By Amy Korb, Executive Director, The Community Fund

October 11, 2023: The Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe - continuing its excellence through local giving - has launched its FY 2024 Annual Campaign. 

For over 100 years, The Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe (The Community Fund) has been dedicated to providing critical health and human services support to residents living in Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe (BET) and the 10708 zip code. Each year, the Community Fund follows a rigorous process, including agency research and evaluations, to determine where donations will make the biggest impact. The Community Fund raises funds for over 25 non-profit social-service agencies and community programs. 

Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) was a particularly challenging fundraising year for many nonprofits due to economic uncertainty, but thanks to the generous contributions of BET residents, The Community Fund distributed approximately $515,000 in grants to support youth services, senior programming, health services, and education and prevention programs. This level of giving is on par with previous years, and the Community Fund is hopeful that FY24’s Annual Campaign will allow the organization to continue its legacy of local giving at the highest level. 

Every Dollar Raised Here, Stays Here

100% of every dollar raised in the Community Fund’s Annual campaign is returned to local non-profit agencies. A few of the agencies and programs that have benefited from the Community Fund’s grants include:

Eastchester Volunteer Ambulance Corps (EVAC) - EVAC is the only ambulance serving Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe. Grants from the Community Fund allow EVAC to replace an emergency vehicle every four years so they are ready to support our community in life and death situations.

Free Flu Shot Program - The free flu shot program at Bronxville Town Hall, Eastchester Library and Tuckahoe Community Center is funded by the Community Fund and administered by New York Presbyterian - Lawrence Hospital. 

Senior Services - Over 1,000 Senior Citizens benefit from Community Fund grants every year that go towards nutritious meals, ride shares, educational and enrichment programs, as well as live in place support.

Understanding Our Community Needs Now and for the Future

Over and above the nearly $520,000 distributed to local agencies in FY23, the Community Fund invested in a needs assessment in partnership with Pace University to identify gaps in health and human services programming in our communities. One of the key learnings from this needs assessment was that all three BET communities identified mental health as the biggest service gap with services such as suicide counseling and intervention, mental health care, and substance abuse prevention and treatment showing the greatest need. 

"We were not surprised to learn that mental health was identified as a service gap across all three communities, especially in a post Covid world. But what this analysis did was show us exactly what areas we should be focusing on now and in the future," said Amy Korb, Executive Director of the Community Fund. "The Community Fund is well positioned to help fill these gaps through existing agency partnerships and by identifying new agency partners with a focus on mental health awareness and support. We are honored to be at the forefront of this critical change in community support."  

A Legacy of Local Giving

The Annual Campaign is the Community Fund's principal source of fundraising each year. Its success determines the number of grant allocations distributed to the Fund's member agencies and community programs serving the BET residents.

"We are incredibly grateful for the support of those who so generously give their time and resources to support the Community Fund," stated Amy Korb, Executive Director of the Fund. Korb continues, "Because of our residents' generosity, we are able to give support to the programs and agencies that make a direct impact on our community. The Community Fund truly believes in local giving for local needs."

Robin Lewis, Board President of the Community Fund, added, "Having had the honor to serve on the Board for five plus years, I have seen firsthand the vital impact The Community Fund grants have on our community. The grants we give help to make the BET a better place for all of us to live."

Contributions to the Annual Campaign can be made on the Community Fund website www.thecommunityfund.org, by phone (914) 337-8808 or by sending your pledge, cash or check made payable to The Community Fund, 17 Sagamore Road, Bronxville, NY 10708.