Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com Worcester Business Journal Giving Guide 2022 5 TRANSFORMING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER I n a community as generous and diverse as Worcester, it can be a complex process to decide where to invest your philanthropic dollars. We can help. For 47 years, the Greater Worcester Community Foundation has played an integral role in our community's rich history by helping to secure the well- being of all people who call this area home. We want to assure you that our mission continues and our capacity to help is growing year by year. Investing in charitable causes is a very personal endeavor. Maybe there is an institution or mission that is close to your heart; or perhaps you would like to entrust the Foundation to use its expertise to choose where the community needs are greatest. Whatever your philanthropic goals, we invite you to partner with us. Together we can learn more about our communities and how investing with the Foundation can assist in achieving your goal of establishing a legacy of giving, toward issues you care about deeply. With our donors' generous help, we have changed countless lives for the better. With your committed investment in the future of Worcester and Worcester County, we will continue to do so for years to come. Serving others is our mission. We look forward to being your partner in philanthropy. n J. Christopher Collins Greater Worcester Community Foundation Board Chair T he United Way of Central Massachusetts has been serving our community for more than 102 years. From our founding in 1920 in the offices of the Worcester Chamber of Commerce to our current home at the Denholm, we have been instrumental in helping those most vulnerable find support and comfort in the most challenging of times. We have been at the forefront of creating change and providing stability for those most in need. Our involvement with YouthConnect, the Summer Literacy Initiative, the Afghan and Ukraine relief efforts and, most recently, our creation of the Formula Fund and the Emergency Support we provided to the displaced residents of the Mill Street roof collapse, was created through partnership. Our work at the United Way is "the people's philanthropy;" we work in, with and through the community, we always have, and we always will. Working alongside non-profits, city leaders and members of the business community, we coordinate, collaborate and lead. Our partnerships are vast and wide. Our profound engagement can be witnessed in our volunteer corps, our generous donors, and our agency partners. Our greatest strength is our deep, authentic connection to the community. We visit with our funded agencies regularly; we know our donors and those in the business community and we offer many engagement opportunities for volunteers. As to our future and the next 100 years of the United Way of Central Massachusetts, we will strive to continue to provide leadership and financial support to those most in need in our community as well as diverse and thoughtful engagement opportunities for our business partners. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it has taught us to be bold and to work nimbly and strategically to be the beacon of hope and strength for our community. I invite you to learn more about the organizations and programs we have supported this past year by going to our website: www.unitedwaycm.org . n Tim Garvin President & CEO United Way of Central Massachusetts T his is the 13th edition of our annual Central Massachusetts Giving Guide. The need for support of our nonprofit community has never been greater, as many organizations have suffered from funding shortfalls along with an increased demand for services over the last couple years. The pandemic has also made employee recruitment and retention a huge challenge for almost every organizations The goal of the Giving Guide is to provide an easy-to-read snapshot of each organization's mission and goals, top volunteer activities, major fundraising events along with a list of board members and senior leadership. While you may be familiar with many of these organizations, we're confident that you'll discover a few new things you didn't know about each one of them in these organizational profiles. Central MA is home to a dynamic nonprofit community, and the best run organizations are always evolving and adapting their services to meet the changing needs of the marketplace – especially during the pandemic that seems to not want to go away. Our business community has a long tradition of giving back, and you'll see the names of many top executives and committed corporate citizens on the boards of each of the nonprofits in this issue. Challenging your staff and leadership to become involved in volunteering reinforces your company values while giving those individuals the chance to make new connections while giving back to those in need. Supporting our nonprofit community is integral to the mission of our long-time partners in the Giving Guide, the United Way and the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, and it's great to be teaming up with them to produce this annual directory. If your company is looking for a way to engage in doing good, dig into the Giving Guide and find more out about the exciting work that these great organizations are doing and how you can lend a helping hand. Also note that a digital edition of the Giving Guide will be on our website year round at wbjournal.com, and each non-profit profile is also on the WBJ website under the "Biz Marketplace" tab. . n Peter Stanton WBJ Publisher & CEO Peter Stanton Publisher/CEO New England Business Media From the Publisher Regional Philanthropic Opportunities GUIDE 2022 Giving

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