Annual Report
President’s Report Annual Meeting
January 20, 2025
During 2024, the following actions were taken by the Board of Directors of the Sharon Community Foundation:
Board Officers were as follows:
President, Donna DiMartino
Secretary Marlene Woodman
Treasurer: Robert Bird accepted the position as Secretary
All other Board Committee members remained unchanged
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Our web site has been active since April of 2023 and we do receive grant requests through this venue. We have gotten reports from WIX that show an increase in website activity.
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We partnered with the Kent Community Fund to allow all the social services agents in the Northwest Corner to meet and have a luncheon.
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The State of Connecticut provided a speaker for this luncheon and is committed to staying in contact with our rural Social Service agents.
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We surveyed the Social Service agents after the meeting to determine its value to them and were pleased to learn that 100% felt it was a useful meeting and all wished it could occur at a minimum of twice a year.
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Our finances have remained strong and we received a grant of $1,500 from the Northwest Community Fund.
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The donor tab on our web site was activated in in 2023. As of December 31, 2024 we had received deposits (Donations) of over $4,900, compared to last year’s, almost $2,000 dollars. We received about $17,000 from the annual appeal letter.
Our grant limit remained at $2,000. We did go over this limit once based on special circumstances. This is done on a case-by-case decision.
We developed business cards that include the phone of the Social Service agent as well as our web site. They are passed out by Board members and are available on the Sharon ambulance for distribution.
We had a booth on the Sharon green during the annual Sharon on the Green Fair. We were able to reach out to both those who did not know us as well as introducing our mission to several other agencies with booths on the green.
We received a substantial grant from the Rhoades-Robinson Trust ($10,000). The appeal letter sent in November has been successful and utilization of the web donor site is proving effective. In fact, we have one donor who gives once a month through the online donor button. We have set up a system that moves all funds from the PayPal account to NBT twice a week. We have seen several new donors which we hope is the result to our reaching out.
SCF qualified for and received a critical needs grant from the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation for $1500. SCF also received $1500 from The Town of Sharon. The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal provided us with a $1875 contribution. The Sharon’s Woman’s Club made us the beneficiary of their Thanksgiving Bake Sale, and we received a check for $1003. The Sharon Methodist Church has donated a couple of giving checks in the amount of $100. We are aware that while we did raise more this year than last, we did not meet our budget revenue goal. This has been lowered for 2025. We will use the inflation number of 2.5% to budget expenditures. However, we must also be cognizant of the rates of electric planned. (24% Eversource and 14% United*)
Expenses have been limited to paying for outside services and minor office supplies with the fees to Sinnamon and Associates, Moore and More Printing and the Directors’ and Officers’ Policy premium, PAYPAL and WIX (web site). These account for the bulk of the non-grant expenses.
The goal of the Board is to assist those in need remain in their home. This year we were almost $2,000 above anticipated expenditures to meet that goal. We know that 76 families have benefitted from our programs, it is impossible to tell how many individuals that means. We continue to support the programs that benefit all people who live in Sharon most notably our Sharon Daycare. We also provided athletic grants for our youth.
Goals for 2025 include seek additional ways for our funds to help residents and work cooperatively with other organizations to provide programs of interest and use to the towns people.
Some thoughts:
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Continue a presence during the annual Sharon on the Green Crafts Fair
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Continued funding for Sharon families at the Sharon daycare
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Consider ways we can assist the elderly avoid loneliness and enjoy activities
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Investigate the possibility of working with a local bank to provide financial awareness to young persons
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Continue to support low-income Sharon students to participate in athletic programs
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Work with the local VNA to assure monthly health services to those elderly who live alone
I hope that our January 20 meeting will spark more ideas from all of us about how we can continue our work and serve our community.
And finally, it is with great sorrow that I share the passing of Ella Clark, a previous Social Service agent. Ella was a remarkable woman, to whom the Sharon Community Foundation will forever be indebted for her wisdom, her humor and her unending care for all the residents of Sharon. As a personal friend she inspired me with her can do attitude, her love of nature and her deep respect for all people no matter their circumstance. She will be deeply missed.
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Donna C. DiMartino
President
January, 2024
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