In a powerful close to its 10th anniversary year, Impact Fairfield County (Impact FFC) formally presented $100,000 grant checks to The Rowan Center and EMERGE Connecticut at two celebratory ceremonies in Stamford and Bridgeport this June. These transformational awards mark the conclusion of a record-setting year in which the women-led philanthropic organization granted $454,000 to local nonprofits, bringing its total giving to nearly $2.6 million since its founding.
Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas joined the check presentation at EMERGE Connecticut on June 16th, where she praised the spirit and strategy behind Impact FFC’s collective giving model. “Mornings like this are exactly why I ran to be Secretary of the State,” said Secretary Thomas. “We talk about civic engagement, and it can sound boring or distant—but this is what it looks like in real life. Impact FFC and EMERGE are proof that when people step up and stay involved, our communities thrive.”
EMERGE Connecticut, a reentry-focused employment social enterprise, will use its grant to expand its transitional employment and personal development programming to Bridgeport—marking a major milestone in its mission to transform the reentry experience. “We’re incredibly grateful to Impact FFC for believing in our model of healing, opportunity, and reintegration,” said Alden Woodcock, Executive Director of EMERGE Connecticut. “This investment fuels not only our expansion into Bridgeport, but also the momentum behind second chances in our state.”
At the June 10th presentation in Stamford, The Rowan Center was awarded funding to build KidSafeHQ, a first-of-its-kind digital platform to address the alarming rise in threats to children — including sextortion, grooming, and online exploitation. The site will centralize real-time safety alerts and curated educational content to empower families, educators, and caregivers across Fairfield County. “This generous grant from Impact FFC comes at a critical time,” said Sharon Walker Epps, CEO of The Rowan Center. “It enables us to take on the growing challenge of digital exploitation and bring essential safety resources directly to the people who need them most.”
In addition to the two $100,000 grants, four other finalists—buildOn, Discovery Museum, The Child and Family Guidance Center, and Person to Person—each received $20,000 in unrestricted funding. A surprise highlight of the year was the presentation of $10,000 anniversary grants to all 17 past Impact FFC grantees, funded through a one-time anniversary campaign.
“This year’s giving reflects not just our record membership, but the collective heart, insight, and generosity of over 280 local women who came together to fund bold ideas,” said Annika Kennon, Co-President of Impact FFC. “We are proud to celebrate 10 years by investing in these extraordinary organizations and setting the stage for the decade ahead.”
