Advocating for a Fairfield County Where Everyone Thrives

The Community Foundation is using its voice to advance policies that help young people achieve bright futures.

When young people can finish high school and pursue degrees or find livable-wage jobs, it builds a healthier community. Still, many students in Fairfield County attend low-resourced schools that struggle to recruit and retain top-quality teachers. And many graduates cannot access the education and training needed for meaningful careers.

The Community Foundation is working to change that by supporting public policies that remove barriers to student success. Through its Fairfield County Forward strategy, the Community Foundation has expanded its focus on investing in advocacy.

“The Community Foundation is more than a grant maker,” said Sheila Perrin, a fundholder and former Board Chair. “It is raising its voice and providing tangible support to the people and organizations working to change policies and create a better future for our region.”

Championing Change
Some colleges and universities reduce financial aid awards to students who earn merit-based scholarships. This practice, called scholarship displacement, disproportionately affects students facing financial hardship. As an organization that provided more than $1.1 million in scholarships last year to support 251 students, the Community Foundation believes scholarship displacement harms both students and donors.

During the 2024 Connecticut Legislative Session, the Community Foundation advocated for a bill requiring Connecticut colleges and universities to disclose their scholarship displacement policies – a measure approved by the Legislature, thanks to the leadership of its Higher Education and Employment Committee.

The new law will help make post-secondary education more accessible to all by allowing students to make informed decisions about whether to apply for scholarships. This mandatory disclosure may also help push colleges and universities to change their displacement policies in the future.

Stepping Up to Lead
“The Community Foundation’s advocacy on scholarship displacement is an important step in protecting the rights of students and ensuring that donors who support scholarship funds see their philanthropy fully benefit students,” said Elaine Mintz, VP of Strategy & External Relations.

Change doesn’t always come quickly. But the Community Foundation’s commitment to advocacy ensures it will be here over the long term to support the people and organizations pushing for policies that improve lives.

Help advance equitable policies: FCCFoundation.org/Advocacy