In January 2008, the Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation and the Fairfield County Community Foundation merged. Today, our assets approach $150 million.
The Fairfield County Community Foundation promotes the growth of effective philanthropy to strengthen the communities of Fairfield County. We:
* Serve as a leader, catalyst and resource for philanthropy
* Create and manage charitable funds
* Identify and address community needs through initiatives, partnerships and strategic grantmaking.
In short, we help you make a difference in your own backyard.
n fiscal 2007, thanks to the generosity of people like you, we awarded over $1.2 million in grants from Discretionary and Field of Interest funds to nonprofits serving Fairfield County. These grants are awarded through a competitive process to local nonprofits with programs addressing these priority areas:
1. Education and Youth Development
2. Economic Opportunity (including affordable housing, workforce development, and immigrant success)
3. Health and Human Services
4. Arts and Culture/Arts Education
5. Environment/Environmental Education
6. Nonprofit Capacity Building
In addition to awarding grants, we launch countywide initiatives that bring together donors, nonprofit leaders, policy makers and experts to work together in tackling regional problems like affordable housing, the achievement gap, immigrant assimilation and economic security for low-income working women.