Four necessities for achieving economic stability in Fairfield County include affordable housing, public schools that prepare students for college and employment, upward mobility for low-income workers, and the ability to speak English.
Yet, in the richest county in the richest state in the richest country in the world, over 52,000 families in Fairfield County can't afford to rent a two-bedroom apartment. Our urban, largely minority public school students suffer from one of the largest achievement gaps in the country. Nearly half of female-headed households with young children live in poverty. And, on average, nearly one out of five residents of Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford are not proficient in English.
Helping people help themselves by providing a hand up instead of a handout is at the core of the Foundation’s grantmaking in the area of economic opportunity.
The Fairfield County Community Foundation is leading four countywide initiatives to help people help themselves.
We are bringing together policy makers, nonprofit leaders, community leaders, fundholders, contributors, private funders and other experts to increase affordable housing, close the achievement gap in our urban public schools, help low-income working women achieve economic stability, and help immigrants assimilate into our communities. To learn more about each of these initiatives, click here.
View the Fairfield County Community Foundation's fiscal 2007 grants that supported economic opportunity.
| Its easy, just click the "Donate Now" button. You can make a tax deductible, online contribution to funds that support economic opportunity, other Foundation initiatives and regional grantmaking. |
| To make a contribution by mail or fax, or for more information, contact Sharon Reiss, Director of Development, at 203.834.9393. For a sampling of Foundation funds supporting economic opportunity, please scroll down.
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