Greater Worcester Community Foundation, Inc.

The group of business and community leaders who established this Foundation more than 40 years ago believed that we all have a role in community betterment. The model of philanthropy has proven its power. Our staff, board members, donors,and volunteers engage all
sectors, listening, learning and taking informed action. Over time, the Foundation has built significant leadership capital: long-standing relationships, deep knowledge of the region’s strengths and challenges,and through our donors’ generosity, a substantial grantmaking engine, its endowment. These resources enable us to achieve ever-greater impact. More than ever, the Foundation’s commitment to growing the good in our community matters.

The Greater Worcester Community Foundation goes beyond making grants. We are a convener of people and resources. The Foundation creates, runs and supports programs that develop philanthropy in our region and foster collaborative, forward-thinking solutions to regional needs.

The Greater Worcester Community Foundation is run by and for the community. Our staff and volunteer leadership live and work in Greater Worcester and understand its organizations, opportunities and needs.

Our board of directors, corporators and committee members are all volunteers and serve without compensation. Each is a community leader with a depth of private or public sector experience. We are fortunate to benefit from their expertise and talent.

Our dedicated professional staff runs our operations and provides a breadth of services to our diverse constituents, including donors as well as our partners, including our region’s nonprofit organizations. Committed to community-building processes, our staff leads volunteers in evaluating grant proposals and reviewing the impacts of grants. They help donors meet their philanthropic goals, advise nonprofits on developing capacity and guide collaborations of all kinds.

In our first 40 years, we’ve used the simple, accountable and flexible model of the community foundation to build an endowment of $153 million, raise $142 million and distribute $117 million in grants. Each year, we continue to grow our resources—knowledge, relationships and funds—and do more for our community.