in the workplace, integrated within a program that supports successful re-entry into the community. With this program, people build the skills they need to find stable career pathways, build financial stability, and create new dreams for the future.
UConn: Inspiring Future Scientists and Medical Professionals
In a effort to ignite young minds with the spark of curiosity and possibility, the University of ConnecticutWaterbury, hand in hand with Allied Health Sciences, unveiled a groundbreaking initiative: the Handson-Health program. With a $10,000 grant from the Foundation, this endeavor offers experiential learning to Waterbury middle schoolers, plunging them into the realms of science and health education. Every week, the campus becomes a vibrant hub of exploration as seventh graders from the Waterbury Public School District embark on STEM odysseys guided by UConn undergraduates, who share their knowledge and passion for health and science with the younger students. UConn student Hida Ahamed explains, “Being part of this project boosted my confidence as a student, leader and future physician. I’m grateful to give back to the Waterbury community and hopefully empower and educate the future generation.”
Building Nonprofit Capacity to Deliver Crucial Services
Strengthening Nonprofits
We need strong, stable, well-resourced nonprofits in order for our community and its residents to thrive. Connecticut Community Foundation provides grants that enable these critically important organizations to build their internal capacity and expand their impact, which benefits us all.
Malta House of Care: Building Capacity to Provide Health Care to Thousands
Malta House of Care stands as a beacon of healing care in Waterbury. Since 2010, this clinic has been a lifeline for approximately 10,000 uninsured adults by offering them high-quality primary health care services they otherwise could not access. To help the organization meet the increasing demand for services at the volunteer-staffed clinic, Connecticut Community Foundation has recently awarded two grants: one to facilitate the transition from an outdated paper record system to a state-of-the-art electronic health record system, and another to develop a strategic plan. With support for its own infrastructure, the clinic will build strength from within, enabling it to continue its mission of providing lifesaving care and support to those who need it most.
Thomaston Historical Society: Digital Technology Brings History to Life
Seth Thomas began making clocks in 1813 at a factory in what was then known as Plymouth Hollow. In recognition of this manufacturing pioneer who provided thousands of opportunities for local residents and new immigrants, the Connecticut Legislature renamed the area and established the town of Thomaston in 1875. Today, the Thomaston Historical Society is the custodian of Thomas’s legacy, as well as a rich collection of tools, furniture, clothing and antique clocks that reflect Thomaston’s past. Supported by a $3,500 grant from the Foundation, the historical society acquired cutting-edge scanning technology to digitize its collection. This strategic investment will enable the historical society to reach more people, engage the community, and instill pride in Thomaston’s storied history.
Elevating People and Communities Through the Arts
Arts & Culture
Arts organizations foster cultural connections, inspire solutions, and drive social, educational, and economic transformation. Fueled by donor-established funds, Connecticut Community Foundation’s arts and culture grants prioritize expanding access to arts and to culturally responsive arts experiences.
Marrakech Inc.: Building Skills, Insight, and Connection through Arts Immersion
For more than fifty years, Marrakech, Inc. has provided residential, employment, support, referral and advocacy services to help people with disabilities and others with similar service needs to help them achieve greater selfsufficiency and to participate fully in the community. With the support of a $5,000 grant from the Foundation, Marrakech provided ten individuals from our region with an extraordinary opportunity to transform their lives through the power of creativity. Over the course of two separate 12-week sessions at Southington Community Cultural Arts, participants, including adults with developmental disabilities and youth involved with the foster care system, engaged in artistic exploration. These classes, culminating in an inspiring arts exhibit, served as catalysts for participants’ creative journeys, fostering community connections and paving the way for them to realize their fullest potential.
