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Allentown, Pa., April 10, 2020—Lehigh Valley Community Foundation recently named R. Nicholas Nanovic,  partner at Gross McGinley, LLP, to its Board of Governors. Nanovic will serve on the Community Foundation’s Community Relations Committee. Nanovic leads Gross McGinley’s Wills, Trusts & Estates Group. He is an Accredited Estate Planner^® by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils and has extensive background in estate planning, trusts, estate administration, taxation, and business.

Nanovic has over ten years of experience advising individuals and business owners on their estate planning and tax needs. He designs comprehensive and customized estate plans for individuals and business owners as well as navigating complex tax matters, utilizing various types of trusts to ensure assets are protected for future generations.

Active in the community, Nick volunteers and serves as a regional coordinator with the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Wills for Heroes program that provides free basic estate planning documents to first responders and military veterans in Pennsylvania.  He currently serves as Coordinator for Lehigh and Northampton Counties.  He also served on the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation’s Board of Associates.

Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Stars has named Nick in its annual listing for the past five years, a distinction awarded to less than 2.5% of attorneys across the state. He was also recently named to Lehigh Valley Business’ 2020 Forty Under 40 list.

He earned his LL.M. in Taxation (2008) and his J.D. (2007) from University of Miami School of Law. Nanovic attended the University of Notre Dame, earning his B.B.A. in 2004. A devoted alumnus, Nick serves as President of the Notre Dame Club of the Lehigh Valley.

The Board of Governors at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation provide administrative, programmatic, and fiscal oversight in support of the organization’s mission. Members of the Board serve as ambassadors, promoting the Community Foundation as a vehicle for philanthropy and a leader of community improvement.

About the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation

For five decades, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation has helped donors with their charitable contributions with a simple, powerful, and highly personalized approach. LVCF is a philanthropic hub for the Lehigh Valley—who knows and navigates the landscape of the Lehigh Valley’s community needs to connect people who care to causes that matter.

With a diverse and respected Board of Governors, the Community Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization located in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  The Foundation is cause-neutral and supports all areas of community needs in the Lehigh Valley and beyond in compliance with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. To learn more, visit: www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org.

The Community Foundation has several strategies to partnering with nonprofits and community leaders in addressing the COVID-19 health pandemic.

The Community Foundation has partnered with other funders and leaders to create the Greater Lehigh Valley COVID-19 Community Response Fund, which aims to strengthen safety-net services for community members who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties. This includes older adults, people who are experiencing poverty or homelessness, families who live paycheck to paycheck, communities of color and those who speak English as a second language.

This Community Response Fund provides a rapid, informed and coordinated approach to assessing community need and getting dollars where they are needed most. Learn more about the fund: Click Here.
 

COMPLETE A COVID-19 SUBMISSION FORM

Form submission is open, since the fund is on a rolling-basis. However, to be considered for the first round of funding, please share your organization’s needs on this form. 
 

LVCF’s Matching Fund Campaign! 

We have utilized our own Foundation-directed grant pool to launch a matching campaign for our own fundholders. LVCF has established the LVCF COVID-19 Response Fund to unite with individuals who have an interest in giving back to our local community during this time of crisis. Funding raised will support the Greater Lehigh Valley COVID-19 Community Response Fund, as well as other immediate needs identified by our stakeholders. We are also continuing to encourage fundholders to directly support their favorite organizations with an unrestricted grant recommendation through their established fund at the Community Foundation. Please read about the matching campaign click here.

Providing Flexibility for our Foundation-directed Grant Strategy

LVCF also recognizes the importance of unrestricted and immediate funding for nonprofit organizations during this time. We have shifted current and future grants on our Foundation-directed grants platforms to meet need. We have provided flexibility to grantees, converted some project-based grants into operational, and released restrictions where possible and applicable.  To the extent allowed, we have aligned our grants strategies for this fiscal year and next to support the nonprofit sector in the best way possible in the wake of this crisis. LVCF will continue to seek out ways we can partner with nonprofits to respond to the COVID-19 health pandemic.

LVCF will continue to seek out ways we can partner with nonprofits to respond to the COVID-19 health pandemic.

Funders pool their resources and voices to strengthen the Greater Lehigh Valley safety net and support the community’s most vulnerable.

