Scranton Area Foundation Inc

SCRANTON AREA FOUNDATION STRIVES TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL PEOPLE IN LACKAWANNA COUNTY AS A STEWARD, BY DEVELOPING AND MANAGING PERMANENT ENDOWMENT FUNDS; AS A GRANTMAKER, BY GIVING SUPPORT TO ENABLE THE COMMUNITY TO RESPOND TO EMERGING AND CHANGING NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES; AS A CHARITABLE RESOURCE, BY ENCOURAGING AND EDUCATING DONORS AND PROVIDING A FLEXIBLE VEHICLE FOR INDIVIDUAL DONORS, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE; AS A CATALYST, BY MOBILIZING COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP IN RESPONSE TO ISSUES. IT IS A CHARITABLE RESOURCE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED BY AND FOR THE PEOPLE OF SCRANTON AND LACKAWANNA COUNTY TO ASSIST DONORS TO BUILD AND SUSTAIN THEIR COMMUNITY WHILE CARRYING OUT THEIR CHARITABLE INTENT.

FUND ADMINISTRATIONTHE SCRANTON AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (SAF) ADDED THIRTY-FOUR (34) NEW FUNDS IN 2021. THESE FUNDS INCLUDE 18 NON-ENDOWED FUNDS, 13 ENDOWED FUNDS, 2 MEDALLION PARTNER FUNDS AND 1 UNITRUST. SAF PROVIDED OVER $4.35 MILLION IN SUPPORT FOR HUNDREDS OF CHARITABLE PROGRAMS IN NORTHEASTERN PA IN 2021 AND AWARDED $729,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO 235 STUDENTS. THROUGH THE UNRESTRICTED COMMUNITY NEEDS FUND, 79 GRANTS TOTALING $472,142 WERE AWARDED TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR REGION. FURTHERMORE, SAF MANAGES TWO PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS, THE NEPA HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION AND THE ROBERT H. SPITZ FOUNDATION. IN 2021, THE NEPA HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTED OVER $1.3 MILLION IN GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS AND THE ROBERT H. SPITZ FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTED OVER $950,000 IN GRANTS TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. COMMUNITY INITIATIVES THE SCRANTON AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION LEADS SEVERAL COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, MAKING A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE (AND ANIMALS) ACROSS NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA. NEPA MOVES - COMPRISING OVER 100 REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS, THIS INITIATIVE WHICH FORMED IN 2017 TO ADDRESS REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION CONCERNS CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION. FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2021, NEPA MOVES CREATED A PILOT PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AGENCY FOR COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT TO SUPPORT 50 CLIENTS IN A TRANSITIONAL STAGE OF LIFE BY PROVIDING RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION THAT WILL ENABLE THEM TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF POVERTY.WOMEN IN PHILANTHROPY (WIP) - WIP IS A COLLECTIVE PHILANTHROPY MODEL THAT BRINGS TOGETHER COMMUNITY-MINDED INDIVIDUALS WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE SYSTEMIC, SUSTAINABLE CHANGE IN THE LIVES OF DISADVANTAGED WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE LACKAWANNA COUNTY COMMUNITY. THERE ARE SEVERAL INITIATIVES THAT WIP FOCUSES ON, INCLUDING: STEAM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ART, AND MATH) EDUCATION, HEALTH AND WELLNESS INITIATIVES, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, AND FINANCIAL WELL-BEING AND ECONOMIC EDUCATION. IN 2021 WIP UNDERTOOK A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF POTENTIAL NEW FOCUS AREAS WHICH LED TO EXPANSION INTO THE FOLLOWING: AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY. NEPA ANIMAL WELFARE COLLABORATIVE - ESTABLISHED IN 2019, THE NEPA ANIMAL WELFARE COLLABORATIVE IS A COLLECTIVE OF OVER 40 ANIMAL SHELTERS, RESCUES, ADVOCATES, AND SANCTUARIES IN THE REGION THAT ARE INTERESTED IN COMING TOGETHER TO ADVANCE VARIOUS CAUSES IN ANIMAL WELFARE AND TO INCREASE THE COLLECTIVE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THESE AGENCIES. ACTIVITIES OF THE COLLABORATIVE INCLUDE EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, FUNDRAISING AND OTHER PRACTICES THAT MOVE THE GOALS OF THE COLLABORATIVE FORWARD. NOTABLY, THE COLLABORATIVE HOSTED THREE LOW-COST FELINE SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS IN 2021, COVERING OVER 80% OF THE COST OF SURGERY AND VACCINATIONS FOR OVER 150 DOMESTIC AND FERAL CATS IN NEPA.NEPA GIVES - A REGIONAL GIVING DAY THAT RAISES AWARENESS OF THE CRITICAL WORK BEING CARRIED OUT BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE REGION, THE SECOND ANNUAL NEPA GIVES RAISED OVER $1.25 MILLION TO BENEFIT 250 LOCAL CHARITABLE CAUSES. DURING THE GIVING DAY, 5,793 DONORS MADE SECURE ONLINE DONATIONS TO THEIR FAVORITE LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. THESE DONATIONS WERE ENHANCED WITH BONUS FUNDS RAISED BY SAF AND ITS PARTNERS. CENTER FOR COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND NONPROFIT EXCELLENCE SAF PROVIDES FUNDING TO HELP LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS MANAGE THE PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS THAT ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN NORTHEASTERN PA. IN 2012, SAF REALIZED THAT IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING FUNDING, THEY COULD HELP MAXIMIZE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS' ABILITY TO MEET THEIR CRITICAL MISSIONS BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO PROGRAMS, TRAINING, AND RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. TO THAT END, THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND NONPROFIT EXCELLENCE WAS ESTABLISHED.IN 2021, THE CENTER PROVIDED 21 EXECUTIVE IN RESIDENCE CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH CONSULTANTS TO IMPROVE THEIR ORGANIZATION AND ITS OPERATIONS. THE CENTER ALSO WORKED WITH GRANTS PLUS TO HOST A WEBINAR AND COACHING SERIES FOCUSED ON GRANT SEEKING AND SUPPORT. THIS SERIES INCLUDED 6 WEBINARS PLUS ONE-ON-ONE COACHING WITH EXPERTS FROM GRANTS PLUS. THE CENTER ALSO HELD ITS THIRD ANNUAL NEPA LEARNING CONFERENCE WHICH FEATURED NATIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND PRESENTATIONS BY LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO REVIEWED BEST PRACTICES ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS. THERE WERE NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO LEARN, IMPROVE, AND NETWORK IN A HYBRID, IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL SETTING. THE CONFERENCE WAS ATTENDED BY 200 NONPROFIT PROFESSIONALS.