Hi there!, warm wishes for the Holiday Season!!

Philanthropy Magnified - monthly impact report

2023 | December Issue - Holiday Greetings!

Happy Holidays!

Sending Gratitude, Joy, & Renewal to you and yours this Holiday Season!

From All of Us,

Gloria Coicou, Chief Equity and Community Engagement Officer

George Ferrari, Chief Executive Officer

Madeline Rosas, Administrative Manager

Amy LeViere, Chief Philanthropic Services and Systems Officer

tNancy Massicci, Chief Development Officer

Molly Spackman, Administrative Assistant

Grant Cycle Review Team Recap

So, who reviewed grant applications? Your employees, your colleagues, your neighbors, and your peers reviewed your application through an extensive and comprehensive grant review process. See a complete list of team members HERE.

We’ve enabled our community to participate in the planning and decision-making process of our grant cycle, and we are proud of this. This Fall, we had 41 team members who represent a diverse cross section of our community, bringing a range of skills, experience, and expertise to this grant process. Our goal was to find members who truly represent the community we serve, the community we love.

Review team members have the unique opportunity to deepen their understanding of community needs through reading and scoring grant applications. They are trained and guided through equitable and fair ways to review and score applications using a scoring rubric. Our teams get to connect and engage with applicants and with each other. Cycle after cycle, we are amazed by the dedication and passion of our review team members and the rich discussions that come out of the meetings.

Here is what newest Board Member, Jonathan Culler, had to say, “Serving on grant committees for the Community Foundation revealed to me wonderful local organizations I had not know about and which are doing incredibly valuable work here in the community. It is a privilege to be able to help the Community Foundation fund their applications.”

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE LIBRARY, SPRING, AND FALL GRANT CYCLES FOR 2024!

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Grantee Spotlight

CAYUGA TRAILS CLUB

The Cayuga Trails Club (CTC) is a non-profit, 501(C)(3) volunteer organization, founded in 1962 "To encourage appreciation of nature through hiking, outdoor recreation, and the stewardship and conservation of foot trails.”

2022 Report from CTC:

"This past year CTC has implemented most of its programs as expected. This is the second summer of the CTC/GIAC Outdoor Adventures Program partnership. We learned a lot last year about some of the challenging logistics involved (scheduling transportation, communication with the parents of summer campers, etc) and have used that to improve the program for summer 2023.

Perhaps the biggest change is that we were able to schedule kayak/canoe activities for 2023, something that was too complicated for our first summer. We continue to evaluate each Outdoor Adventure, as well as the program, to see how they can be improved in summer 2024 and beyond...We greatly appreciate the time and effort of the Fund's advisors in thoughtfully reviewing grant applications.”

2023 Holiday Hours

2023 Holiday Hours (our office is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, other days virtually, with the following exceptions):

Friday, December 22, Limited Hours
Monday, December 25, Tuesday, December 26 Closed
Wednesday, December 27 through Friday, December 29, Limited Hours
Monday, January 1, 2024 Closed
Tuesday, January 2, 2024 Resuming Regular Hours

Only Select Staff Available during limited hours. Please call ahead 607.272.9333 or email gferrari@cftompkins.org for appointments typically available from 10am-2pm.

Gift Deadlines

We are continuously inspired by the dedication and generosity of donors who answer the call to give again and again. Each of you as a donor makes a significant impact every time you decide to make a gift to us, addressing a variety of needs and enhancing our community's quality of life. Last year, thanks to the support of donors like you, we were able to deliver 713 grants totaling more than $2,686,000. Community Foundation's grants, programs, and services depend on the generosity of individuals like you.

Gifts delivered by US Mail must be postmarked by December 31, 2023 in order to receive a 2023 gift date. Hand delivered gifts must be received in person in our office by 2 pm on Friday, December 29, 2023 in order to receive a 2023 gift date.

Gifts made by credit card, Stock or IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), crypto or something else?

CLICK HERE to learn more

Resilient Communities

Fall Grant Cycle

$307,477 was awarded in 123 grants to 58 organizations

This cycle provided unrestricted support to organizations meeting community needs. The Fall Grant Cycle makes grants from the Community Foundation’s Tompkins, Today, and Tomorrow Fund and our Community Impact Fund as well as varied donor advised and field of interest funds.

