Celebrating 100 Years of Philanthropy
By Clementina Verge
A current exhibit at Mattatuck Museum goes beyond highlighting art. Images and stories showcase a century of generosity that has strengthened the Litchfield Hills and Greater Waterbury area by advancing equity in education, addressing healthcare disparities, and expanding pathways to a thriving and more inclusive economy.
On display through January, Timeless Impact: 100 Years of Embracing the Power of Community encapsulates the Connecticut Community Foundation’s history.
”We have a long legacy of profound local impact, through grants, scholarships, philanthropic services, and other on-the-ground work with many partners, and we have spent nearly a century learning, evolving, and transforming to meet the changing needs of the region we serve,” notes Julie Loughran, president and CEO.
In 1923, seven Waterbury leaders created the first community foundation in Connecticut, and one of the first in the country.
Recognizing that the area’s unique mix of people, industries, and social and political systems prompted challenges that required local leadership, resources, and solutions, they established the Waterbury Foundation to be “permanent, responsive, and flexible enough to meet the community’s needs as they changed over time.”
Since then, the organization—renamed Connecticut Community Foundation in the early
2000s—expanded its scope to serve 21 towns in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills.
Today, the foundation manages an endowment of approximately $150 million and distributes more than $6 million in grants and $1 million in scholarships each year.
From assisting older adults with home repairs to benefiting literacy outreach, after school programs, and numerous land trusts—including Litchfield, Goshen, Steep Rock Association, and Roxbury—the foundation has distributed 463 grants exceeding $1,750,000 to Litchfield County-based nonprofits in the past decade.
More than 100 beneficiaries include Friends of the Litchfield Community Greenway, Litchfield Community Center, Northwest Connecticut Arts Council, FISH in Torrington, and Judea Garden in Washington.
Grants for Susan B. Anthony Project have supported its Rebuilding Lives program, providing crisis and support services to domestic violence and sexual assault victims, while grants for Connecticut Junior Republic have funded care, treatment, education and family support for at-risk youth and youth with special needs.
Intent on making the greatest impact, the foundation is resolute in reducing disparities within the region and creating “an equitable, inclusive, just, and vibrant community where all residents have what they need to thrive,” states Loughran.
The success is credited to area donors and volunteers on whom the foundation depends.
More than 600 local individuals, families, and businesses—many from Litchfield County—have established charitable funds over the past 100 years, Loughran notes.
“We work closely and flexibly with donors to craft plans that reflect their values, philanthropic priorities, and financial circumstances to help make their philanthropic visions for the community a reality,” she explains.
In addition to donor-established funds, broader-based giving includes the annual 36-hour online Give Local campaign.
“Since the campaign began in 2013, more than 170 Litchfield County organizations have received more than $6.9 million through Give Local to support their important local efforts,” Loughran notes. “This underscores the very strong sense of community philanthropy in Litchfield County.” —conncf.org
