The Fund for Wellesley promotes the common good and benefits all Wellesley residents. The Fund has carried out its mission by focusing on grantmaking that promotes access and reduces barriers to all that Wellesley has to offer. Since 2009, The Fund has distributed over $259,000 for projects focused on youth (40%), community building (39%) and seniors (21%). The Fund’s Community Board saw an opportune moment to take a deeper look at community needs and opportunities and determine if there are options for The Fund to pursue grantmaking activities with more intentional impact goals.

Impact Catalysts partnered with The Fund to carry out the assessment, making use of existing data specific to Wellesley, drawn from local and regional sources, along with input from key stakeholders. The purpose of the assessment was to surface opportunities for refinement or significant change and to develop a recommended course of action. After we completed the assessment phase, we developed a set of options for The Fund to consider that would form the basis for a revised strategy.