Impact Fairfield County (Impact FFC) held its first Impactful Conversation of the 2022-2023 grant year on the topic “Staying Nimble in Changing Times,” addressing how nonprofit organizations in Fairfield County are navigating new circumstances to best serve their communities. The lively panel discussion at HAYVN in Darien featured former Impact FFC Grantees Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich (BGCG), Career Resources, Inc. (CRI) and the Stamford Public Education Foundation (SPEF).
Members of Impact FFC gathered for a compelling and dynamic conversation with Cristina Vittoria, CEO of BGCG; Rob Hebert, Chief Strategic Officer of CRI; and Lindsay Wyman, CEO of SPEF. The discussion was moderated by Maryellen Frank, Co-Chair of Events for Impact FFC.
As each panelist described the distinct challenges their organizations confronted and issues rippling from the changed environment brought on by the pandemic, common threads emerged. For all three nonprofits, transformational programming initiated through Impact FFC’s grants provided the basis for them to expand or launch additional services to address the exacerbated issues surrounding educational equity, the digital divide and mental health. Most notable, however, was the panelists’ unanimous agreement that much of their nonprofit’s success during this time stemmed from their heightened collaboration with community partners. “We’re all serving the same community,” Vittoria stated, “we had to work together; there was no room for egos.”
Impact FFC also announces its Fall Kickoff, taking place November 9, at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center, for Impact FFC members and for any women who are interested in learning more about membership. The Fall Kickoff promises to be an inspirational morning during which attendees will hear from last year’s Grant winners about the implementation of their $100,000 Impact FFC Grants. For more information and to RSVP, please visit impactffc.org.
