Since inception, The Westchester Community Foundation has operated as an affiliate of The New York Community Trust.
As part of our centennial celebrations, we are creating a single, unified organization to more powerfully advocate for our region with one voice.
We will still maintain our physical offices in Westchester with the same dedicated staff who will continue to honor and build upon our relationships with local nonprofits and communities.
You can now find us at: https://www.thenytrust.org/westchester/
The Westchester Index is at westchesterindex.org.
The New York Community Trust. For Westchester. Forever.
More than 45 years ago, local leaders who were committed to making the county a better place for all created the Westchester Community Foundation. Today, to work toward that goal, donor-advisors direct $4 million in grants each year. With the help of legacy gifts that have grown through The New York Community Trust’s sound fiscal management, the Foundation distributes an additional $2.1 million annually in grants to local nonprofits and $234,000 in scholarships to Westchester students. With keen guidance from a volunteer Board of Advisors, the Foundation keeps our community informed about emerging issues that need concerted action, such as the unmet needs of older LGBTQ+ residents and improving our regional workforce system by finding ways to connect employers and jobseekers.
This year the Foundation moved quickly to address the coronavirus pandemic. In response to an appeal, the community contributed more than $2 million to our Westchester COVID-19 Response Fund. With our depth of knowledge of local nonprofits, we worked with the philanthropic community to direct emergency funds, in the form of grants, while developing responses to the long-term needs of the community.
The pandemic, recession, and increasingly adverse effects of climate change make it clear that it is our collective responsibility to ensure a future that is just, equitable, and sustainable for all. Our community’s courage and commitment to these values shines through the stories in this newsletter.
What do you care about? Is it education, social justice, racial equity, environmental protection, or some other issue? Each year, more of you decide to work with the Foundation to align your philanthropic goals with your desire to strengthen our community. Whatever your passion, we are here to help you make a difference.