12 Donor Advised Funds made 71 grants totaling $114,650. Additionally, our Field-of-Interest funds awarded $49,154!

Learn more about our cycle and see list of grantees HERE

November 12-18 was Community Foundation Week!

What a week of celebration and engagement! Community Foundation Week is a dedicated period of education designed to inform and engage our community in our mission, processes, and impact.

Throughout the week, we hosted a variety of online and in-person activities aimed at enhancing your understanding of our work. Below are a few highlights.

We had the unique opportunity to capture diverse perspectives and strategies for community engagement, from five community foundations, to educate, co-learn, and co-discover together. See video HERE!

As a staff, joined by a community member, we were able to volunteer at the Share the Warmth event at Catholic Charities. We connected and engaged with Catholic Charities staff and community members who came in for warm winter gear! There were smiles all around.

We visited with The Learning Web. We were taken on a tour of their new facility and learned about their fascinating programs and heard stories about the resilient children they serve.

Let's Talk on January 9th

Capacity Building Solutions with Shasta Savage, HSC

INTERESTED IN CAPACITY BUILDING?

Through collective cooperation and investment from the region’s foundations and funders, along with the participation of trusted consultant partners, The Human Services Coalition (HSC) introduces the new IMPACT Network (IMPACT). Join us to learn more about IMPACT with Shasta Savage, Director of Leadership Development and Consulting Services to see how IMPACT Network can benefit your organization.

Missed our November Let's Talk: Cultivating Community Engagement?

Watch the video HERE

Interested in our 2024 Grant Cycles?

Check out application deadline information HERE

Site Visits!

Site visits are a chance to connect with the people who are doing great work and recognize and acknowledge their needs and successes. It’s also a chance to see firsthand the staff’s enthusiasm for their mission, their commitment to it, and their hopes for the future. Site visits should educate and engage not report and repeat.

Foundations have few opportunities to come face-to-face with our grantees, so when we do, we want to make it count. Our goal is to engage, connect, and listen with intent during our visits. Please join us!

Our scheduled site visits are:

January 19 at 1:00pm – Black Hands Universal
February 12 at 1:30pm – Ithaca Community Radio
March 8 at 12:00pm – Sciencenter

Learn More & Register HERE

Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Youth Orchestra

Join our donor advisor, review team member, and friend, Dave Kraskow, in a fundraiser to raise money for the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Youth Orchestra's 2024 Italy trip!

Click the link HERE to learn more!

~~NEW IN 2024~~

"A NEW ASSESSMENT TO HELP STABILIZE REVENUE starts in January - fund advisors may re-allocate monies to our discretionary grants annually. The purpose is to have more flexible dollars addressing demands due to increasing needs.

“Most of the giving is local, from the community to the community. A community foundation knows what the community needs and what are the priorities. Giving through the Community Foundation of Tompkins Country is a great way of connecting with and expressing your philanthropy. In my involvement with the foundation - as an observer and a donor-advisor, I can confidently advocate for the professionalism, effectiveness, and humanity of the staff and board of the Foundation." Dan Mansoor, donor advisor

This engagement opportunity was the idea of a long-time fund advisor. We are excited to think of the possibilities and so, if you are a Fund Advisor, please opt-in to enhance the Community Grants Initiative that begins in 2024. It is designed to grow revenue that will directly support Tompkins Today and Tomorrow Fund grants.

The board controls distribution of these funds as informed by the Community Engagement Committee and grant review panels managed by Gloria Coicou.

Fund advisors, you can decline to participate in this opportunity by opting out on an annual basis. Please contact Amy LeViere, aleviere@cftompkins.org, with questions."

WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT?

> Let's Talk: Capacity Building Solutions with Shasta Savage, HSC Jan. 9th at 12pm EST HERE

> Site Visit: Black Hands Universal Jan. 19th at 1pm EST HERE

> Stay tuned for the Door Opener Award Announcement in January

Community Foundation of Tompkins County

www.cftompkins.org