Message from Our President & CEO
In 2023, our twentieth year, our organization experienced a transformative period characterized by a series of new beginnings. From the integration of fresh faces and innovative processes to the establishment of new partnerships, this year was marked by significant growth and evolution. As we reflect on these milestones and look ahead to the future, we are delighted to share our highlights of this past year in our annual Report to the Community.
2023 was a year of newness – new people, new processes, and new partnerships, including:
- New tools to formalize emergent and growing work – including new internal grant review processes, tools to capture support beyond the grant (and without a grant) FCH staff provide, and tools to more seamlessly manage, maintain, and organize the big and small tasks that rely on all members of our team.
- New community members – we welcomed two new board members, one new staff member, and five new grantee partners.
- New policies and programs – based on feedback from our grantee partners, we partnered with Fio Partners to develop a Community of Practice for Nonprofit Leaders, offered 1:1 leadership support to Executive Directors of organizations with grant funding through our Capacity Building Grant Program, and drafted a policy to inform future place-based investments of the foundation.
- A new website to improve our communications and continue to build trust through transparency and accountability.
In 2024, we commit to identifying when and how FCH should use its voice to advance policies that support better health for all those who live in our 17-town region. Additionally, we’re committed to enhancing transparency in our operations, openly acknowledging our successes and failures, and furthering learning between and amongst our grantee partners. Thank you for joining us on this journey!
Streamlining Processes to Support Nonprofits Mission
Nonprofits spend an inordinate amount of time on funder-driven applications and reports, which can distract them from their mission-critical work. In fact, the Center for Effective Philanthropy estimates that for each grant received nonprofits can spend up to 8 hours per year, per grant, on reporting. As a foundation that believes that the health and stability of the nonprofits that serve our region is key to improving the health for the over 52,000 people who call our region home, we knew that streamlining our processes could not only foster meaningful relationships and learning, but also support organizations’ ability to fulfill their mission – a key objective of our strategic framework.
Since 2018 we’ve continually made changes to our reporting processes with this in mind and in 2021, we transitioned almost all written reports to verbal reports. These changes are working, our grantee partners have given high marks to the changes and overall report that our requirements feel relevant to their work.
“FCH has done a wonderful job of streamlining the application and reporting processes; both are quick and easy. The administrative burden of grants from FCH has been reduced significantly in comparison with that of grants from other sources. And, more importantly, communication with FCH around questions re: grant applications and reports is quick, easy, and kind. It is clear that there are humans on the other side of the grant platform.”
FCH Grantee Partner, 2023 Grantee Perception Survey
“[The FCH team] are kind, understanding, and incredibly smart, and so our funding relationship feels more like a problem-solving, proactive partnership than a performative imbalance of power.”
FCH Grantee Partner, 2023 Grantee Perception Survey
GRANTEE PARTNER HIGHLIGHTS
17 grantee partners served Connecticut residents
10 grantee partners served New York residents
3 grantee partners served Connecticut and New York residents
5 out of 30 organizations we funded in 2023 were first-time grantee partners of FCH
12 grantee partners received funding through our Capacity Building Grant Program. This is a responsive grant program FCH launched in 2021 to support organizational health and resiliency.
GRANTS
Over $1.6M went to 30 nonprofit organizations in our rural region. Of our total grantmaking $650K was granted to Community Health & Wellness in support of the new regional health care center in North Canaan, Connecticut.
Please note, our Report to the Community is based on unaudited financial information. Grants include those made from Donor Advised Funds held by Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation and the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley.
Providing Support Beyond Direct Grants
In 2023, FCH helped its grantee partners secure $1.9M in additional grant funding. This included grants that were specifically earmarked for grantees to work with grant writers, as well as making connections, and facilitating joint efforts with other funders to secure additional funding for initiatives in our region.
STORIES FROM OUR REGION
Going Beyond Grants for Children’s Oral Health
Tooth decay remains one of the most prevalent chronic childhood diseases in the United States, with 1 in 5 children ages 5 to 11 experiencing at least one untreated cavity. While dental disease is largely preventable through proper care and education, many children face obstacles in accessing preventive oral health services. Lack of dental insurance, difficulty finding providers who accept Medicaid, and limited awareness about the importance of oral health all contribute to these barriers. Our own 17-town region reflects these national challenges, with the prevalence of untreated cavities exceeding national statistics.
At FCH, we have long partnered with Brooker Memorial to tackle this issue head-on through a school-based oral health program. Serving the Region 1 School District, this innovative program brings preventive dental care directly to students. In 2019, we supported Brooker Memorial’s efforts to expand the program to Norfolk’s Botelle Elementary School, extending its reach and impact.
Our commitment, however, goes beyond just grant funding. In 2023, when Brooker Memorial requested additional support to replace aging examination equipment vital to student screenings, we recognized an opportunity to provide “support beyond the grant.” Unable to directly fund the request ourselves, we leveraged our network of partner foundations, ultimately securing a grant from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, which enabled Brooker Memorial’s purchase of a new examination chair and light.
