SACF President and CEO Celebrates 10 Years of Leadership On Wednesday, June 15, the Scranton Area Community Foundation Board of Governors recognized Laura Ducceschi for 10 years of service at the Foundation, serving in the executive leadership role as the Foundation’s President and CEO since 2012. Over the past 10 years, Ducceschi has led the Foundation, which works to create stronger, healthier communities across Northeastern Pennsylvania through organized philanthropy. “During the course of the past decade, the Scranton Area Community Foundation has seen tremendous growth under her leadership, nearly quadrupling the charitable assets under Foundation management,” stated Barbara O’Hara, Esq., Scranton Area Community Foundation’s Board Chair. “Laura has effectively and successfully led and grown the Foundation in terms of programs established, partnerships formed, charitable funds initiated, donors engaged, grants and scholarships awarded and so much more.” The Scranton Area Community Foundation has granted over $25 million in funding under Ducceschi’s leadership to support programs and projects that enhance the quality of life for people in the Lackawanna County region and beyond. In her role,Ducceschimanages over 270 charitable funds and two separate private foundations, which in total exceed nearly $95 million. Ducceschi also led the first-ever NEPA Gives, a collaborative effort with other regional foundations which in three years has raised nearly $3 million dollars for nonprofit organizations in only 72 hours. “Laura helps to guide the philanthropic initiatives of those in our community, helping them to make a real difference in the quality of life in Northeastern PA,” stated David Price, Scranton Area Community Board Treasurer. “Transparency, ethics, and innovation are central to Laura’s leadership style. During her tenure, the Foundation was twice reaccredited at the highest standards for excellence in Community Foundations from the Council on Foundations, which is a national organization.” “Laura has spearheaded many impactful regional initiatives aimed at catalyzing change. These include The Center for Community Leadership and Nonprofit Excellence, which has provided cutting-edge training and education opportunities to hundreds of nonprofit leaders and employees; Women in Philanthropy, which provides thousands of dollars in direct funding to help transform the lives of local women, girls, and their families; NEPA Moves; The NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative; the NEPA Health Care Foundation Scholars Program; and the Careers in Care Health Workforce Program, all to benefit surrounding communities,” O’Hara added. “In her 10 years of service, Laura has transformed the Scranton Area Community Foundation into a state of the art change agent for our community. Without a doubt, our area is a better place to live because of her vision and drive,” stated Dave Hawk, who chaired the Search Committee when Ducceschi was hired and was Chair of the Board the year Ducceschi began in her role in 2012. “Congratulations, Laura, on 10 years of work. I can only imagine the wonderful things that will happen over the next 10 years,” he added. “Under Laura’s leadership in 2020, the Scranton Area Community Foundation was one of the first foundations in the country to create a COVID-19 Response Fund, which raised and distributed more than $1.4 million through 183 grants to nonprofit organizations, many of which serve as the safety net in Northeastern Pennsylvania, providing food, shelter and resources to the most vulnerable members of our communities,” stated Maggie Martinelli, the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s Vice President of Administration and Projects. Ducceschi has an MBA in Organizational Management from Drexel University’s Lebow College of Business; an MA in Communication from the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania; and a BA in Communication from the University of Scranton, where she graduated summa cum laude. She completed her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) certification from the American College of Financial Services and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). Laura has a Certificate in Change Management from Cornell University, a Certificate in Design Thinking from Harvard University, a Certificate in Nonprofit Board Governance Consulting from BoardSource, and is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Ducceschi received the Oustanding Fundraising Professional Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals- NEPA Chapter in 2021; the Excellence in Diversity Award from Penn State University-Scranton in 2019; the Executive Mentorship Award from the Allan P Kirby Center at Wilkes University in 2018, and was recognized as a top 25 Women in Business from the NEPA Business Journal in 2015. She will be honored with the Founder’s Award at Meals on Wheels Mix and Mingle event in September, 2022. She serves as a member of the Geisinger Advisory Board, a Trustee of the Schwartz-Mack Foundation, a Trustee on the Scranton Life Board, and is on the NEPA Grantmakers Steering Committee. Ducceschi has also contributed to reports and publications aimed at understanding how equitable economic impact is best achieved in small to medium sized cities. “We are proud of all Laura has accomplished in the community as the President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation over the past ten years and look forward to continued growth, community impact, and stability under her leadership,” added O’Hara. The Scranton Area Community Foundation looks forward to beginning the process of moving into its permanent home at the Century Club of Scranton building located at 612 Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, later this year. The Scranton Area Community Foundation has been a trusted community partner since 1954, serving the people of the region by working in partnership with donors to transform lives. The Foundation offers a wide variety of charitable planning tools such as charitable gift annuities, scholarship funds, donor-advised funds, and charitable trusts to help donors maximize the impact of their charitable giving to causes and charities they care about. To learn more about the Scranton Area Community Foundation, visit safdn.org or contact Brittany Pagnotti, Communications Manager of the Scranton Area Community Foundation at 570-347-6203.
