president's message
The Hartford Courant Foundation committed nearly $800,000 to greater Hartford in 2008. We continued to focus our grants on programs that support children and their families, in the areas of health and social services, arts, community development, and education.
With the downturn in the economy, we suffered a dramatic drop in assets—30%. Since we had decided previously to set our budget on the basis of a five-year rolling average, we have not seen a similar drop in our grants. We anticipate further erosion of the budget going forward, but we are committed to continuing to play a role in strengthening the Capitol Region.
At our annual meeting, I assumed the presidency of the Hartford Courant Foundation, following the stellar example of Toni Smith-Rosario who remains on the Board and currently has the position of Vice President. Toni is a hard act to follow, and I am pleased she is still available for advice and counsel.
Sadly, 2008 saw the death of Father David McDonald. He had been a Trustee for two years, and we benefited from his wisdom and knowledge of the region, as well as greatly enjoying his company. Father Dave made an enormous contribution to Hartford throughout his lifetime and he is sorely missed.
Also, at the conclusion of last year, Richard Graziano resigned from the Board, citing his increasing workload. We are hopeful that Rich will continue to be a resource for us, whether or not he is serving as a Trustee.
We welcomed two new Board members. Ray Andrews joined us, graciously agreeing to be enlisted onto the Finance Committee. We also welcome Heidi Hadsell, President of the Hartford Seminary. Both have already made valuable contributions to our collective conversations.
2009 is likely to be a tumultuous year. The ongoing financial crisis is putting great pressure on the non-profit organizations with whom we partner, and on the families they serve. We will do our best to continue to support these partners as generously as we can, with an eye to insuring that we will continue to be around for future generations.
Christopher Skomorowski, President, Board of Trustees
