Lehigh Valley Community Foundation

TO DISTRIBUTE PHILANTHROPIC DONATIONS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR LEHIGH VALLEY RESIDENTS

DURING FISCAL YEAR 2022, THE FOUNDATION MADE 762 GRANTS TOTALING OVER $6.8 MILLION. OVER 375 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVED GRANTS TO MEET A WIDE RANGE OF NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY. SEE CONTINUATION ON SCHEDULE OTHE FOUNDATION FORMALLY LAUNCHED ITS MORE PERMANENT GRANTMAKING PLATFORM WHICH PROVIDES SUPPORT IN THREE FOCUS AREAS (CAPACITY BUILDING, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, AND ART, CULTURE AND CREATIVE ECONOMY) AND INCORPORATES COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP. COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP IS DEFINED AS BEING A COMMUNITY PARTNER THAT CREATES A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL BY PURSUING THE COMMUNITY'S GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES AND ADDRESSING THE MOST CRITICAL CHALLENGES, INCLUSIVELY UNITING PEOPLE, INSTITUTIONS, AND RESOURCES FROM THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, AND PRODUCING SIGNIFICANT, WIDELY SHARED AND LASTING RESULTS. IN THE AREA OF CAPACITY BUILDING, THE FOUNDATION'S NONPROFIT EFFECTIVENESS PROGRAM CONTINUED TO BE A COMMUNITY-LEADING EFFORT AIMED AT NONPROFIT SUSTAINABILITY. IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, LVCF PROVIDED $164,000 OF UNRESTRICTED GRANTS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. STAFF AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPANTS WORKED DILIGENTLY TO FIND BEST APPROACHES TO STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITY'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SO THEY CAN PROSPER AND BE IMPACTFUL FOR YEARS TO COME. IN WORKING WITH SEVERAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO GAUGE AND IMPROVE EFFECTIVENESS WAS USED, AND THE FOUNDATION PROVIDED FINANCIAL AND INTELLECTUAL SUPPORT FOR THOSE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. THIRD PARTY CONSULTANTS WERE ENGAGED TO PROVIDE EXPERTISE IN KEY AREAS OF EFFECTIVENESS AND THE FOUNDATION HOSTED SEVERAL COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE EVENTS AND FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS.IN THE AREA OF YOUTH AND FAMILIES, THE FOUNDATION GRANTED MORE THAN $185,000 GENERAL OPERATING GRANTS TO AREA NON-PROFITS SERVING THESE GROUPS. THIS FLEXIBLE FUNDING PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT PRIORITIZE EITHER MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS IN YOUNG PEOPLE OR FOCUS ON YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT.THE FOUNDATION WAS NAMED AS A REGIONAL PARTNER AGENCY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA COUNCIL ON THE ARTS (PCA) TO DISTRIBUTE GRANT AWARDS FOR PROJECTS OR PROGRAMS INVOLVING ARTISTS THROUGHOUT CARBON, MONROE, LEHIGH AND NORTHAMPTON COUNTIES. THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP, THE FOUNDATION WILL ASSIST THE PCA WITH ITS GOAL TO PROMOTE EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR ALL PENNSYLVANIANS TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN A CREATIVE LIFE AND IN THE DIVERSE FORMS OF ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE COMMONWEALTH. IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, THE FOUNDATION MADE $78,000 OF PROGRAM STREAM GRANTS TO 26 ORGANIZATIONS AND $62,000 OF GRANTS TO 31 SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES THROUGH THE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR ACCELERATOR PROGRAM.IN ADDITION TO FOUNDATION-DIRECTED GRANTMAKING AND COMMUNITY EFFORTS, THE FOUNDATION OFFERS A VARIETY OF PHILANTHROPIC GIVING OPPORTUNITIES TO MULTIPLE TYPES OF DONORS AND MAKES GRANTS TO A WIDE VARIETY OF CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. IN ORDER TO CONNECT DONORS WITH CAUSES THAT MATTER TO THEM, THE FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO PROMOTE COLLABORATION IN THE COMMUNITY AND TO SERVE AS A CENTER OF EXPERTISE REGARDING CHARITABLE GIVING AND COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE. THE FOUNDATION'S COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE IS CONTINUALLY ENHANCED THROUGH SEVERAL ONGOING EFFORTS. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDE: MEETINGS WITH LEADERSHIP OF CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP GATHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE VARIETY AND QUALITY OF CHARITABLE CAUSES AND NEEDS ACROSS THE REGION; PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY INITIATIVES; HOSTING EVENTS AND CONVENING COMMUNITY-WIDE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT PHILANTHROPY AND CROSS-SECTOR INFORMATION GATHERING; AND WORKING WITH AREA GRANTMAKING ORGANIZATIONS TO ASSESS COMMUNITY NEEDS AND DEVELOP WAYS TO WORK COLLEGIALLY AS GRANTMAKERS IN THE COMMUNITY.