Waterbury Pride NAACP Youth Council: Opening Doors and Celebrating Culture Through Dance
When the Waterbury Pride NAACP Youth Council learned that dance classes were prohibitively expensive for many Waterbury residents and that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) instructors were few and far between, they decided to take action. The organization, whose leaders are between 12 and 21 years old, created the Find Your Light Multicultural Dance Program to provide multiple weekly dance classes at Waterbury’s North End Recreation Center and the Afro-Caribbean Cultural Center. With a $12,500 grant from Connecticut Community Foundation, this initiative opens new doors to local youth by offering classes led by passionate BIPOC instructors at a fraction of typical costs. The program not only teaches dance, but also weaves stories of heritage and identity, empowering students to dance with purpose and pride.
Fostering Healthy Aging and Community Connections for Older Adults Pathways for Older Adults
Connecticut Community Foundation supports local organizations and municipalities that work to ensure that local residents age successfully and remain healthy, informed, and engaged.
Mattatuck Museum: Connecting and Thriving Through Wellness
The simple joys of stretching, breathing, and connecting with others can meaningfully increase wellbeing. At the Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury older adults find community and vitality through the Senior Wellness program. Surrounded by the beauty of art and history, they set out on a path of cultural enrichment and physical rejuvenation. With a $7,500 grant from the Foundation, the program is open to all, offering affordable Tai Chi and chair yoga classes led by qualified instructors. Twice a week, seniors gather in a space of warmth and inclusivity, where they can move freely, forge and sustain friendships, and nourish their sense of belonging in the vibrant tapestry of their community.
Housatonic Habitat for Humanity: Home is Where the Heart Is
Research shows that older adults who age in place in their homes and communities experience greater health, happiness and wellbeing. Housatonic Habitat for Humanity’s volunteer-driven Aging in Place program provides minor home repairs and accessibility enhancements that make it possible for people to continue living in their own homes. With every window, lock, or stair repaired, every door widened for wheelchair access, every grab bar or railing installed, the program infuses new life into cherished spaces and ensures older adults’ safety, comfort, and enduring connection to the place they call home.
TIMELESS IMPACT: 100 Years of Embracing the Power of Community
Older Adults
Connecticut Community Foundation focuses resources on local programs and initiatives that help older adults age successfully, remain healthy, and thrive. The Foundation has supported such programming for older adults since its earliest days. Today, grants that serve our region’s older adults are funded through the East Hill Woods Fund, which was established in 2009 with a $9.2 million gift to the Foundation.
Arts & Culture
Arts organizations foster cultural connections, inspire solutions, and drive social, educational, and economic transformation. Fueled by donor-established funds, for decades the Foundation’s arts and culture grants have prioritized expanding access to arts and to culturally responsive arts experiences.
Below, left: A Foundation grant provided for a piano, projector, cabinets, and trips
Pilobolus Company,
Below: The Waterbury Symphony Orchestra builds connections across the region with exploratory concerts, events, and educational programs
Right: With a 2022 grant, The Role Models repaired damage and created a large mural on the basketball court at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Waterbury.
Building a Legacy Together
Connecticut Community Foundation’s story began in Waterbury in 1923, a time when women had only recently won the right to vote, Prohibition was the law of the land, and the Great Migration—a significant movement of African Americans from the rural South to cities in the North—was reshaping the city’s demographic makeup. The brass industry had brought growth and prosperity, but also challenges as an expanding community struggled to meet the needs of all its residents.
Against this backdrop, seven visionary leaders gathered at Lincoln House on Field Street for the first meeting of the Waterbury Foundation, now called Connecticut Community Foundation. Among them were business and civic leaders as well as committed board members and volunteers in many of the city’s growing network of charitable organizations.
These seven leaders believed their contributions and those of future generations—not only of dollars, but also of time, vision, and creativity—would create an enduring organization dedicated to meeting the community’s challenges. This vision of timeless impact is embodied in the countless partners, donors, and volunteers who have shaped Connecticut Community Foundation over the past century, and those who will do so in the future.
Health
In pursuit of its earliest mission “to improve the social and living conditions of Waterbury and vicinity,” the Waterbury Foundation focused significant resources on addressing health challenges in its first decades.
