INVESTING IN
IMPACT
Cover Photo Backstory: Roscoe Conkling Park is home to many safe and family-friendly attractions supported by The Community Foundation.
Our community’s needs are great. So is our determination. The greater the need, the more determined our commitment. And, thanks to our donors and partners, the impact of our efforts to bring about meaningful change is boundless. I’m pleased to share with you recent highlights of The Community Foundation’s work in our community. These stories of impact emphasize our dedication to social change and measurable outcomes that transform lives. For decades, our donors have invested in the community. And our latest initiatives continue to build on that legacy of investment, as we address challenges and opportunities for generations to come. Sincerely, Alicia Dicks President/CEO
I M PAC T I N V E S T M E N T In January, The Community Foundation announced its first Impact Investment initiative – a $1 million, three-year commitment to create the Lead-Free MV Coalition to eliminate childhood lead poisoning in Herkimer and Oneida counties by 2030. The Coalition will use The Community Foundation’s resources to strategically address this longstanding community challenge. As a “backbone organization,” The Community Foundation is able to coordinate disparate efforts, as well as leverage and attract resources with like-minded partners for maximum impact. More than 75 individuals from 50 organizations and government agencies in both counties currently serve on the Lead-Free MV Coalition. This fall, the Coalition launched its first initiative, a pilot project to address lead-related health hazards in a select number of homes in West Utica, a neighborhood prone to higher levels of childhood lead poisoning. Photo Backstory: The Community Foundation’s John Monaghan joined Lead-Free MV Coalition partners in a door-to-door effort to engage West Utica Healthy Housing Pilot Program participants.
PA R T N E R S O F I M PAC T The Community Foundation hosted its annual Celebration of Philanthropy in May at Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. More than 200 community members attended to honor the organization’s partners in philanthropy and celebrate award winners. In recognition of their outstanding community contributions, David T. and Janet Griffith were presented the Rosamond Childs Award for Community Philanthropy. The award is given to individuals who exhibit the spirit of giving and a profound commitment to the community. The Community Foundation also honored the Herkimer Area Resource Center and the FIRST LEGO League with the Community Impact Award, which recognizes excellence in nonprofit programming and services. Photo Backstory: Honoring those who make a difference: Alicia Dicks, president/CEO, and Ron Cuccaro, Foundation Board Chair, presented awards to FIRST LEGO League’s Elizabeth Rossi, Herkimer Area Resource Center President/CEO Kevin Crosley, and Janet and David T. Griffith.
B U S I N E S S E S W I T H I M PAC T Smith Market, a natural food store and local market, was the winner of The Community Foundation’s inaugural $25,000 Impact Opportunity Challenge to promote entrepreneurism and advance downtown business. The market was one of five finalists to pitch an innovative business idea for downtown Utica to a panel of judges. Fifty-eight applications were submitted and 33 were accepted into the Challenge. The Community Foundation partnered with Mohawk Valley Community College’s thINCubator to coach and mentor applicants throughout the Challenge. The finals event was the culmination of a five-month process that began with The Community Foundation’s Speaker Series event featuring Don Marinelli in March.
Photo Backstory: Utica’s thINCubator hosted The Community Foundation’s first Impact Opportunity Challenge finals, and Smith Market’s Luciann Gould and Christopher Tillotson received a ceremonial check at the August event.
CO L L E C T I V E I M PAC T Collective Impact is The Community Foundation’s commitment to bring together and lead community partners to solve complex social problems. Earlier this year, The Community Foundation brokered an agreement to sustain services provided by the financially challenged Boys & Girls Club of Utica to hundreds of young people, bringing the Club under the administrative oversight of The House of the Good Shepherd. A longtime supporter and funder of the Club and its services, The Community Foundation acted as a neutral broker to join the two organizations. Under this Collective Impact initiative, The Community Foundation will provide transitional funding to The House as it works to stabilize and enhance the Boys & Girls Club’s programs.
Photo Backstory: Located on the grounds of the Utica Public Library, the Thea Bowman House Children’s Garden provides opportunities for kids to learn valuable lessons, from horticulture to nutrition.
CO M M U N I T Y I M PAC T Perhaps The Community Foundation is best known as a grantmaker, providing much needed resources and support to nonprofits in Herkimer and Oneida counties. With weeks remaining in the year, The Community Foundation has already surpassed its 2015 grant investments. More than 415 grants have been awarded in 2016, totaling more than $5 million. Of these awards, nearly 170 were donor-advised grants equaling $1 million. The figures alone, although impressive, can’t demonstrate the true impact of these grants in our community. The full impact can only been seen in the faces of those who benefit from these investments.
Photo Backstory: Mother Marianne’s Westside Kitchen in Utica provides welcome help for those in need, serving thousands of meals each year.
INVEST IN IMPACT. INVEST IN THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. Your investment in The Community Foundation will build on the exciting work already underway. Together, we can make our community even better.
M ake a gif t o n l i n e at w w w. fo un d at i o n h o c.org.
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