This collaboration exemplifies our foundation’s holistic approach – we don’t just fund initiatives but actively work to address our grantees’ evolving needs, facilitating connections and resource sharing to drive lasting community impact.
Photo by Anne Day.
Debra Ravlin, RDH picture above, is the hygienist for the school-based oral health program in Region One and at Botelle Elementary School. On average, over 300 students each school year receive preventative oral health services through Brooker’s school-based oral health program in northwest Connecticut.
Partnering for Progress: Lessons from FCH’s Capacity Grant Program
Funds for capacity building can be transformational for a nonprofit, enabling an organization to shore up internal systems, increase financial stability, or sharpen skills to improve its work. In the fall of 2021, FCH launched its Capacity Building Grant Program, a responsive grant program that solicits proposals twice a year from nonprofits and fiscally sponsored initiatives.
To date, we’ve awarded over $423,070 through this program to twenty-one organizations. Who has benefited from this program? Most organizations with grants through this program are small organizations with annual operating budgets under $500,000, in fact, in the program’s three-year history 15 organizations at the time of their award were an organization of this size. To be eligible for funding, organizations need to have missions aimed at addressing the social determinants of health and serve at least one town in our rural region.
We’ve learned a great deal about what organizations need to be more resilient and heard firsthand from our grantee partners stories about changes they’re making to reach more community members, train staff, or change organizational culture to improve outcomes. While every organization is unique, overall, we’ve found that organizations, regardless of their size or challenges are eager to improve the way they operate and leaders, when given flexible funds, will allocate those funds toward the parts of their organization that have the most need.
Notably, 42% of program participants have focused on enhancing their logistics, such as technology, space, or food. This is significant because adequate logistics support allows nonprofit staff to devote more attention to program quality, reducing the stress logistical challenges can create.
Cultivating Collective Wisdom: FCH’s Nonprofit Community of Practice
At FCH, we firmly believe in the power of collective wisdom and shared learning to drive lasting change. In 2023, in collaboration with Connecticut-based consulting firm Fio Partners, we launched our Nonprofit Community of Practice (CoP). Through the CoP, nonprofit leaders are provided with the tools and insights they need to navigate challenges and create viable solutions for their organization.
Coming together to celebrate 20 years, Nancy L. Heaton, President & CEO, Foundation for Community Health with FCH’s current and former Board Chairs. Left to right pictured: Mimi Tannen, Rob Kuhbach, Nancy L. Heaton, Dr. John Charde, Nancy Murphy, and Tom Quinn. Absent from this photo, former Board Chair, Katie Palmer-House.
Photo by Sarah Kenyon.
Celebrating 20 years of local impact
In 2023, we celebrated a significant milestone as we marked 20 years of service to the 17-town region our foundation serves. This milestone provided an opportunity for us to look back on the highlights of our journey and the impactful initiatives we have undertaken to improve community health. To celebrate, we hosted a gathering in November 2023 of past and present board members and long-time grantee partners – we told stories about the early days, reflected on our challenges, and shared what we’ve learned since adopting our strategic framework.
Inside FCH
Financials
* FCH receives annual distribution from two externally held trusts.
** FCH has two donor advised funds held by the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley and Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation.
***Grants awarded include $811,000 (2023) and $146,960 (2022) in grants made from FCH Owned Assets and Donor Advised Funds.
Making Extraordinary Grants
Late 2023, FCH recommended grants from two Donor Advised Funds, held by the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation and Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, to support the regional health center in North Canaan. Totaling $650,000 these grants put us well above our annual grant budget for the year and as such are considered ‘extraordinary’. This flexibility is intentional – FCH’s policies enable the foundation to approve grants outside of our annual spending plan when significant opportunities arise for our community. Over our 20-year history we’ve awarded nearly $7M in extraordinary grants.
BOARD AND STAFF
Our small and nimble team cares deeply about our region and endeavors to be adaptive to its needs. Our board members live and/or work in the rural 17-town region FCH serves.
Board of Directors
Mimi Tannen, Chair
Thomas Quinn, Treasurer
Karren Garrity, Vice-Chair
Ceely Ackerman, Secretary
Christian Allyn
Katty Brennan
Dr. John Charde
Jill Feldstein
Peter Halle
Felicia Jones
Dr. Zach McClain
Hila Richardson
Rev. AJ Stack
Dr. Mustafa Ugurlu
Jane Waters
Staff
Sarah Allyn, Program Lead
Cathy Glasner, Operations Lead
Nancy Heaton, President & Chief Executive Officer
Natashea Winters, Director of Programs & Learning
About this Report
At FCH, we uphold transparency and accountability by publishing our Report to the Community to share our activities, financial performance, and stories from our region. By providing detailed insights into our work and impact, we aim to foster trust, invite feedback, and demonstrate our commitment to our mission. We encourage you to explore this report and our previous annual reports to understand our work, progress, and how we allocate resources for positive change.
Photos by Sarah Kenyon.
FCH would like to thank Felicia Jones, Mimi Tannen, Dr. Mustafa Ugurlu, and Jane Waters for their service on our Board of Directors. Collectively Felicia, Mimi, Mustafa, and Jane served FCH’s Board of Directors for 34 years.