In that vein, in 1929, Alice Morton Chase established the Foundation’s first permanent fund in her mother’s honor, the Jennie H. Morton Memorial Fund, to support visiting nurses. The Foundation still awards grants every year from this fund to make visiting nurse services available in Waterbury.
Early donor Edith Chase
Visiting Nurses, 1923
Scholarships
Connecticut Community Foundation launched its scholarship program in 1989 and has since grown to become among the region’s largest college scholarship providers. Each year, more than 400 students collectively receive over $1 million from more than 160 scholarship funds established by donors eager to expand opportunities
Above, top: Scholarship Committee, 1991; bottom: In 1989, the Foundation announced the first awards from its regional scholarship program in a ceremony at Waterbury’s Mattatuck Museum. Thirteen scholars received a total of $10,450 in the program’s inaugural year.
Opportunity Expands Equity
Throughout our history, Connecticut Community Foundation has supported efforts to expand opportunity equitably across the community through education, youth development, workforce development, economic security, and access to safe, affordable housing. Our work has prioritized both on-the-ground programs and long-term solutions to change inequitable systems that have fueled persistent disparities based on race, ethnicity, age, gender, income, sexual orientation, geography, and other characteristics.
Our Next Generation Shapes Tomorrow
As our founders envisioned in 1923, Connecticut Community Foundation remains committed to meeting the changing needs of our community. Today, that means working to eliminate disparities within our community, centering racial equity, and confronting systemic injustice.
Entering our second century, we commit to working alongside community organizations, donors, and leaders as we pursue our vision of an equitable, inclusive, just, and vibrant community in which all residents have what they need to thrive.
Above, top: Literacy Volunteers on the Green; bottom: Merriman Culinary Job Training Program graduates at St. Vincent DePaul
Left: Recent graduates of RIBA Aspira Career Academy’s
Right, top: Pearl Street Neighborhood House, 1934. For over 50 years, the Foundation funded youth programming and other initiatives at Pearl Street Neighborhood House, which was founded “to provide social and recreational activities for members of the Black community in Waterbury.”; bottom: Bravo! Waterbury Symphony Orchestra’s after school music education program at Children’s Community School
Flexible, Unrestricted Funding Fosters Creativity, Strategy, and Stability
While grants often support specific projects and services being offered by nonprofit organizations, such program-specific grants—which often last only one year and which cover only the costs connected with the program—typically fall short of ensuring that the grantee organization has the resources it needs to be strong and sustainable in the long term.
In 2023, Connecticut Community Foundation launched a program that will provide $150,000 each to four nonprofit organizations over the course of three years. The grants will provide support for the grantees’ general operations, meaning the organizations can use the funds however they see fit in support of their missions.
This sort of multi-year operating support reflects the Foundation’s embrace of the approach of trust-based philanthropy, which focuses on minimizing barriers between funders and their nonprofit partners, and on a belief that organizations working in the community are best situated to determine the most effective use of resources. With unrestricted operating grants, our grantee partners have the flexibility to pursue their goals as they see fit, including investing in staff, technology, strategic planning, financial management, leadership development and more. These flexible dollars over multiple years provide critical support—and the breathing room—to build stronger, healthier, more adaptable organizations that are better able to achieve their missions.
In selecting its inaugural class of grantees, the Foundation considered organizations focused on reducing disparities, particularly along lines of race and ethnicity, where inequities in both access and outcomes are greatest in our community. We also considered the strength of applicants’ leadership and their plans to use the funds to build their own capacity and strength.
Four organizations—each of them focused on meeting needs in Waterbury and each of them Black- or Latina-led—rose to the top: Madre Latina, NEST (formerly Neighborhood Housing Services of Waterbury), Save Girls on FYER, and Waterbury Bridge to Success.