Allentown, PA, March 30, 2020—In partnership with Crayola, PPL Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) and Carbon County Community Foundation (CCCF), United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley (UWGLV) has convened a coalition of funding partners and launched an emergency fund to address the COVID-19 crisis.

The Greater Lehigh Valley COVID-19 Community Response Fund aims to strengthen safety-net services for community members who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties.

“This Fund provides a rapid, informed and coordinated approach to assessing community need and getting dollars where they are needed most. We especially want to thank Crayola, PPL Foundation and Wells Fargo Foundation for their leadership as the first corporate partners to support the Community Response Fund,” said UWGLV President David Lewis, LVCF President and CEO Bernie Story and CCCF President Amber Breiner in a joint statement.

More than $150,000 has been allocated to support this effort. Some contributions will be used as matching funds to attract additional investment from other funders. One hundred percent of the funds will support agencies serving residents of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties.

“I am encouraged and reassured that so many capable people and organizations are out there working to support our region,” said Amber Breiner, President, CCCF. “We’re going to be more efficient and have a much greater impact by working together to respond to rapidly evolving local needs.”

“We know that the effects of this pandemic will disproportionately impact older adults, people who are experiencing poverty or homelessness, families who live paycheck to paycheck, communities of color and those who speak English as a second language,” said Jill Pereira, Vice President, Education and Impact, UWGLV. “Our goal is to ensure the agencies that form a critical safety net for our most vulnerable can respond to the immediate and long-term needs including food, housing, education, child care, healthcare, utility assistance, job training, transportation and violence prevention.”

Guided by a community-led Strategic Response Team, pooled funds will be used to respond to emerging needs and be implemented in phases. “The first phase will focus on providing rapid and direct support to organizations that provide critical safety-net services in our community and those who serve populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19,” explained Megan Briggs, Director of Community Investments at LVCF.

This includes:

• Services that provide food access
• Housing
• Income supports
• Services for unsheltered residents and those at risk of homelessness
• Supports for those who are economically vulnerable to mitigate the effects of reduced hours or lost jobs

Coalition members have also committed to use their influence and voices to advocate for policies that will swiftly and effectively address gaps in community needs and provide resources to community members who are negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

More information about the Greater Lehigh Valley Community Response Fund is available at www.unitedwayglv.org/COVID-19

Mission of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
The mission of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley is to provide the leadership, convene the partnerships, and develop the resources and solutions that improve our community.  We remain committed to these goals and sincerely appreciate the continued support of partners, program providers and donors throughout the Lehigh Valley. www.UnitedWayGLV.org

About the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation

For more than five decades, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation has helped donors with their charitable contributions with a simple, powerful, and highly personalized approach. LVCF connects people who care to causes that matter, grow their charitable legacies, and fund nonprofit organizations to improve the quality of life in the region. Learn more at: www.lvcfoundation.org.

About the Carbon County Community Foundation

Founded in 2015, the Carbon County Community Foundation works to improve the quality of life for residents of the region by staying in touch with community needs and supporting nonprofits through professional development and grants to help meet needs. The Foundation promotes organized, efficient philanthropy by encouraging people of all backgrounds to become donors to existing funds or create their own funds to support the causes that matter most to them. Learn more at www.cccfoundpa.org.

Dear Donors and Friends: As you know, the unfolding COVID-19 situation is very fluid and requires careful considerations and thoughtful precaution by all community members.  Out of caution for our staff and visitors we have decided to operate the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation remotely beginning Monday, March 16 and extending into the end of March.  Be assured that we are prepared to support the work of the Foundation, and we intend to stay on track with our administrative and grantmaking responsibilities.

What does this mean for you and your fund? 

• We will continue to process grants and gifts, reconcile accounts, and respond to your questions. 
• Please log on to Donor Central (as applicable) via LVCF website or https://cutt.ly/DonorCentral to make grant recommendations and to stay current on LVCF announcements. 
• Please email me with any questions or concerns at erika@lvcfoundation.org(link sends e-mail) or call me at 610-351-5353, extension 11.  I will be online, and I will be checking voicemail often. 
• Necessary meetings will be held via conference call or via WebEx, so I will be reaching out to you to reschedule any affected meetings. 
• Check our website for general updates and other contact info, at www.lvcfoundation.org, see our resource page for nonprofit organizations, and take this opportunity to follow our social media including Facebook and Twitter @lvcfoundation for timely updates. 

