A reflection on the past six months
Time has taken on a surreal feeling.
Thinking back to March when the emergency order was first declared, and we were all asked to stay home, feels like ages ago now. Yet I clearly remember the intensity of activity and virtual discussions as we all scrambled to transition to work at home and respond to ever changing realities and community needs.
Now that we are into September and planning for the months ahead (for the 'new normal posture' as I recently heard it described) it feels like we have been dealing with COVID-19 forever. I thought this would be a good time to reflect on the Foundation's journey over the last six months and provide a glimpse of where we are going.
The Foundation's mission is "to strengthen our community by connecting the generosity of donors with the energy and ideas of people and charities addressing local community needs". The key concepts being serving as a connector to link resources to community needs. To do so effectively during a time of incredible uncertainty required a lot of conversations and even more listening. Probably about half my time in the first few months was on calls hearing concerns and asking questions to understand where the emerging needs were and how they were being met. While the frequency of such calls has reduced, I'm glad to say that the discussions and sharing of ideas and information continues.
Early on, I found myself advising a lot of donors (and our Board) eager to help to just "hold tight", as from what I was hearing most of the charities were doing relatively okay at that time , but much uncertainty remained about the future. When there were immediate needs identified, community donors and the United Way's COVID-19 Response Fund were doing an amazing job of filling the gaps. My concern was for the months ahead when the immediate flow of resources dried up. I wanted to be prepared and keep our resources available so that we had funds to grant over the coming months when needs were a little more certain.
I admit that sometimes I felt uncomfortable giving this advice - wondering if it was the right move. But reflecting back now, I'm confident that it was indeed a good decision. Each of the grants we issued since the pandemic hit has been very thoughtful and strategic, and responded to a clear need.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have granted over $540,000 to 37 local charities to help with their response efforts. See article below for details of our COVID-related granting.
And the great news is we still have significant resources to grant this Fall - over $300,000.
(See details below on our Fall Community Grants Program - application deadline September 15).
Lessons Learned & What's Ahead
These last six months have demonstrated more than ever the truth of one of our guiding principles that "together is better". It has shown us that the Community Foundation - together with our donors, volunteers, and charitable partners - can rise to the challenges our community is facing.
We have seen the power of organizations coordinating and collaborating. We are reinforcing and encouraging this by naming partnerships as one of our granting priorities this year (see article below). Similarly, we will be looking to see how applicants address equity, diversity, and inclusion in their proposed projects/programs.
We have strengthened existing partnerships and created new ones. We have had meaningful conversations with existing donors about how they can help. We have had the opportunity to connect with new donors wanting to provide support now as well as work with us to plan future legacy gifts.
What can you expect from us in the coming months?
- Our grant review process will take place over the next two months, with funding announcements to be made early November.
- We will continue to be here to listen and respond to community needs as best we can.
- We are resuming our work on ACEs: helping to convene and support efforts to develop a community strategy to mitigate the impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences and build community resiliency.
- We are identifying concrete ways we as an organization can become more equitable, diverse, and inclusive: to better reflect the community we serve.
The Community Foundation for Kingston & Areas has been here supporting community well-being for 25 years, and we will continue to be here to support local charities and the people and causes they serve during these challenging times - and beyond.
While many uncertainties remain as we continue to navigate the realities of COVID-19, I am strengthened by the clarity of the work of the Foundation and why we are here: For Good. For Ever. For All.