NEST
On any given day, Yoellie Iglesias, executive director of Madre Latina, receives dozens of calls from Latina mothers. For 11 years, her small team has worked tirelessly to serve more than 500 families a year, connecting Latino residents with local, state, and private sector resources and services and offering programs focused on youth leadership, education, health, workforce development and more. With greater support for its operational needs, Madre Latina will continue its critical work of educating and empowering generations of Latinas.
Save Girls on FYER
When Black and Brown girls have a safe space that supports who they are, positive role models and peers, and a designated place to express themselves, they become Girls on FYER–Future Young Educated Role Models. Working with 200 youth each year, Save Girls on FYER educates, liberates, and celebrates girls of color, empowering them to advocate for themselves and their communities.
Imagine a neighborhood where low- and moderate-income households can access quality, affordable housing and pursue employment opportunities with ease because they have obtained the necessary training and skills and have access to affordable daycare. Where streets are safe because youth sports, schools, and social networks are active. Where local businesses are booming—and hiring. Moreover, envision residents enjoying optimal health, thanks to access to affordable nutritious food, clean air, and top-tier healthcare services. NEST strives to build communities and foster strong neighborhoods where all residents can truly thrive.
Waterbury Bridge to Success
Bringing 90 community and civic leaders, educators, and organizations together with common goals and a vision for equity, Bridge to Success makes positive change for Waterbury’s youth. Partners in BTS—the state’s first cradle-tocareer youth initiative— work collectively to achieve equitable change by empowering Black and Latino children, youth, and families to be successful in school, career, and life.
Madre Latina
Beyond the Classroom: The Enduring Impact of Harold Baker’s Generosity
When it comes to generosity, Harold Baker offered an exceptional example to follow. Harold was deeply committed to sharing his passion for mathematics with the scores of students he taught at Litchfield High School and Naugatuck Valley Community College, and his dedication to his hometown of Waterbury and its residents extended far beyond the school walls.
For Harold, giving back was woven into the very fabric of his daily life. As a devoted math teacher, he saw each student not just as a pupil to instruct, but as a mind to nurture and uplift. Beyond the classroom, Harold’s quiet but unwavering dedication to philanthropy truly distinguished him. With no fanfare but a deliberate heart, he chose to support Connecticut Community Foundation through a very generous bequest from his estate, knowing that his contributions would directly benefit the community that shaped him. His extraordinary gift has established the Harold Baker Fund for Waterbury Residents in Need, an endowed fund that will help to meet the basic needs of Waterbury residents year in and year out, for generations to come. In addition to his gift to the Foundation, Harold made equally generous gifts to the United Way of Greater Waterbury, the Salvation Army of Waterbury, and the Waterbury Police Activities League. He asked only that the organizations receiving these gifts share his story, not to shine a spotlight on his own generosity, but to inspire others to give.
Having strong connections to Waterbury, Harold understood the importance of community. He seamlessly integrated into the fabric of the lives of his neighbors, Maureen and Randy Buell, becoming an honorary member of their family. Whether joining in shared laughter at gatherings or delving into debates on local radio stations, Harold’s presence radiated warmth and wisdom. Reflecting on their time together, Maureen fondly recalls, “He was a kind, gentle man, highly educated, and he would join us for every holiday. He truly became part of our family, and we loved him very much.” When contemplating Harold’s giving nature, Maureen further adds, “He was a very private man. He lived alone, but he never truly was alone because he knew we, as his neighbors, were always there for him. He always talked about his charities being important to him, but we didn’t know how involved he was. He was passionate about supporting those less fortunate, whether through educational initiatives or outreach programs aimed at fostering youth success.”
Through his gifts—to his students, to his friends, and to his community—his legacy endures as a testament to a life lived in the service of others.
In the halls of the schools where he taught, and within the hearts and minds of the countless students he inspired, Harold’s example continues to resonate—a beacon to the enduring impact of kindness, compassion and unwavering dedication to community and to the greater good.
