Page 28 - BusinessWest February 21, 2022
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                 things into play Foundation because of the
out the door so we could meet those needs. That was an example of how the pandemic forced us to pivot, act more quickly, listen more closely to the community, and make sure the needs were met.”
Listening has always been one of
the more important qualities at the foundation, said all those we spoke with, and it is just one quality that helps it explain why it has been named a Difference Maker for 2022.
Beyond listening, it has acted on
what has heard, and in many areas, but especially education and the needs of area students, said Christina Royal, president of Holyoke Community College, a trustee of the foundation, and chair of its education committee. But perhaps its greatest quality, she and others noted, is as a connector.
“That’s a huge piece because there are a lot of organizations and a lot of great work happening in our region, and the foundation acts a connector between donors, students, and nonprofit agencies,” she explained. “The foundation brings together philanthropists and helps them understand what
   Continued from page 26 pandemic.”
“
Elaborating, he said the Community Foundation was able to secure what he called “an outpouring of funds” from a variety of sources, and it went about calling nonprofits and elected leaders in the region to identify areas in need. Simultaneously,
it streamlined its grant-funding process so it was able to manage applications more quickly — and effectively.
The result was a quadrupling of grant funding over a typical, pre-pandemic year, Zobel said, adding that the team called on partners at organizations like the Women’s Fund and the Davis Foundation and borrowed their program officers to help make decisions, while recruiting volunteers to pitch in as well. “This was a huge collaborative effort. But I’ve always felt the work of the Community Foundation is a total team effort, not just with the staff, but volunteers.”
Once the foundation had the information it needed, Murphy explained, “we were able to distribute funds without a formal grant-application process because we had to constantly get the money
CHRISTINA ROYAL
The foundation brings
together philanthropists and helps them understand what the needs are in”our community.
  PAUL MURPHY
“We were able to distribute funds without a formal grant- application process because we had to constantly get the money out the door so w”e could meet those needs.
the needs are in our community.”
Denise Hurst, a trustee and the foundation’s vice president for Community Impact and Partnerships, agreed, saying it’s her
job, and the foundation’s mission, to not only write checks, but work to make sure such grants are used in ways that are, in a word,
“transformational.”
“We’re engaging with nonprofits and having deep
conversations about how the work can be more transformative and impactful,” she explained. “We’re moving away from being transactional and just handing someone a check for money but not necessarily ensuring that they have all the tools
and the resources they need to make that money transformational for the region.”
Connecting the Dots
The headlines placed atop recent press releases issued by the agency go a long way toward helping to quantify and qualify its impact within Western Mass. and explain why it is a Difference Maker:
• “Community Foundation Awards $1.3 Million in New Grants for Eviction Prevention, Mental Health, Food Insecurity Programs” (Feb. 11, 2021)
• “Community Foundation Awards $860,000 in New Grants for Immigrant Populations Impacted by COVID-19” (March 5, 2021);
• “Over $818,000 in Grants Distributed by Community Foundation in Latest COVID-19 Response Rounds” (June 22, 2021);
  Where You Make A Difference.
Improving the health and lives of the people in our communities is core to Health New
England’s mission. We are deeply committed to serving our members’ needs every day.
We’re proud to support the Difference Makers and congratulate the 2022 honorees.
(800) 842-4464 healthnewengland.org/community
SPN 4740-0322
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