A seven-member Community Investment Committee (CIC) of The Guilford Foundation was tasked with reviewing requests from a diverse pool of 2022 grant applicants.  Guiding principles and the 2022 priorities of basic needs, community wellbeing, child and youth development, JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion), arts and culture, and economic recovery and development were set in December 2021, helping guide the 2022 spring grant decisions. TGF awarded $94,000 in grants to various organizations focused on enriching the quality of life for the Guilford community.

“Needs are always shifting,” underscores Alex Sulpasso, CIC Chair. The guiding principles allow the CIC to be dynamic and flexible to impact the quality of life of people in the community and to address issues to promote the community. While the COVID-19 pandemic required the CIC to look at severe, short-term needs this year reflected a return to quasi-normalcy. “It wasn’t about worrying which businesses would go under,” says Sulpasso. “We could focus on things like mental health, youth programs… we were back to arts and culture and programs with a more long-lasting effect.”

Take a look at the Q3 2022 issue of Guilford Events magazine for more insight into the annual grantmaking process.