Gratitude and Impact: Your Community Foundation

As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s a reminder to slow down and give thanks for the most meaningful things in our lives. At the Community Foundation of Tompkins County, the trust of our donors and our partnerships with organizations that meet vital needs in the community are at the top of our list.

Community Foundation helps organizations fulfill their missions by serving as a repository for gifts, no matter how great or small, from individuals, families and businesses that care about Tompkins County. We invest these gifts so that they grow, and then give back by making grants to organizations that serve our community.

Here are two stories from organizations that recently received grants from Community Foundation funds, highlighting the impact of our donors’ generosity. 

Last year Community Foundation provided three grants, totaling $21,500, to the Ithaca Health Alliance (IHA), from the Kathy Yoselson Fierce Determination Fund, Tom and Maria Eisner Ithaca Health Alliance Endowment Fund, and the Tompkins Today and Tomorrow Fund.

Founded in 1997, IHA facilitates access to health care for the uninsured and under-insured at no cost through the Ithaca Free Clinic. All services are provided by licensed clinicians who volunteer their time.

Jamie is a patient who came to the clinic after being diagnosed and treated for diabetes at the hospital. With no health insurance and no way to pay for the daily insulin injections they now needed, Jamie was enrolled in the clinic’s Chronic Care program and began regularly scheduled appointments with the chronic care specialist, a registered dietitian, and the Food Pharmacy program.

The Free Clinic’s Patient Advocates also helped Jamie negotiate with the hospital to cut their $40,000 hospital bill in half, and assisted them in finding an affordable health insurance policy. Today, Jamie’s diabetes is under control, they are gainfully employed, and they have a quality of life that is vastly improved.

In 2023, the Youth Farm Project (YFP) received $27,700 in grants from 7 different Funds. YFP brings together young people from diverse backgrounds to participate in food production and farming—from planting to harvesting and distributing.
Through these experiences they develop leadership and communication skills, and learn about environmental, historical, and food-system injustices affecting our communities.

“The Youth Farm has been the only thing that could successfully distract me or give me any sense of happiness after a tragedy within my family. A place where I feel like I can be myself and that it’s okay if I don’t know who that is yet. A place where I can be with people who are like-minded in some way, get my hands dirty, laugh endlessly, eat snacks, and learn and expand my knowledge and perspective.”

16-year-old bi-racial Summer Program participant

The Teen Summer Program provides youth aged 14­-19 with a paid work experience on the farm, where they receive breakfast and lunch daily, taking turns cooking with the YFP chef, and also bring home a weekly farm share. Teens work in crews with a peer group leader, spending mornings in fieldwork and afternoons in workshops on topics such as gender and body sovereignty, herbal medicine, mushroom cultivation, beekeeping, and making traditional Korean kimchi. 

So far this year, Community Foundation has awarded $5.2 million in 439 grants of which more than 93% went to local organizations that provide critical services for the people of Tompkins County. Every grant represents the philanthropic goals and interests of our donors, as well as the current priorities identified by the board of directors.

Yet, the needs far surpass the available funds. Nonprofits here and across the nation are stressed with increased demand for their programs, rising operating expenses, and ongoing challenges to recruit and retain staff and volunteers. During this season of giving, Community Foundation’s goal is to raise $108,508 by December 31.

Donors may give to the Foundation’s Today and Tomorrow Fund, which provides grants to local nonprofits for both unrestricted support and specific programs or contribute to an existing fund at the Foundation for a specific organization or charitable purpose—such as children and youth, health and human services, women’s issues, the environment, or arts and culture.  Another option is to establish a new fund at Community Foundation that fulfills your personal philanthropic goals.

Community Foundation can help individuals, families, and businesses maximize the impact of your philanthropy with tax-advantaged options, such as giving appreciated stock or mutual fund shares, assets from retirement accounts, or from a commercial donor-advised fund. Donors who are concerned about maintaining income while doing good may consider establishing a charitable gift annuity. 

For more information about how you can support Community Foundation in serving Tompkins County, scan the QR Code, go to www.cftompkins.org, email info@cftompkins.org or call 607-272-9333.