SACF Announces James F. Swift Scholarship Recipients Twenty students from twelve different high schools in the area have been awarded a prestigious scholarship through the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, which provides $5,000 per year for each recipient for up to four years to assist with continuing education expenses. The James F. Swift Scholarship Fund has awarded over $3.7 million since 2008, benefiting over 280 local students to date. Created in 2002 through a gift by Mr. James F. Swift to the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund provides support for higher education for students graduating from high schools in Lackawanna County. Following Mr. Swift’s death in 2006, the Scranton Area Community Foundation gratefully received a significant gift from his estate to the scholarship fund which has allowed a great number of students from Lackawanna County the opportunity to pursue their academic and professional goals through higher education. The scholarship aims to provide an ongoing stream of matriculation at Lackawanna County colleges and universities. It is the goal of the Scranton Area Community Foundation to award 75% of the scholarships to students who plan to attend institutions of higher learning in the Lackawanna County region. Scranton Area Community Foundation President and CEO Laura Ducceschi praised the generosity of Mr. Swift, noting “he has left a permanent and enduring legacy for the young people of our region. His scholarship fund makes higher education more attainable for generations of students.” The Scranton Area Community Foundation is a partner with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) in their Partnership for Access to Higher Education (PATH) Program to offer qualifying students additional financial aid. Through PHEAA, these scholarship recipients may be eligible for additional dollars toward their tuition. For more information on the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation, please contact Brittany Pagnotti, Communications Manager of the Scranton Area Community Foundation at 570-347-6203.
Greater Scranton YMCA Receives Grant from SACF On May 20th, 2022 the Greater Scranton YMCA was awarded a $14,000 Community Needs Grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation. The grant will support aquatics staffing at the YMCA. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Greater Scranton YMCA was able to fully staff both pools in its facility and offer 283 swim lessons per session. Currently, the YMCA is only able to offer 183 swim lessons per session, a reduction of more than 600 swim lessons annually. The biggest loss, though, has been to our community, as learning to swim is one of the most important life lessons a child can learn. This grant award from the Scranton Area Community Foundation will allow the YMCA to increase lifeguard pay rates with the goal of attracting more staff, as well as retaining existing staff who need a pay increase. Adding more team members to the aquatics department will directly impact the YMCA’s capacity to provide needed services to our community, including offering an increased number of life-saving swim lessons annually, making more pool time available to members and guests, and ensuring the resources are available to implement more youth, adult and family programming. “It’s because of the generosity and support of community partners like the Scranton Area Community Foundation that the Greater Scranton YMCA is able to serve so many members of our community,” said Trish Fisher, President & CEO, Greater Scranton YMCA. “We are confident this grant award will allow our YMCA to better serve our community through aquatics programming!” For more information about aquatics programming at the Greater Scranton YMCA contact Ken Brewster, Aquatics Director, at kbrewster@greaterscrantonymca.org or call (570) 828-3112.
