Download this story and the full 2022 Fall Newsletter here.

WCF Board members Anthony Bailey
and Marjorie Hsu, and NYCT President Amy Freitag, listen as a representative of the Westchester Land Trust describes plans to establish plant habitat at Greenwood Lake.

Community foundations exist to help individuals like you give back to their neighbors At the Westchester Community Foundation, we work with generous donors to support the causes they care about. Our staff and Advisory Board work for our neighbors in every corner of Westchester County. We are pleased to report that in 2021 the Foundation distributed $7.7 million, of which $3.3 million were grants from permanent funds to support local nonprofits, and $4.4 million from donor-advised, designated, and scholarship funds. In addition, the Foundation’s permanent funds have grown by 30 percent in the past two years. Through the legacy of permanent funds, we will expand our support to local nonprofits improving the quality of life for all in Westchester.

An Equitable Recovery This newsletter’s theme – “At work for you” – reflects our ongoing commitment to creating opportunity for all. The stories in this newsletter are a sample of how permanent funds are put to work to address both immediate and long-term needs. Schoolchildren and their families in Ossining and Peekskill are receiving support to recover from loss, grief, and trauma as a result of the pandemic; young people involved in the criminal justice system are getting a second chance; technology assistance for individuals – and nonprofits – is bridging the digital divide; and workforce trainers are creating a stronger network of programs. We also report on how a memorial scholarship fund brought the legacy of a local leader to life for college-bound students.

The Westchester Index The Foundation is committed to providing accurate information about our local communities to nonprofits, funders, government, and donors. That is why The Westchester Index, a free interactive website that provides data on racial disparities at the county and local level, was launched this spring. It is designed to show where disparities exist, where we are improving, and to help the county develop better strategies to achieve racial equity. Explore the Index at westchesterindex.org.

Our Board at work – for you This summer was a busy one for our Board of Advisors. As life returned to normal, staff and Board have been meeting in person with grantees. A summer tour of New Rochelle explored the city’s downtown development, open space preservation, and its use of murals to make a statement about the city’s diversity and the power of the arts to build community. We were pleased to be joined by Amy Freitag, the new President of The New York Community Trust.

The Board and staff of the Foundation continue our work on behalf of Westchester and welcome your ideas for how we can improve our quality of life through philanthropy. Whatever your passion is, or where you are in your journey of charitable giving, we are here to help you.