What does this mean for our community? 

These are uncertain times that may significantly impact our friends and neighbors in the weeks to come.  We are in close contact with community leaders and nonprofits to understand arising needs, program changes, and other developments.  We hope to communicate opportunities for you to support our community members during this challenging time once we have more clarity.  Stay tuned for more information.

Keep in touch

We will continue to monitor guidance form the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.  We will communicate changes and updates via Donor Central, our website, and social media.  As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to any staff member for an update.

Thank you for your continued support of our region and your Community Foundation.

Warm regards,

Erika Riddle Petrozelli, CPA
Vice President for Philanthropy

840 West Hamilton Street, Suite 310, Allentown, PA 18101
610 351-5353   Ext. 13 | Erika@lvcfoundation.org

Allentown, Pa., March 3, 2020—The Galaxy Fund at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation recently received a $50,000 grant from the PPL Foundation. The grant will support The Galaxy Fund at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation which provides funding primarily to the Allentown School District to support the Allentown Learning Dome, located at Louis E. Dieruff High School. The fund also supports STEM projects in the Allentown School District (ASD).

“The grant from the PPL Foundation will fortify the Galaxy Fund at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, enabling the fund to support the ongoing maintenance, sustainability, and programming of the Allentown Learning Dome,” said Bernie Story, president and CEO of the Community Foundation.  “We thank the PPL Foundation for this $50,000 grant which builds upon previous contributions from the Community Foundation, and local businesses, led by Lee Butz of Alvin H. Butz, Inc., whose support made the Learning Dome possible by providing for new equipment and needed renovations.  Their contributions along with the state funding secured by state Senator Pat Browne will help support the Learning Dome well into the future.”

The Learning Dome is open to all of ASD’s 17,000 students and is used for not only astronomy, but also for subjects such as ecology, environmental science, geology, biology and anatomy. The Dome can display a three-dimensional universe that allows students to explore stars and galaxies. Using various software, teachers can take students on a journey through different layers of Earth, teach about meteorology, and explore the inside of the human body.

The PPL Foundation awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. This year, the PPL Foundation received more than 100 applications during this highly competitive grant cycle. The Galaxy Fund at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation was one of 13 organizations to be selected for a grant.

“We are continuously inspired by the caring, commitment and creativity of the many nonprofit organizations such as the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation who make a lasting difference in our communities, and this year’s grant recipients are no exception. We’re proud to support their efforts,” said Ryan Hill, PPL Foundation president.

About the PPL Foundation

Through strategic partnerships, the PPL Foundation promotes the development of sustainable communities and supports children’s success from cradle to career. The PPL Foundation contributes more than $3 million annually to a wide variety of nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.pplcares.com.

About Lehigh Valley Community Foundation

For more than five decades, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) has helped donors with their charitable contributions with a simple, powerful, and highly personalized approach. LVCF is a philanthropic hub for the Lehigh Valley—who know and navigate the landscape of the Lehigh Valley’s community needs to connect people who care to causes that matter. The Foundation is cause-neutral and supports all areas of community needs in the Lehigh Valley and beyond in compliance with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. To learn more, visit: www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org.

Allentown, Pa., February 10, 2020— The Lehigh Valley Homeless Veterans Fund received $200,000 in grant funding secured by Senate Appropriations Chairman Pat Browne (16^th District), which is the largest state commitment specifically targeted towards assisting homeless veterans in the Lehigh Valley.

The yearly Point-In-Time count in 2019 – an annual one-day effort held each January to identify the homeless throughout a community – identified 38 homeless veterans in the Lehigh Valley. The number has held fairly steady since 2013 when veterans became a subcategory of the Point-In-Time count. “When our country called upon them, these men and women committed themselves to service in our armed forces,” Senator Browne said. “Now, it is our turn to answer their call and provide assistance when they need it most. The Lehigh Valley Homeless Veteran Fund will help to ensure that pathways to sustainable housing, job placement and mental health services are available to the area’s homeless veteran population.”

