One Year In: A Reflection of Gratitude, Resolve and Forward Momentum
November marked one year since I stepped into the role of President and CEO of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. Anniversaries invite reflection — and this one arrives at a moment when our community, our nation, and our democracy face profound challenges. Yet, as I look back on this first year, what rises to the top is gratitude: gratitude for this community, for its resilience, for the generations of leaders and neighbors who built the deep legacy I was fortunate to inherit, and for the privilege of doing this work alongside so many dedicated partners.
A Year of Listening, Learning and Acting
From my very first day, I committed to listening deeply — to residents across our neighborhoods, to nonprofit leaders balancing rising needs with shrinking resources, to donors seeking meaningful avenues for impact, and to partners working tirelessly to ensure everyone in this region has the opportunity to thrive. What I heard was clear: despite the headwinds, Greater New Haven is a community that shows up for one another.
This year has been one of learning — about the hopes and frustrations of our nonprofit sector, about the innovative resilience of small organizations working at the margins, about the aspirations families hold for stability, health, and opportunity. And it has been a year of acting in response. We have worked to meet the needs of those most vulnerable, and to support the nonprofits who stretch — often beyond capacity — to serve them.
A Year of Convening and Defending What Matters
We have also spent this year in community: convening, gathering, reconnecting. In a time when so much of what we value—equity, inclusion, reproductive freedom, LGBTQIA+ rights, a multiracial democracy—is under attack, the role of The Community Foundation as a convener has never been more essential. We brought people together to learn, to connect, to invest in what matters in this region, and to imagine what is possible when we act collectively.
This community’s responsiveness continues to inspire me. Whether it is showing up at our Annual Meeting, giving through The Great Give, engaging through our Civic Leagues, participating in our community and donor briefings, collaborating with nonprofits, or engaging in tough but necessary conversations — Greater New Haven refuses to be passive in the face of challenge. That refusal is a powerful form of hope.
A Strategic Framework for a New Era
Over this past year, we have also refined and affirmed a new strategic framework that reflects who we are and what this moment demands. Our work centers on healing together, learning together and acting together — because community is not something we simply describe; it is something we build, renew and protect.
Our priorities are clear:
- Investing in economic mobility that generates wealth through ownership and non-extractive models, ensuring prosperity is shared—not concentrated.
- Strengthening the nonprofit ecosystem so organizations have the stability and resources they need to respond to community needs effectively and sustainably.
- Protecting the most vulnerable, with attention immigrants, neighbors in need, maternal and child health, behavioral health and social connectedness.
- Defending and advancing our multiracial democracy, through civic learning, voter engagement, narrative change and community-led leadership development.
- Investing in the next generation of community leadership to provide a strong foundation for the future of our community.
- Nurturing a culture of generosity that expands who participates in philanthropy and how we resource long-term change.
This vision is not just aspirational—it is actionable. And we have already begun the work.
Rooted in Legacy, Focused on the Future
I entered this role mindful of the Foundation’s remarkable legacy: almost a century of philanthropy shaped by people who believed in the dignity, potential, and promise of Greater New Haven. I feel that history at my back every day. But I also feel the urgency of this moment — the responsibility to carry that legacy forward with courage, clarity, and care.
As I step into year two, my heart is full. Full of appreciation for our staff, our board, our nonprofit partners, our donors, and our residents who envision a more inclusive, equitable, connected, philanthropic community — and are willing to do the work to build it.
Thank you for welcoming me, challenging me, partnering with me, and inspiring me. The journey ahead is long, but we walk it together. And together, we will continue to heal, to learn, to act, and to create a region where everyone has the opportunity to flourish.
I am grateful — for all that has been, and all that is still possible.
Onward, with hope and determination.
In community,
Karen DuBois-Walton
President & CEO