Scranton Area Community Foundation Hosts 3rd Annual NEPA Gives Friday, June 3rd 225+ local nonprofits joining together for historic giving day. ‘Give Gathering’ taking place in Downtown Scranton to celebrate The Scranton Area Community Foundation, in partnership with The Luzerne Foundation, Greater Pike Community Foundation, Wayne County Community Foundation, Carbon County Community Foundation, Posture Interactive, and other community sponsors, will host the third annual NEPA Gives event on Friday, June 3, 2022.Promoted as the single largest day of philanthropy in Northeastern Pennsylvania, NEPA Gives is a one-day, 24-hour, online giving extravaganza that’s all about giving back to the community. NEPA Gives aims to raise awareness about the critical work nonprofit organizations carry out across the region and aims to help charitable organizations raise much-needed funds. Over 225 nonprofit organizations from across seven counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania will participate in NEPA Gives on Friday. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in matching funds and prizes have been secured, provided by various community partners, businesses, and sponsors that make donations to participating nonprofits during NEPA Gives stretch even further. Adding to the excitement, to celebrate NEPA Gives, the Scranton Area Community Foundation is also hosting an in-person NEPA Gives ‘Give Gathering’ that will be held at the Hilton Scranton Conference Center from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Friday, June 3, to coincide with First Friday Scranton. The Give Gathering will include live entertainment, giveaways, real-time and live-streamed updates on NEPA Gives, and opportunities for the general public to meet many of the participating nonprofits. This event is free to attend. To celebrate this historical and monumental giving day, both Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti and Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown have made official proclamations declaring June 3, 2022, as NEPA Gives Day. “NEPA Gives is all about supporting charities that are doing important work right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. “We have teamed up with various community partners and businesses eager to provide support for NEPA Gives and we are thrilled to announce that we have secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in incentives, bonuses, and matching funds available to participating nonprofits which helps make charitable donations go further during NEPA Gives. This year, we are looking forward to gathering in person in Scranton to celebrate the momentum of NEPA Gives and highlight the good work of the many participating nonprofits taking part in NEPA Gives.” Members of the community wishing to make a contribution for NEPA Gives can visit www.nepagives.org anytime between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 2022, to make a secure donation to any of the 225+ participating nonprofit organizations. This is the third year for NEPA Gives. In its second year, NEPA Gives raised over $1.2 million for 218 nonprofit organizations. To learn more about #NEPAGives, visit nepagives.org or contact Brittany Pagnotti, Communications Manager of the Scranton Area Community Foundation at 570-347-6203.
SACF Women in Philanthropy Initiative Awards Grants Women in Philanthropy (WIP), the initiative of the Scranton Area Community Foundation that focuses on empowering and transforming the lives of women and girls in the Lackawanna County region, proudly announces the recipients from its 2022 grants cycle, awarded after a highly competitive grant process. A total of $40,000 in grant funding was awarded to seven local nonprofit organizations during the Women in Philanthropy Quarterly Meeting held at the Colonnade in Scranton on Wednesday evening, April 27. The recipients included nonprofits Along the Way ($10,000), the Catherine McAuley Center ($7,500), Dress for Success Lackawanna ($4,000), Johnson College ($5,000), Lackawanna College ($2,700), The Wright Center ($3,500), and the Women’s Resource Center ($7,300), all to support innovative projects and/or programs that work to transform the lives of women or girls across the Northeastern Pennsylvania region. The grant award recipients and grant amounts were selected by Women in Philanthropy supporters, who had the opportunity to vote after hearing presentations from each of the nonprofit organizations.
Scranton Area Community Foundation Co-Hosting Child Care Presentation Women in Philanthropy (the initiative of the Scranton Area Community Foundation focused on serving women, girls, and their families in Northeastern PA) and The Agency for Community Empowerment (ACE) are hosting a presentation on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. regarding a recent regional study on the obstacles women and families face today regarding attaining quality affordable childcare, conducted in collaboration with Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC). This event will be held in-person and virtually and will share the study’s findings while inviting a discussion on opportunities for community-based solutions that minimize the barriers to quality affordable childcare. In-person attendance is limited but there is no cap on the number of attendees participating virtually. What: Child Care Needs and Barriers to Access Report/PresentationDate: Thursday, March 24, 2022Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.Location: University of Scranton, Brennan Hall, PNC Bank Board Room (320 Madison Ave., Scranton, PA 18510) Attendees can register to attend here: https://scranton.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/event?event_date_id=2221 Women in Philanthropy and the Scranton Area Community Foundation are interested in addressing the challenges families face in obtaining quality affordable childcare across the Lackawanna County region.
Scranton Area Community Foundation Invites Area Students to Apply for Scholarships The Scranton Area Community Foundation invites area students to apply online for eligible scholarship opportunities through their online scholarship portal. Over $800,000 in scholarship funding is available through the Scranton Area Community Foundation to eligible students seeking to continue their education. Over 60 scholarships are available to high school and college students for a variety of studies and interests. Scholarship applications will be accepted until Friday, April 1, 2022. Detailed information about all of our scholarship opportunities can be found at safdn.org/scholarship. Scholarship decisions are announced in June. For more information about scholarship opportunities at the Scranton Area Community Foundation, please contact Cathy Fitzpatrick, Scranton Area Community Foundation Grants and Scholarship Manager, at 570-347-6203, extension 301, or grants@safdn.org.
Elan Gardens Receives $3,000 from Scranton Area Community Foundation for PPE Bobbie O’Donnell is pictured above at Nay Aug Park, receiving a check for $3,000 from the Scranton Area Community Foundation. In photo (left to right:) Jerome Musheno, R.Ph, Esq., Board Memer, Scranton Area Community Foundation Board of Governors; David Price, Secretary, Scranton Area Community Foundation Board of Governors; Kenneth Okrepkie, Chair, Scranton Area Community Foundation Board of Governors; Laura Ducceschi, President/CEO, Scranton Area Community Foundation The Scranton Area Community Foundation has awarded $3000 to Elan Gardens, a non-profit senior living organization located in Clarks Summit. The 2021 Critical Needs Emergency Grant funds were used to purchase the necessary personal protective equipment for staff to combat COVID-19. The mission of Elan Gardens is to offer a supportive residential environment dedicated to maintaining each individual’s strengths, abilities, and autonomy while providing the resources to further enhance the quality of their lives. The well-being of residents is a top priority. Staff has worked tirelessly to protect residents from the virus, which can develop into severe illness in elderly individuals. Thankfully, Elan has remained successful in their efforts. To date, all residents remain untouched by COVID-19.
The Scranton Area Community Foundation Announces Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship Applications Open The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation has announced the 2022 Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship application deadline for students in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties who plan to pursue or who are pursuing nursing, and who will practice in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Interested nursing students or current nurses looking to advance their careers may apply online from February 1, 2022 through April 15th 2022 at CareersinCareNEPA.org. To qualify for a Careers in Care Nursing Scholarship, individuals must show they have had a permanent address in Lackawanna, Luzerne, or Wyoming County for the last three years. Applicants may be new or continuing students interested in pursuing, or currently pursuing, nursing; traditional or non-traditional students pursuing qualification at any level of the nursing profession, including CNA, LPN, RN to BSN, BS (3rd and 4th year only), Master’s Degree/Nurse Educator; or non-traditional students looking to return to work or seeking a change in employment. “Nursing provides the greatest honor in life – to be able to care for patients in their most vulnerable state and assist them when they need it the most. This scholarship is enabling me to enhance my skills from being a Licensed Practical Nurse to earning my Bachelors in Science degree in Nursing,” remarked Nicole Lubash, 2021 scholarship winner, mother of two young boys, and a Junior at Marywood University. The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation’s Careers in Care initiative is a$1.7 million commitment over a three-year period (2020-2023) focused on developing the regional pipeline of the healthcare workforce. Established through the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the nursing scholarship program aims to support the growth and development of the nurses at all levels in NEPA. “We’re delighted that 19 previous scholarship winners are already pursuing nursing careers with awards from the Careers in Care nursing scholarship program. We are prepared to assist many additional nursing school applicants with scholarships during this enrollment period,” stated Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation.
Lackawanna College Awarded Grant to Support Diversity Initiatives A $2,500 grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s Center for Community Leadership and Nonprofit Excellence will help Lackawanna College build a multi-stage diversity and inclusion improvement plan. The grant will provide funds for the College to hire a consultant service to assist in creating and administering a comprehensive institutional equity audit. The audit will focus on the student experience, examining organizational practices and policies related to diversity and inclusion. “There’s a need to identify the College’s strengths and weaknesses, so we can create a more vibrant college community, improving the experience for all students, particularly those who have been traditionally marginalized and underrepresented,” said Joya Whittington, project director. “I’m grateful that we were approved for this grant so we can begin to implement institutional and social change.” Faculty and staff members on the College’s Diversity, Equity, Justice and Inclusion (DEJI) committee will lead the project. Branching off from the audit, the committee will establish a multi-phase Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) improvement action plan and initiate short and long-term educational activities.
