Giving feels, does good

For nearly 100 years, the Rhode Island Foundation has connected people to causes they care about in our community. We build bridges with and between philanthropists, community organizations and government and business partners. We bring Rhode Islanders together to meet local needs and seize timely opportunities.

The foundation is a collection of more than 1,400 charitable funds of all sizes. Each of these funds has a story behind it and a purpose before it. Every year, we interview those who create funds at the foundation; we want to capture their stories so that we might preserve their legacies.

Our donor partners know that community projects evolve over time and that sometimes, the state’s greatest challenges offer unique opportunities for innovation and leadership. In 2014, donors stepped forward to support job training, arts programming, educational opportunities for Rhode island youth, healthy meals for the hungry, a coordinated approach to planning for climate change, and much more.

As we approach the foundation’s 2016 centennial, I am mindful of the connection between the past and the future. When industrialist Jesse Metcalf founded the foundation, could he have imagined that today it would be used for blended learning in public schools, patient-centered medical homes or entrepreneurship?

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Without Mr. Metcalf’s leap of faith, the $34.8 million in grants the foundation made in 2014 to organizations pioneering a new future or preserving our rich history would not have been possible.

The challenges we all face cannot be solved in isolation. They are complex and often require significant resources. It’s imperative that we work in cooperation and coordination with one another.

Philanthropy means “love for humanity,” and it really does arise from a selfless and optimistic kind of love. I have met philanthropists who are driven by urgency, justice, possibility, compassion, or their own life experiences. And the return of doing good – seeing progress and impact – feels good.

Whatever you care about, whatever drives you to take action, at whatever level you can support, I hope you give back.

Thank you, Rhode Island, for inspiring us and allowing us to be your partner in philanthropy. •

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