Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc logo

Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc

Public charity · Grantmaker Norwalk, CT EIN: 06-1083893 Website

Fairfield County’s Community Foundation is a public charity based in Norwalk, Connecticut, serving Fairfield County’s 23 cities and towns. It partners with local organizations, nonprofits, businesses, government, and philanthropists, and makes grants to support equitable opportunity and community needs in Fairfield County and beyond.

Key facts about Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc

In short: Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc gave $25.7M across 448 grants in 2025 (avg $57K), mostly in Connecticut. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

EIN
06-1083893
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$25,746,170
Grants made (2025)
448
Average grant
$57,469
Median grant
$24,080
New grantees (estimate)
24% first-time grantees (109 of 448, 2025)
Total assets
$291,351,607
Primary geography
Connecticut (50% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
How to apply
Review the Foundation’s eligibility requirements and strategic-plan goals, then submit an application through its grant process. Full details ↓
Deadline
For the Fall 2026 pools, the Strategic Partner Grant deadline is September 30, 2026, and the Community Impact Grant…

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$291.4M

+3.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$25.7M

+9.4% YoY

Grant Count

448

+0.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$57K

+8.6% YoY

Is Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

24%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 109 of 448 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $50K; repeat grants $60K. How we count

Medians: $20K first-time, $25K repeat.

  • 53% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+19%). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The Foundation’s mission is to partner with its community to create a county where every person has an equitable opportunity to thrive. Its stated focus areas include youth education and career development, income and asset building, women and girls’ health equity, housing opportunity, civic engagement, and building strong nonprofits. Its initiatives include work on Black maternal health, nonprofit capacity, educational equity, and housing opportunity.

The Foundation’s 2023 filing describes grants supporting education and youth development, community and economic development, women and girls’ empowerment, health, immigration support, and nonprofit capacity-building. Examples of supported organizations illustrate varied work: Optimus Health Care describes its mission as providing primary, dental, and behavioral health services to marginalized communities; Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich focuses on preparing young people through enrichment and supportive relationships; and The Housing Collective works to expand access to safe, affordable housing and housing stability. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 448 grants totaling $25,746,170. Grants ranged from $5,194 to $2 million, with a median of $24,080. The largest listed awards included $2 million to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, $1 million to Heart and Armor Foundation, $663,500 to Optimus Health Care, $620,000 to American Forests, and $567,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich. The filing lists each of these awards as for general support.

Review Cycle

as occurring in fall. For Fall 2026, it describes two general operating support pools for organizations that have previously received Foundation funding: invitation-only Strategic Partner Grants of up to $50,000, and Community Impact Grants of $10,000–$15,000. Capacity-building applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and the Fund for Women & Girls Small Grants Program also accepts applications on a rolling basis. Strategic grant funding cannot be used to persuade people to join or support a specific religion.

Open Grants

10 open opportunities from Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Foundation serves all 23 cities and towns in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and its strategic-grant eligibility requirements specify that funded work must serve Fairfield County residents. In filing year 2025, 50% of grant dollars went to recipients in Connecticut; the next-largest state shares were California (9%), Iowa (8%), New York (7%), and the District of Columbia (5%).

Grant Distribution by State

44states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 448 itemized grants.

Cities

BridgeportStamfordNew YorkNorwalkHartfordFairfieldGreenwichWestportNew HavenWashingtonNew CanaanDanburyNewtownChicagoBostonRidgefieldTrumbullBrooklynDarienBaltimore

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$10M$20M$30M477 grants2021 449 grants2022 457 grants2023 445 grants2024 448 grants2025