Harold Baker
Sam Beamon’s Legacy of Service:
“Become a Giver”
“We’ve got to make our parents proud.” So reads the inscription Sam Beamon wrote in his brother Reggie’s copy of Sam’s book, Flying Death: The Vietnam Experience. And proud their parents would surely be of Sam’s extraordinary life of service.
Describing the values in the brothers’ Waterbury home growing up, Reggie explains, “Beamons don’t push people aside. We lift people up. We help people. That’s what we do.” Service runs in the Beamons’ veins. Their father and grandfather both served the community, and Reggie himself represented Waterbury in the Connecticut House of Representatives for twenty years, and currently serves as executive director of the Waterbury Opportunities Industrialization Center, among many other community roles.
But Sam Beamon’s decades-long commitment to his community stands out even among a family of public servants. After graduating from Kaynor Tech High School, where he was a Young Marine, Sam enlisted in the Marine Corps and flew in more than 360 combat missions in Vietnam, earning numerous citations. After the war, Sam joined the Waterbury Police Department, where he broke down racial barriers and led the department to expand opportunities for others. Among many other accomplishments during his 27 years with the police, Sam was the first Black officer to serve the force on a SWAT team, was the Waterbury Police Department’s first Black sergeant and first Black lieutenant, and served as a detective. During his tenure, he also mentored Waterbury youth through the Police Activities League (PAL). After retiring, Sam became the State Commandant of the Marine Corps League and also served on and ultimately chaired the Waterbury Veterans Memorial Committee. In recognition of his service, Sam was inducted into the State of Connecticut Veteran’s Hall of Fame.
After Sam’s death in 2018, his brother Reggie, nephew Andrew, and friends Debi Ortiz and Vernon Riddick were determined that Sam’s life would serve as an example to future generations. Others readily agreed: Waterbury’s Board of Aldermen voted to establish Sam’s birthday as an annual Day of Service in the city, and the Connecticut Legislature voted to rename and dedicate a bridge on West Main Street in Waterbury as the Samuel K. Beamon Memorial Bridge. The bridge now features a mural that captures the many ways in which Sam served his community.
The group also wanted to create something permanent that would support the ambitions of young people long into the future, and that would reflect Sam’s passions. To that end, they established the Samuel K. Beamon Scholarship Fund at Connecticut Community Foundation. The fund provides scholarships every year to students pursuing careers in law enforcement, a trade, or photography. As Reggie explains, Sam’s friends and family hope the scholarship will inspire students “to appreciate those who came before and understand the sacrifices people make,” and will motivate them to “become a giver.” Per Reggie, Sam’s example to students—and to us all—is that “you need to give your all to do something. You can’t half-step. Sam never half-stepped.”
Those inspired by Sam may make gifts to the Samuel K. Beamon Scholarship Fund at https:// donatenow.networkforgood.org/sam-beamon
Samuel K. Beamon
Funds Established in 2023
Thank you to the donors who established the following funds in 2023
Heritage Music Scholarship Fund
Established by the Heritage Village Concert Series Group (Southbury, CT) to provide scholarships for graduating high school students who are majoring in music, reside in Southbury or Middlebury, and are planning to attend an accredited college or university
Lucinda Hunt-Stowell Fund
Unrestricted fund established by bequest from Lucinda Hunt-Stowell
Ion Bank Crosby High School Scholarship Fund
Established by Ion Bank in Naugatuck to provide one-time awards to graduating seniors from Crosby High School in Waterbury who are attending a school of higher education
Kiwanis Club of Greater Waterbury Scholarship Fund