Changes to federal funding in 2017 resulted in a significant reduction of dedicated resources to address homeless veterans in the Lehigh Valley. As a result, many community partners ceased their services and outreach programs to that population.

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The Lehigh Valley Homeless Veteran Fund at LVCF was created to alleviate the funding gap. The fund is designed to provide funding assistance to existing agencies on a competitive award basis and is administered by the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation. The fund is designed to support existing programs or support new initiatives that ensure that “No Veteran is Left Behind.”

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“It’s been a struggle over the past several years to find funding to overcome the federal cuts,” Thomas Applebach, Director of the Lehigh County Office of Veterans Affairs, said. “This money will help our partner agencies sustain their programs to house our homeless Vets and maybe even help to fund new and innovative programs.

“I want to be clear that, although I work for Lehigh County and the Commissioners helped to create the fund and provided some seed money, this is not a county program. In partnering with Community Foundation, we want everyone to understand that this is a Lehigh Valley-wide community effort that will require the financial support of everyone to sustain and grow.”

After learning of the federal funding cuts and the pressing issue of homeless veterans in the Lehigh Valley, Senator Browne worked to secure state resources in the 2019-20 state budget for the newly created fund.

The fund will be overseen by a five-member committee who will evaluate applications and recommend grant awards. The fund is managed by the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, which will disburse the grants as well as support fundraising efforts.

In addition to Applebach, the committee members are; Michael Wilson, Lehigh Valley Community Foundation; Alisa Baratta, Third Street Alliance; Mary Tirrell, Lehigh Valley Health Network; and Rocco Zegalia, Netizen Corporation.

See the photos from the press conference on LVCF’s Flickr page.

See the Videos…

Allentown, Pa., January 21, 2020— The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation recently added three new members to its Board of Governors.  Margaretha Haeussler, Gregory Ramos, and Sybil F. Stershic joined the Board in 2020 and will serve three-year terms on the Board.

Margaretha Haeussler

Margaretha Haeussler, director, Transfer Pricing for Novartis United States, will serve on the Finance Committee. She has over twenty-five years of transfer pricing experience working with a variety of multinational clients across a wide range of industries with particular emphasis on the life sciences, consumer products, and automotive component industries.  Prior to her current position, Haeussler worked at Olympus Corporation of the Americas, was a partner with Arthur Andersen LLP, and served as an industry economist with the Manhattan District of the Internal Revenue Service.

Haeussler is active in her community serving on the Boards of the YWCA Allentown and the West Park Civic Association.  She is an active supporter of the redevelopment of downtown Allentown, PA, and enjoys renovating older houses in her spare time. She received her M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Pennsylvania State University and a BA in Economics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Gregory Ramos

Greg Ramos, executive director of Lehigh Valley United FC, will serve on the Community Investments Committee.  He co-founded Lehigh Valley United FC, a soccer club with his father, Lou Ramos, in 2006.  He and wife, Gina, are also co-owners of Sherman Street Soccer LLC., with a principal business of running a 40,000 sq. ft. indoor sports and recreation center, ‘The Lou Ramos Center’ (LRC), in Allentown.  In addition to leading Lehigh Valley United, Ramos is Vice President of Lehigh Valley Youth Soccer League, a committee member of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association, and has been involved in teaching, coaching and mentorship for the last 20 years including the Olympic Development Program, assistant coaching at Muhlenberg College and DeSales University, Philadelphia Union Academy Staff (MLS) and teaching English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) at Dieruff High School. 

Ramos graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in History from Muhlenberg College, and continued postgraduate studies in Latin American History at Temple University and Inter American University (Puerto Rico).  He holds the European Union Football Association (UEFA) ‘A’ License, U.S. Soccer Federation ‘A’ License, and United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma.

Sybil F. Stershic

Sybil F. Stershic, president of Quality Service Marketing, will serve on the Foundation’s Community Relations Committee.  She founded Quality Service Marketing in 1988 to help businesses and nonprofits foster workplace engagement through custom facilitation and training. She is the author of several books and the long-running Quality Service Marketing blog. Stershic graduated in Lehigh University’s first class of women and started her career in bank marketing.

