Our Community Investment Strategy

Individual designations to specific organizations ($291,119) and fields of service ($72,000) added to funds distributed. We also continued our support for United Way 2-1-1 ($24,000) and volunteerSolutions.org ($3,000). And we thank UW Tri-State for a final grant ($66,000) for the Norwalk Healthy Families Collaborative

In 2006-2007, we continued on our course to improve lives in Norwalk and Wilton through our three-part Community Investment Strategy. Volunteer committees working throughout the year invested their time and talent to guide the progress of Community Impact Initiatives, evaluate Community Response Grant requests, and review applications for Basic & Prevention Services funds, our “safety net” support for partner agencies.

A total of $775,000 was invested to address needs in our communities relating to helping children succeed, improving the lives of older adults, promoting healthy youth development, encouraging health and wellness, building strong neighborhoods, and meeting basic needs.

Community Impact Initiatives $155,000

Funds support strategic partnerships and multi-year efforts focused on:

• Preparing Norwalk’s children to enter kindergarten ready to learn
• Promoting healthy youth development in Wilton
• Improving the lives of older adults
• Increasing the pipeline of affordable housing units in Fairfield County
  

Community Response Programs $116,250

Community Response Program Grants were awarded four times this year to respond quickly to emerging or unanticipated needs or to help with the start-up/expansion of a
program that brought a new, creative solution to an issue in the community.

In 2006/2007 over 20 grants were awarded. Two examples include: STAR, Inc. Lighting the Way received a grant to help with the replacement of a commercial dishwasher critical for the continued success of their Food Services Training Program. The Wilton Family Y received support for Mighty Me, a new program for preschools in Wilton to instill good healthy habits to prevent obesity.

Basic & Prevention Services $503,750

Our basic and prevention services strategy continued to partner with and invest in roughly 40 health and human services organizations. Our partnership with these organizations included funding so they can provide services at little or no cost to those unable to pay. Many are also partners in our community impact work. Some also take advantage of support for new programs or emergencies through our Community Response Program Grants

• For more details see our Report to Contributors.
• Examples of how our work to help identify and solve problems is starting to deliver positive results.