The award is part of a challenge grant of matching funds from The Newmans Own Foundation providing general support for the operations of the Symphony.

This award comes at a time when the Norwalk Symphony is engaged in an organizational analysis under the guidance of the League of American Orchestras. This vision is the basis for the restructuring of the NSO and will be the foundation for securing its future.

The NSO was awarded the challenge grant from the Newmans Own Foundation at the end of 2008 and the symphony has been steadily receiving support to match that grant 2-to-1 since its inception. According to Board President Kenneth Olson, President and CEO of POKO Partners, LLC, The Newmans Own grant, and matching support of such generous foundations as the Fairfield County Community Foundation, was instrumental in helping the symphony complete its 2008-2009 season very positively. For more information on tickets, subscriptions or sponsorships, please call 203-847-8844 or visit www.norwalksymphony.org.

About Fairfield County Community Foundation.

The Fairfield County Community Foundation promotes the growth of community and regional philanthropy to improve the quality of life throughout Fairfield County.

The Center for the Creative Arts is pleased to announce a $10,000 grant award from the Delaware Community Foundation toward their new parking area project.

This capital project has been in the works for several years, and will enable CCArts to expand community use of their facility in many ways, including increasing facility rentals, larger art exhibitions and a variety of events and programming. The newly paved and better lighted parking area will also make the visual and performing arts more accessible to the community, CCArts members and citizens with special needs by improving security, personal safety, and ADA accessibility.

Affordable housing first in four major funding initiatives

MARIN COUNTY - After close to two years of strategic planning, the Marin Community Foundation commenced July 1 a completely redesigned funding model, shifting for the first time a majority of discretionary dollars to original projects jointly created by the organization in four primary focus areas.

The plan will begin this month with the purchase of about 20 foreclosed properties that will eventually be transformed into green affordable housing.

“We started this strategic planning with the goal of finding the best way to have the greatest impact. After input from many, many people in the community, we decided that meant better focusing our resources, which did call for some tough decisions,” said foundation President Thomas Peters.

“Projects were created through a more interactive process, through work with past partners but focused on new projects influenced by community input and decided upon by the foundation’s trustees.”

About 60 percent of the funds $25 million in annual discretionary spending will go to new projects in the four specific areas including affordable housing, carbon footprint reduction, lowering poverty and increasing educational achievement.

The remaining budget will be distributed through community grants focused on efforts in arts education, engaging the public in the arts, increasing access to open space for low-income residents, integrating immigrants into the community, improving health, services for seniors, protecting Marins ecosystem and fostering social justice.

The organization also distributes another $25 million to $30 million annually from about 300 families that goes directly to groups and projects of the donors choosing.

The first project for this years discretionary funding will transform bank-owned properties into affordable housing with about 80 percent less energy use.

NorthBay Family Homes President and Chief Executive Officer Clark Blasdell, who is helping to coordinate the effort with the foundation, said his organization has been tracking about 200 homes for possible purchase during the last year and will begin the transactions this month.

Each home will then go through a four- to six-week evaluation, where those needing the most work will be transferred to Habitat for Humanity families, who are required to spend at least 500 hours working on the home. Families between two and five members with wages of about 60 to 80 percent of the areas median income will be eligible for the housing.

Other organizations involved in the housing piece include the Greenbelt Alliance, the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California, the Marin Housing Authority and County Supervisor Steve Kinsey.

The foreclosed home project is part of several planned under the $10-million, five-year affordable housing initiative.

I would like to thank the Buck Foundation for the many years of support it has shown to our community and schools.

I had the privilege of being the recipient of these funds indirectly several times throughout my career in Vacaville. Most recently, my fifth-graders at Callison Elementary School were dazzled by the presentation from Ancient Artifacts on the Revolutionary War. This was made possible through a grant from the Solano Community Foundation, which received much of its support from the Buck Foundation.

As an educator and community member, I truly appreciate all the Buck Foundation has given. It has left quite a legacy.