Her Legacy. Their Future.

Dear Friend,

Thirty years ago, when Susan M. Ross became the first woman to lead Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, women held just 30 percent of philanthropic leadership roles nationwide.

Her leadership helped change that story. Colleagues remember Susan not only for what she built, but for the way she invested in the leaders around her.

During her 15-year tenure, Susan grew FCCF’s assets from $10 million to more than $150 million, launched the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, and built the Fund for Women & Girls into the largest fund dedicated to women in New England.

Today, women hold more than 60 percent of philanthropic leadership roles — a testament to trailblazers like Susan who helped open doors for those who followed.

And yet, in my conversations with nonprofit leaders across Fairfield County, I’m struck by how much pressure these leaders carry.

Women leaders in the nonprofit sector often shoulder extraordinary demands—navigating intense emotional labor, balancing expectations of strength and empathy, and managing complex organizational challenges with fewer support structures than leaders in other sectors. Too often, the result is burnout, isolation, and leadership turnover that weakens the very organizations our communities depend on.

That is why we are launching the Susan M. Ross Executive Leadership Without Compromise Program, a leadership cohort designed specifically for women executive leaders working in Fairfield County nonprofits.

The program reflects what Susan herself embodied: a space for leaders to be heard, to gain clarity, to build trusted relationships, and to lead with integrity even under pressure.

Susan’s leadership also helped shape another enduring part of the Foundation’s work: the Fund for Women & Girls.

The Fund remains a cornerstone of our work because the challenges it was created to address remain urgent today. In Fairfield County, gender and race continue to shape outcomes in health, income, education, and housing. Women earn significantly less than men on average, with young single mothers facing the greatest disparities. Black mothers and babies experience the highest mortality rates.

Through the Fund for Women & Girls, we are working to change those realities—investing in initiatives like the emme Coalition, advancing the Black Maternal Health Initiative, and advocating for policies that ensure fair pay for community health workers and doulas.

This work is carried forward every day by our nonprofit partners—many of them led by women deeply committed to improving health and economic opportunity across our region.

Spring is a season of renewal—a time when we turn our attention to health and growth, both for ourselves and for those around us. This Women’s History Month, we are honoring Susan’s legacy by investing in the well-being of the women leaders who are holding our communities together.

Because strong leaders create strong organizations.
Strong organizations build strong communities.
And strong communities ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Susan leaves a flourishing legacy. Together, we can help it grow.

In Community,

Mendi Blue Paca
PRESIDENT & CEO
FAIRFIELD COUNTY’S COMMUNITY FOUNDATION