Established by Kiwanis Club of Greater Waterbury to provide one-time scholarship awards for graduating high school seniors from Waterbury or its surrounding towns of Cheshire, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Prospect, Watertown and Wolcott. Awards will be based on the students’ academic achievement, financial need, participation in school-based activities and a priority focus on volunteerism and community service
Lindenman Family Scholarship Fund
Established by Patricia Lindenman to provide scholarship awards for students who are graduates of a Waterbury public high school, will attend an accredited college or university, and plan to pursue a career in teaching
Carole Rippere Ludwig and Laudell F. Ludwig Acquisition Advised Fund for Children’s Community School
Nonprofit advised fund to purchase real property as the home of Children’s Community School, or for capital improvements, repairs or upgrades to existing school property or other real property the School acquires
Carole Rippere Ludwig and Laudell F. Ludwig Endowment Fund for Children’s Community School
Nonprofit endowment fund to be used as a general-purpose fund for the benefit of Children’s Community School
Emil Mannweiler Scholarship Fund for Business School-recommended scholarship established by bequest for students with financial need who are graduating from Naugatuck High School and who show excellence in and aptitude for three or more of the following subjects: bookkeeping, business mathematics, business procedures, or economics
Emil Mannweiler Scholarship Fund for Mathematics School-recommended scholarship established by bequest for students with financial need who are graduating from Naugatuck High School and who show excellence in and aptitude for three or more of the following subjects: algebra, geometry, or trigonometry
Emil Mannweiler Scholarship Fund for Science School-recommended scholarship established by bequest for students with financial need who are graduating from Naugatuck High School and who show excellence in and aptitude for three or more of the following subjects: chemistry, physics, biology, or aeronautics
Robert and Joann Narkis Fund
Field of Interest fund for residents in need in the town of Middlebury established by Robert and Joann Narkis
Barbara J. Ranando Fund
Unrestricted fund established by bequest from Barbara Ranando in memory of her parents, Thomas and Rose M. Ranando
Robb Family Fund
Donor advised fund
Chera Simpson Fund for Children’s Community School
Designated fund established by bequest from Chera Simpson to support the Waterbury-based Children’s Community School’s music education programs, including instructor salaries, equipment, repairs, and enrichment activities
Hiram Upson Fund
Designated fund for Middlebury Land Trust, established by bequest from Hiram Upson
Woodbury Public Library Building Expansion Fund
Nonprofit advised fund to provide resources for the expansion of Woodbury Public Library
Woodward Scholarship Endowment Fund for Children’s Community School
Established by bequest to provide scholarships/financial aid to students attending Children’s Community School in Waterbury
The following members of the 1923 Legacy Society have included Connecticut Community Foundation in their estate plans. Their gifts help create a better future for local residents for generations to come.
LEGACY DONORS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2023
Anonymous – 13
Doris Abramson*
Joel Abramson
Eleanor Akers
Elizabeth Andersen*
Nina Andersen*
Florence Anderson*
Helen Angevine*
Marian Baeder*
Fred Baker
Harold E. Baker*
Andrea Barhydt
Brooks Barhydt
Dutch Barhydt
Hilary Barhydt
Charles Barlow*
Michael Baumrind
Susan Beatty*
Lawrence Behr*
Susan Beris MD
Lillian Berland*
Max Berland*
Martha Bernstein
Robert Bernstein
Colleen Bird
Michael Bird
Kathy Bower
Bertha Brod*
Robert Brod*
Christopher Brooks
David Brooks
Ann Burton
Miriam Camp*
Nancy Camp*
Orton Camp Jr.*
Daniel Caron
Craig Carragan Jr.*
George Chadakoff*
Helen Chadakoff*
Merrilee Chamberlain*
Frederick Chesson
Pete Chiesa
Laurene Clancy*
William Cohen MD
Alice Cruikshank
Richard P. Cullen*
Robert Curtis Jr.
Isabelle V. Curtiss
Priscilla Dannies
Robert Dannies Jr.
