President's Message

To effectively identify and meet today’s rapidly changing community needs, Williamsport Lycoming Community Foundation (WLCF) aims for maximum flexibility and responsiveness. To achieve this, we have made sweeping changes to our discretionary grantmaking procedures. In 2008, WLCF instituted a grant panel system that involved community members in the grantmaking process. We created panels for each grant category, such as Arts and Culture, Youth and Recreation, and Education, selecting members for their knowledge and expertise. The panels, which were balanced to represent all ethnic and racial groups, rural areas and cities as wells as all walks of community life, brought many voices to the table.

By listening to those voices we decided to move from one to two annual grant rounds making us more responsive to nonprofit budget cycles. In 2009, we developed our very successful Mini-Grant program which grants out up to $2,000 to meet nonprofit emergency needs or to complete project budgets. We are able to approve a non-profit’s Mini-Grant request within 72 hours and cut a check within the next 48 hours. Our ongoing efforts to be the most effective and responsive community foundation possible strengthen our partnerships with both nonprofits and our generous donors. We are deeply grateful that in 2009 our donors’ compassion and charitable instincts provided more than $1,500,000 in desperately needed grants and scholarships. We are proud that our donors continue to choose us to attain their philanthropic goals.

Jennifer D. Wilson
President & Chief Executive Officer
First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania