Valley Residents and Workers Prove Generous Once Again

DERBY (May 27, 2016) - The Valley Community Foundation (VCF) announced today that gifts made by Valley residents, employees and VCF donor advised fund holders during The Great Give® 2016 resulted in more than $312,600 for nonprofit organizations located in Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour or Shelton. The number includes $25,000 in matching funds and prizes provided by VCF and was shared during the fourth annual celebratory ice cream social on May 26.

"We couldn't be more thrilled at the response of Valley residents and workers who continue to support local nonprofits during The Great Give® 2016. Despite technology problems from the national platform provider that delayed some donors from giving on the first day, this was the best Great Give to date," said Sharon Closius, President & CEO of the Valley Community Foundation. "The Valley is a philanthropic region and we are proud to say its people generously supported so many of the local organizations making this community a better place to live, work and play."

Also announced at the ice cream social were the winners of special prizes awarded by VCF throughout The Great Give® 2016. Center Stage Theatre was the Valley-serving nonprofit that raised the most dollars and also won a second place Grand Prize from The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven for attracting the most donors overall during The Great Give®.

New to this year's giving event were business-sponsored prizes by local Valley companies for the benefit of nonprofits with operations based in Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour or Shelton. Valley United Way received the Minuteman Press of Shelton Prize. Center Stage Theatre Received the Real Estate Two Prize. St. Mary-St. Michael received the Ryan & Tyma, LLP Prize.

The Liberty Bank Foundation, a first-time supporter of The Great Give®, sponsored a prize for the Valley-based organization supporting basic needs that attracted the greatest number of individual donors during a specified time, which was presented to TEAM, Inc. Additional organizations located in the Valley receiving prizes included: Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, Housatonic Council - Boy Scouts of America, Seymour Pink and CT Brownfield Land Bank. In total, $15,500 in prizes were awarded during The Great Give® 2016 to organizations located in the Valley, of which one-third was provided by VCF and Valley businesses.

The Great Give® is the annual giving online event on giveGreater.org®, a local resource for learning and giving created in 2010 by VCF's partner in philanthropy, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven to increase philanthropy in the Greater New Haven region of South Central Connecticut. Overall, The Great Give® 2016 generated nearly $1.4 million, including matching funds and prizes from the two foundations and other generous community sponsors for nonprofits serving the 20-town region of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, which includes VCF's five-town service area. There were more than 8,000 donors who gave over 11,500 gifts. To see participating nonprofits and prize information, visit www.thegreatgive.org.

About the Valley Community Foundation
Established in 2004, the Valley Community Foundation distributes hundreds of thousands of grant dollars each year to support the local nonprofit sector and the people it serves. In addition to grantmaking, VCF works in strong partnership with The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (TCF), to promote philanthropy in Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton and receives funding from The Gates Fund and other preference funds at TCF. To learn how your gifts of cash, life insurance, appreciated stocks, bonds, real estate, and other assets can help to support the quality of life in the Valley, please visit the website at www.valleyfoundation.org or contact VCF President, Sharon Closius, at sclosius@valleyfoundation.org or 203-751-9162.