Joyce DeCesare
Anne Delo*
David DeNicolo
Bart DePetrillo*
Barbara DeRosa*
Frank DeVorken*
Mary DeVorken*
Eleanor DiCorpo*
Jane Doyle
Thomas Doyle*
Cedric Ellis
Anna Famiglietti*
Richard Faro*
Jacqueline Farrell
Ann Merriam Feinberg
Michael A. Feinberg MD
William Finkelstein*
Selma Fleisher*
Deborah Foord
Brendan Foulois
Valerie Friedman
Helen Frisbie*
Deborah Fuller
Sarah Gager
Raymond Gamby*
Ronald Garfunkel
Helen Garvey*
Alan Gayhart
Phyllis Gebhardt*
Phebeana Gerulaitis*
Rosemary Giuliano
Lynn Gorman
Claire Goss*
Hedy Grant
Milton Greenblatt*
Jane Gsell
John Gsell
Janet Hansen
Nelson Hart*
Jane Wynn Hay
Lynn Franklin-Henry
Charles Henry
Brian Henebry
Susan Henebry
Forest Herron II
Patricia Herron*
George Hopkins Jr.
Jeanne Hughes*
Bruce Humiston
Nancy Humiston
Annamay Iorio*
Peter Jacoby
Susan B. Jefferson
Lucille Johnson*
Helen Johnston
Alfred Joyell
Everett Kaelber
Jamil Karsh*
Stephen Kenney*
Dennis Kowaleski
Augusta Kramer*
Betsy Krebs
Marie Kunkel*
Angela LaMoy*
Raymond LaMoy*
Gertrude Larson*
Herbert Larson*
Elaine Lau
Richard Lau
Margaret Laurencelle
Irene LaVigne
Marita Lawlor*
Harold Leever*
John Leever*
Ruth Ann Leever*
Carolyn Lieber
William Lieber
Margaret Llano*
Julie Loughran
Irene Luria*
Sidney Luria*
Betsy Madden*
Anne Manning
Ecton Manning
Ingrid Manning
Emil Mannweiler*
Elsie Mannweiler*
Mark Margiotta*
Jeanette Matzkin*
Elizabeth McCormack
Wayne McCormack
Marie-Jeanne McDuff*
Josephine McMillen*
Russell McMillen*
Anne Melgers*
Cynthia Merrick
David Michaels
John Michaels
Shirley Michaels
Vivian Michaels
Georgianna Middlebrook*
Jocelyn Miller
John Miller
Daniel Millett*
Mary Millett*
Marcea Morgan
Maurice Mosley
Ruth Moss
Vita West Muir
Dorothy Mur nane*
Joann Narkis
Robert Narkis
Linda Nelson*
Mary Greene Nelson*
Linda Noujaim
Selim Noujaim
John Palesty MD*
Christopher Parker
Molly Parker
Geraldine Pelegano
Cornelia Perry*
Frederick Perry*
Victor Persbacker*
Kyungsook Petrahai*
Susan Petruzzi*
Lisa Powers
Camille R. Purrington*
Dana Purrington*
Barbara Quadrato*
Frank Quadrato*
Barbara J. Ranando*
Paul Reder
Edith Reynolds
Randolph Richardson
Dolores Riollano
Sarah Robin*
Vera Robin*
David Robinson
Ethel-Anne Roome
Marjorie Ross
Dorothy Rowland*
Ella Emery Rutledge*
Philip Samponaro
DeBare Saunders
Robert Sclafani Jr.
Andrew Shapiro
B.J. Sheedy*
Chera Simpson*
Justine Smith*
Catherine Sperry
Carol Spier*
Sylvia Sprecker*
John Staver*
Lucinda Hunt-Stowell*
Daniel Stowell*
Lydia Straus-Edwards
Lydie Strobridge*
Clarice Sullivan
John Sullivan III*
Marian Svetlik Andrews*
Patricia Sweet
Adele Taylor*
Norman Taylor*
Marcia Tejeda
Donald J. Thompson Jr.
Alexander Thomson
Janet Thomson
Walter Torrance Jr.*
Charles Hiram Upson III*
Paula Van Ness
Fern Verriker*
J.David Veselsky Jr
Abby Wells
Claire M. Whalley*
Edmund White
Zemma White
Leslie White*
N.Patricia Yarborough*
*DECEASED
Community Investments
Connecticut Community Foundation serves donors and nonprofits through sound financial management that aims to build the charitable resources available to the community
Grants and Expenses
For more information:
For a complete copy of the Foundation’s 2023 audited financial report and tax return (IRS Form 990) visit our website at conncf.org/financials or contact the finance department at 203.753.1315.