From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $21.7M (2022) to $28.2M (2021). In 2025 it made 448 grants totaling $25.7M.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Mothers Against Drunk Driving: $2.0MMothers Against Drunk Driving$2.0MHeart and Armor Foundation: $1.0MHeart and Armor Foundation$1.0MOptimus Health Care Inc: $664KOptimus Health Care Inc$664KAmerican Forests: $620KAmerican Forests$620KBoys & Girls Club of Greenwich: $567KBoys & Girls Club of Greenwich$567KBoys and Girls Club of Martin County: $500KBoys and Girls Club of MartinCounty$500KNational Urban League: $470KNational Urban League$470KScholarship America Inc: $411KScholarship America Inc$411KThe Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools: $342KThe Foundation for Excellencein Bridgeport Public Schools$342KCentral Connecticut Coast YMCA: $341KCentral Connecticut Coast YMCA$341K

The largest 2025 recipient was Mothers Against Drunk Driving ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $6.9M.

Grant Size Distribution

2,276 grants across all recorded years

1712<$50K268$50–100K204$100–250K65$250–500K19$500K–1M8$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 1,712 grants of 2,276 (75%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Mothers Against Drunk Driving Des Moines, IAFor General Support$2,000,000
Heart and Armor Foundation Corte Madre, CAFor General Support$1,000,000
Optimus Health Care Inc Bridgeport, CTFor General Support$663,500
American Forests Washington, DCFor General Support$620,000
Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich Greenwich, CTFor General Support$567,000
Boys and Girls Club of Martin County Hobe Sound, FLFor General Support$500,000
National Urban League New York, NYFor General Support$470,000
Scholarship America Inc Detroit, MIFor General Support$411,081
The Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools Bridgeport, CTFor General Support$342,000
Central Connecticut Coast YMCA New Haven, CTFor General Support$341,070

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants reported
2025 $291,351,607 $21,278,159 $32,959,648 $25,746,170
2024 $282,030,622 $20,262,842 $31,203,706 $23,544,066
2023 $267,327,634 $21,897,687 $30,384,938 $22,743,759
Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$20M$40M$60M2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$291,351,607$282,030,622$267,327,634
Revenue$21,278,159$20,262,842$21,897,687
Expenses$32,959,648$31,203,706$30,384,938
Net Investment Income$5,464,664$5,757,204$4,223,407

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 22, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 29, 2024)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 28, 2025)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 30, 2026)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Maya Reddi as board chair; Clayton H. Fowler as board vice chair; Christopher C. Whitney as board treasurer; and Jonathan Fraade as board secretary. It also lists Anthony L. Benntt, Terrence Cheng, Amanda Castellano, Stephen Edwards, Laura Farrelly, and Carolyn Gonzalez as board members. The Foundation’s Fairfield County Forward page identifies Mendi Blue Paca as president and CEO.

Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc is led by Mendi Blue, President & CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2021); 7 of 27 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Mendi Blue

    President & CEO

    Vice President & Community Impact → President & CEO, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    40 hrs/week

    $223K (2021) → $328K (2025)

  • Maya Reddi

    Board Chair

    Board Member → Board Chair, 2024

    On filings since 2022

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ryan Deal

    Director of Community Philanthropy

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $117K (2025)

  • Elaine Mintz

    Vice President, Strategy & External Relations

    Vice President & Operations → Vice President, Strategy & External Relations, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    40 hrs/week

    $149K (2021) → $196K (2025)

  • Tara Berlingo

    Vice President, People & Culture

    Director of Human Resources → Vice President, People & Culture, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    40 hrs/week

    $103K (2021) → $175K (2025)

  • William Andrews

    Chief Financial Officer

    CFO → Chief Financial Officer, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    40 hrs/week

    $152K (2021) → $200K (2025)

  • Joseph Collin

    Vice President & Philanthropy

    On filings since 2022

    40 hrs/week

    $111K (2022) → $178K (2025)

  • Lutonya Russell-Humes

    Vice President, Grants & Programs

    On filings since 2023

    40 hrs/week

    $140K (2023) → $175K (2025)

