March 2021 update Chairman and President & CEO

March 30, 2021

March 2021

It has been one year since the world turned to face a once-in-a-generation public health and economic crisis. While this is a global event, the impact on the local communities we serve was both immediate and evolving; easy to see, and yet will take years to fully understand and address.

Our Board quickly implemented strategies to allow our grants and scholarship programs to respond to changing needs, while never straying from our commitment as a steady, broad-based funder in the Connecticut towns we serve.  In 2020, our Covid-19 Response included:

1. Deploying $400,000 for immediate needs such as food, energy assistance, and Covid response.
2. Supporting programs that provide resources for youth after school, on weekends, and during the summer months, even as these programs had to change and adapt to a shifting environment.
3. Reducing restrictions on funding and simplifying the application process for our nonprofit partners. This included launching new online applications across all our giving areas.
4. Working closely with over 350 new and renewing Robert T. Kenney Scholars throughout their academic year.
5. Staying consistent with our long-term strategic plan by limiting our capital grants to one-time capital needs essential to maintain core programming.

Over the past year, we have provided updates to the community on a quarterly basis. We will continue to communicate regularly throughout 2021 about how we are deploying funds to make immediate and long-term impact. As we look to 2021, we plan to:

1. Maintain flexibility so we can respond to new needs that may emerge.
2. Continue to provide support for basic needs. especially for agencies that meet the needs of vulnerable populations such as seniors.
3. Continue to work closely with programs that serve youth, especially summer and after school programs.  Support the transition back to a traditional school day, reengage students and families, and provide academic support to help mitigate “Covid-slide”.
4. Continue to meet the evolving needs of our current Robert T. Kenney Scholars while welcoming our new 2021-2022 Scholars. 
5. Continue to support Capital Grants, maintaining our focus on one-time capital needs that are essential to the delivery of core services that are closely aligned with our mission. 

In 2021, we are also celebrating the American Savings Foundation’s 25^th Anniversary. Throughout the year, we will share stories of the people and organizations who have inspired us over the past quarter century. Over the years, needs in the community have evolved, and new challenges, such as the impact of Covid-19, have emerged.  One thing will always remain the same – our mission to strengthen the community by supporting education, human services, and the arts, with a special emphasis on the needs of children, youth and families, through grants to community organizations and college scholarships.

That is our Lasting Commitment.