Established in 1923, Connecticut Community Foundation aims to foster an equitable and inclusive community in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills by inspiring generosity, supporting organizations, and cultivating effective leaders. While serving this region, the Foundation works to address the community’s critical issues, funds programs benefiting local residents, supports efforts to improve systems to foster more equitable outcomes, strengthens local organizations through learning and outreach, and works with individuals, families and corporations to steward charitable and scholarship funds.
OUR STAFF
Sarah Alexander
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION ASSOCIATE
Mark Berardi DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Josh Carey DIRECTOR OF GRANTS MANAGEMENT
Wanda Y. Correa
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY IMPACT
Sarah Edelson Baskin
SENIOR OPERATIONS OFFICER
Francesca Evangelista
PROGRAM OFFICER
Josh Feliciano
PROGRAM ASSISTANT
Julie Loughran PRESIDENT AND CEO
Patrick McKenna
SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER
Cynthia Merrick DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Yadira Perez DIRECTOR OF BRASS PROGRAM
Tricia Poirier
SENIOR DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Tallitha Richardson
SENIOR PROGRAM AND SCHOLARSHIP ASSOCIATE
Barbara Ryer
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Gabriela Crespo Sousa DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT
Allan Vega COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES*
Kathy Bower
Barbara Bradbury-Pape
Kathleen A. Brochhausen
Tony Ciocca
Dr. Rebecca Eleck-Bruce
Deborah C. Foord
Avery Gaddis
Michael A. Giardina
Subira Gordon
James A. Higgins
Elizabeth Johnson
Brian M. Jones
Janie L. McDermott
Jessica Ocasio
Tomás A. Olivo
Adrienne Parkmond
*Includes trustees who served during any part of 2023
Rabbi Eric Polokoff
Christopher Rempfer
Stephen Seward
Jean Solomon
Kathy Taylor
Saran D. White
Photo credits: Jake Koteen – staff photo above, Republican American – cover and insert, Ann’s Place, The Salvation Army Waterbury, Career Resources Inc, UConn Foundation, Malta House, Thomaston Historical Society, Marrakech Inc, NAACP Youth Council, Mattatuck Museum, Housatonic Habitat for Humanity, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s Greening of Waterbury, The Waterbury Symphony, Pilobolus Dance Company, The Role Models, Landmark Community Theater, Literacy Volunteers on the Green, St. Vincent DePaul, Bravo! Waterbury, Madre Latina, Save Girls on FYER, Waterbury Bridge to Success, Litchfield High School, Allan Vega. Graphic Designer: Erika Ruggiero.
Connecticut Community Foundation staff at our annual meeting and centennial celebration in September 2023.
U.S. Postage PAID
Bristol, CT Permit 100
43 Field Street Waterbury, CT 06702
203.753.1315
www.conncf.org
OUR MISSION
To foster an equitable and inclusive community in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills by inspiring generosity, supporting organizations, and cultivating effective leaders
OUR VISION
An equitable, inclusive, just and vibrant community in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills in which all residents have what they need to thrive
OUR VALUES
Our values guide our decision-making and actions, and reflect the culture to which we aspire. They are:
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. We welcome, invite, and commit resources toward the participation and well-being of all in our community.
• Integrity and Transparency. We hold ourselves to high standards of ethics, service, stewardship, and accountability to our donors, partners, and community.
• Courage and Purpose. We set ambitious goals, forge connections, and collaborate to address our community’s needs
• Thoughtful Leadership. We listen, learn, and evolve along with our community.
Who We Serve
As the community foundation for the 21-town Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills region, we focus our resources and grantmaking in these towns
