A New Strategic Direction
With the Same Enthusiasm
The Board of Directors of the Helen J. Serini Foundation has poured hours into a strategic planning process over the last several months, and are pleased to announce a new mission statement that will guide our work moving forward.
The Helen J. Serini Foundation envisions thriving communities where all people live healthy, dignified lives regardless of means or identity.
We support innovative interventions that remove or address the root causes of systemic barriers to health, safety, shelter, and opportunity in the communities where we work and live.
This revised vision and mission is based on many things, but most importantly, it is based on feedback we have received from our grant partners to date--and from you, the communities we aim to serve. While youth and families is no longer central to our mission, we anticipate that we will continue to fund youth and family-oriented programming. That support, however, will be in addition to seeking long-term solutions to food insecurity; supporting employment training and workforce development; assisting literacy efforts; providing access to adequate, affordable healthcare; and investing in community development.
We are hoping to partner with non-profit organizations offering innovative solutions to community problems, and are particularly excited about models that engage the communities they serve in that problem-solving.
That sounds like a lot of buzzwords, and perhaps it is. But a lot of thought, time, and discussion went into each and every one of those buzzwords as we--as a team and based on your input--attempted to articulate our vision for the future. Together, we believe that we can effect real change, and we look forward to partnering with community organizations to do just that.
We're sure there will be many questions yet to come, and we're happy to answer them. Please direct all grant- or funding-related questions to our Program Officer, Kerry McHugh, at kmchugh@hjsfoundation.org. Note that current and past grant partners will receive additional communications outlining this decision. Details on our grants process can be found here.
We can’t thank you enough for being a part of this journey with us. We continue to be impressed by the passion, dedication, and knowledge of each and every one working to make our communities stronger, healthier, and happier, and look forward to continuing to learn with you all.
With excitement, enthusiasm, and a continued commitment to serving our communities,
The Helen J. Serini Foundation, Board of Directors and Staff