BREAKING NEWS --From The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation

One-Time Grants Ease Funding Gap

When Hephzibah Children’s Association and the Oak Park-River Forest Day Nursery recently learned that their allocation of annual giving funds would be significantly less than requested, how would they be able to provide certain programs and services?

The answer came from resources within the community. The Community Chest was able to fill a significant portion of the gap experienced by Hephzibah. Thanks to the Chest’s timely and generous action, the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation was able to then erase the rest of the gap for Hephzibah as well as provide 100% funding to the Day Nursery as well. Hephzibah will receive $25,000 to provide day care for low-income youth. The Day Nursery’s grant of $15,050 provides for interactive parent-child programs.

These grants provide immediate one-time funding to avoid decreases in services for young people in Oak Park and River Forest. Executive Director Sophia Lloyd explained, “The programs and services that these funds support align with our commitment to the success of all youth. Without our ability to make responsive grants these programs and services would be abruptly reduced or curtailed.” Lloyd went on to say that the Foundation is not positioned to provide stopgap funding on a recurring basis but it can respond to unique circumstances, such as the unexpected reduction of anticipated funding experienced by Hephzibah and the Day Nursery.

Board President Mena Boulanger agreed and added, “This unique funding of both organizations in conjunction with the Community Chest’s grant to Hephzibah is an excellent example of the strategic partnerships that the Community Foundation can provide in response to community issues and concerns.” Dollars for these grants came from careful stewardship of the Communityworks endowment fund .

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Find stories about Hephzibah Children's Association  in our blog and our news section.  For use in in publications, websites, news outlets and for additional questions about Hephzibah, contact Molly Philosophos mphilosophos@hephzibahhome.org