  • Carolyn Gonzalez

    Board Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Charles Maccormack

    Board Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Clayton H. Fowler

    Board Vice Chair

    Board Vice Chair → Board Member, 2022

    Board Member → Board Vice Chair, 2024

    On filings since 2021

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Joette Katz

    Board Member

    Board Member → Board Secretary, 2022

    Board Secretary → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jonathan Fraade

    Board Secretary

    Board Member → Board Secretary, 2024

    On filings since 2021

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mindy Houck

    Board Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Neil Marcus

    Board Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Preston Tisdale

    Board Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Stephen Edwards

    Board Member

    Board Member → Board Vice Chair, 2022

    Board Vice Chair → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Terrence Cheng

    Board Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Anthony L. Benntt

    Board Member

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Christopher C. Whitney

    Board Treasurer

    On filings since 2022

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Christopher Johnson

    Board Member

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Chuck Presbury

    Board Member

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Amanda Castellano

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Katharine Sachs Lumby

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Laura Farrelly

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Marie Rocha

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Nathaniel Yordon

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (22)
  • Former: Edwin Ford (2021–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Gerald M. Fox III (2021–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Joel Green (2021–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Johnna Torsone (2021–2024) — Board Vice Chair
  • Former: Mark Riser (2021–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Maya Louise Tichio (2021–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Michelle Kay Garvey (2021–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Justin Beal (2022–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Tanya Hills (2024) — Director, Learning, Evaluation & Research
  • Former: Juanita James (2021–2023) — President & CEO
  • Former: Karen Brown Vp Innovation (2023) — Strategic Learning
  • Former: Briggs L. Tobin (2021–2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Elizabeth Demarte (2021–2022) — Director of Marketing & Committee
  • Former: Jennifer Pagnillo Esq. (2021–2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Karen Brown (2021–2022) — Vice President, Innovation & Strategic Learning
  • Former: Mary Woods (2021–2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Maximino Medina Jr. (2021–2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Michael Rosen Chief Business (2022) — Development Officer
  • Former: Steven Goldstein (2022) — Board Member
  • Former: Bob Eydt (2021) — Board Secretary
  • Former: Donald Kendall Jr. (2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Michael Rosen (2021) — Chief Business Development Officer

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Mendi Blue — President and CEO: $328KMendi BluePresident and CEO$328KWilliam Andrews — Chief Financial Officer: $200KWilliam AndrewsChief Financial Officer$200KElaine Mintz — VP, Strategy & External Relations: $196KElaine MintzVP, Strategy & External…$196KJoseph Collin — VP, Philanthropy: $178KJoseph CollinVP, Philanthropy$178KTara Berlingo — VP, People & Culture: $175KTara BerlingoVP, People & Culture$175KLutonya Russell-Humes — VP, Grants & Programs: $175KLutonya Russell-HumesVP, Grants & Programs$175KRyan Deal — Director of Community Philanthropy: $117KRyan DealDirector of Community…$117K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $328K, to Mendi Blue (President and CEO). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Contact

Mailing address: 40 Richards Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854
Phone: (203) 750-3200
Website: https://fccfoundation.org

Frequently asked questions about Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc

How much does Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc give each year?

Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc gave $25.7M across 448 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $23.5M across 445 grants.

What is Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $24,080, and its average grant was $57,469, across 448 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc that year got $50K on average.

Where does Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc give grants?

Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc gives mostly in Connecticut: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (9%) and Iowa (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Bridgeport, CT (63 grants), Stamford, CT (31 grants), New York, NY (29 grants) and Norwalk, CT (23 grants).

Does Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (448 of 448) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.

Who are Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Mothers Against Drunk Driving ($2,000,000), Heart and Armor Foundation ($1,000,000) and Optimus Health Care Inc ($663,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc?

Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc reported $291.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $21.3M.

What does Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc fund?

The Foundation’s mission is to partner with its community to create a county where every person has an equitable opportunity to thrive. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc?

Review the Foundation’s eligibility requirements and strategic-plan goals, then submit an application through its grant process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc's EIN?

Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-1083893. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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