June 2023

Friends,

It is high school graduation season, and we are wrapping up decisions on the 400+ scholarships that will be awarded to college bound seniors in July. Research repeatedly demonstrates that there are few things more influential on future life satisfaction and well being than a college education. It is wonderful to think of the lives that are so positively impacted by this work and, since many of those students are attending college in greater Worcester, how our community will be made stronger by these bright young minds building their lives here. My thanks to the hard-working staff and volunteers who review applications and work to align students in need with available funding.

We are fully in transition mode now. We are preparing to move our offices to 1 Mercantile Street later this summer, and our new permanent CEO, Pete Dunn arrives August 1. We are conversing with Pete several times per week now, so he will be as up to speed on both the workings of the Foundation and the community as possible when he starts. The future of the Foundation is very bright!

Have a wonderful summer!

Tim Johnstone

Interim President & CEO

Welcome Heather Smith

Please join us in welcoming Heather Smith to the GWCF team! Heather has joined us as our new Events and Office Manager.

Coming from New Mexico originally, Heather has been a Worcester resident for eight years, and brings extensive event coordination expertise and a strong administrative background to the Foundation. Her background has already proved invaluable to our work and as we've prepared to move to our new office space.

Grantmaking

Congratulations to our latest competitive grantees!

The Leicester Savings Bank Fund celebrated over $1M in total grantmaking in 2023 - it’s 25th year. More than $42,000 was awarded to 17 organizations which improve the strength and vibrancy of the Leicester community.

See the full list of The Leicester Savings Bank grantees HERE

The 2023 Creative Intersections Grant Program awarded nearly $250,000 to 19 organizations in support of ideas that leverage the arts as a catalyst to respond to human need in a way that is authentic, inclusive and equitable. This unique fund supports projects which combine non-arts sector programming with organizations and artists to create pathways for collaboration.

See the full list of The 2023 Creative Intersections grantees HERE

The Worcester County Food Bank Fund to End Hunger was established in 2011 to support local nonprofit organizations working toward a shared vision of a hunger-free Worcester County. This year, the fund distributed a total of $100,000 to 26 organizations, most of which were made up of <$5,000 grants.

See the full list of The Worcester County Food Bank Fund to End Hunger grantees HERE

Congratulations to Our 2023 Scholarship Recipients!

The Foundation is pleased to announce that we have awarded a total of $760,000 to over 400 outstanding students for its 2023 scholarship season. Thanks to the generosity of people in our community, our scholarship program continues to grow each year and is able to help more students realize their dreams of attaining a college degree.

Learn more about our scholarship program

Grant News and Announcements:

Community Grants:

Operating Support Grant Cycle Now Open:

The Foundation is accepting applications for our annual unrestricted operating support grant cycle through August 11. We seek to support strong nonprofit organizations with missions highly aligned to one of our four strategic focus areas. We encourage all prospective applicants to review our website for updates and changes to this grant program and to be in touch with a member of the program team with any questions.

For more information on GWCF grant opportunities, click here

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Stay tuned for what's to come at the Foundation, from upcoming grant opportunities to workshops, and more. Together, we are building a stronger, more equitable Central Massachusetts.

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Greater Worcester Community Foundation

508-755-0980 | donorservices@greaterworcester.org | greaterworcester.org