Stershic has been active in leadership and professional development throughout her career, including serving as chair of the American Marketing Association and assisting many nonprofit organizations as a volunteer leader or advisor. She is currently president of the Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Board of Associates, a member of the International Association of Facilitators, and a certified facilitator with LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®.

About the Board of Governors

The Board of Governors at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation provide administrative, programmatic, and fiscal oversight in support of the organization’s mission. Members of the Board serve as ambassadors, promoting the Community Foundation as a vehicle for philanthropy and a leader of community improvement.
 

About the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation

For five decades, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation has helped donors with their charitable contributions with a simple, powerful, and highly personalized approach. LVCF is a philanthropic hub for the Lehigh Valley—who knows and navigates the landscape of the Lehigh Valley’s community needs to connect people who care to causes that matter.

With a diverse and respected Board of Governors, the Community Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization located in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  The Foundation is cause-neutral and supports all areas of community needs in the Lehigh Valley and beyond in compliance with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. To learn more, visit: www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org.

Allentown, Pa., January 13, 2020— Carrie Krug Nedick recently joined the staff at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation as Donor Services and Program Associate. In this newly created part-time position, she will focus on improving processes and expanding programs and offerings.

Prior to joining the foundation, Krug Nedick built a career in nonprofit administration and higher education fundraising, both on staff and as an independent consultant.  She served in marketing, development, and outreach roles for the Allentown Symphony Association, and was a major gifts officer for the College of Arts and Sciences at Lehigh University. Carrie most recently serves the Lehigh Valley as an independent consultant.

Krug Nedick is a member of the Board of Managers of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem and an Officer of the Board of Parkland Community Library.  She is also a Cub Scout den leader and sings with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem.

A Nazareth native, she graduated from Lebanon Valley College with a BA in Music Theory and Composition.

For more than five decades, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) has helped donors with their charitable contributions with a simple, powerful, and highly personalized approach. LVCF is a philanthropic hub for the Lehigh Valley—who know and navigate the landscape of the Lehigh Valley’s community needs to connect people who care to causes that matter.

Allentown, Pa., January 6, 2020—The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) announced the recipients of its 2019-20 Community Partnership Multi-Year Impact Grants. This year’s grants totaling $115,000 are helping to support programs at six area nonprofit organizations serving Lehigh and Northampton Counties.  In addition, the Community Foundation is allocating $10,000 to the Synergy Fund of the Lehigh Valley at LVCF.

The Community Partnership Grants are part of the Foundation’s overall grantmaking that totaled nearly $7 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019. The LVCF annually awards Multi-Year Impact Grants from its Community Partnership Fund for discretionary grantmaking. Grants are reviewed and approved by the Foundation’s Community Investments Committee and its Board of Governors.

 “The Community Foundation is pleased to continue to partner with these organizations that are making a difference in the Lehigh Valley,” said Bernie Story, president and CEO of LVCF.  “We are encouraged by the good work our multi-year impact grants are generating.”

This year’s Community Partnership Grants were grants awarded for seven multi-year collaborative projects targeted to address specific community issues. LVCF awarded $115,000 in renewed funding for seven programs being implemented by six existing grantees. All multi-year grants are subject to review prior to renewal.

The following organizations were renewed for funding:

• Community Action Development Corporation – Strategic Marketing Support to Entrepreneurs program (year five) – $20,000
• Lehigh Carbon Community College Foundation – V-SERF Emergency Fund for Veterans (year five) – $10,000
• Housing Association & Development Corporation – Youth Build Allentown (year four) $20,000
• VAST – Valley Against Sex Trafficking – Community Education and Prevention Program Development (year four) – $10,000.
• Greater Easton Development Corporation – Easton Community Garden Project (year four) – $25,000
• Lehigh Valley Health Network – Connections, a pilot intervention program addressing the current opioid epidemic (year three) – $20,000
• Greater Easton Development Corporation – Ambassadors Program (year three) – $10,000

Also funded was the Lehigh Valley Synergy Fund of LVCF, now in its fifth year that was implemented in partnership with the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. The fund supports non-profits engaging in various levels of collaboration – $10,000.

For more information about the Community Partnership Fund or other grant opportunities at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, visit LVCF on the web at: https://www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org/grants/overview