What We Invest In
This section details what the Foundation invests in. Our time. Our energy. Our expertise. Our discretionary resources.
To start, we invest in effective organizations and collaborations. Our funding is trust-based. We invest in nonprofit leaders who know how to stay the course, pivot, or scale for success.
We invest in all areas of community life: housing, health & human services; education; youth development and recreation; arts & culture; environmental conservation, preservation & restoration; and animals and wildlife.
We invest in under-supported areas of the community, where the needs are great, but the resources are not as strong as they could be, need to be. We also invest in initiatives that will have the most profound impact across the region. Our goal is to move the needle and drive systemic change.
Our investments are broad and far-reaching. Learn more about our initiatives to build flexible resources, our partnerships and leadership role in the community, and our efforts to strengthen the community through grants, scholarships, and other valuable resources through the links below.
You can use our strategies to inform and advance your own Strategic Philanthropic Plan and to partner with the Foundation to increase our collective impact across the region.
WHAT WE INVEST
Discretionary Funds, Professional and Staff Resources
WHERE WE INVEST
All Areas Of Community Life: Housing; Health & Human Services; Education; Youth Development & Recreation; Arts & Culture; Environmental Conservation, Preservation & Restoration; Animals & Wildlife
WHO WE INVEST IN
Effective Organizations and Collaboratives
HOW WE INVEST
Fewer, Larger Grants
Multi-Year Grants
KEY INVESTMENTS
Fill Gaps, Meet Unmet Needs
Replicate Successful Programs
Increase Access to Programs/Services
Build the Capacity of Nonprofits
Integrate Resources, Not Duplicate Them
Promote Collaboration
Building Flexible Resources
The Foundation has a variety of discretionary funds for annual grantmaking, and we actively fundraise to meet community needs and fund new initiatives. The $3.5 Million Community Challenge and Women and Girls Funds Challenge are recent initiatives. The Strategic Emergency Response Fund we established during the pandemic raised millions for immediate support and rebuilding efforts. LEARN MORE
Nonprofit Success
The Foundation offers several Competitive Grantmaking Programs to support programs and capacity-building initiatives throughout the region’s nonprofit sector. We also invest in nonprofit leadership development opportunities and resources, like technical support and peer learning, that help ensure Nonprofit Success. LEARN MORE
Student Success
The Foundation was established with a single $10,000 scholarship. Today, it provides over $1.5 million in scholarships for local students pursuing many educational paths, emergency assistance for students experiencing urgent need, resources beyond scholarship dollars to help ensure post secondary success, and grants to support educational programming and initiatives throughout the community. LEARN MORE
Strategic Partnerships with Broad Regional Impact
The Cape Cod Foundation supports strategic partnerships with broad regional impact. By working together, we can reduce duplication of efforts, leverage resources, create economies of scale, and expand impact throughout the community. We serve on several committees and boards to inform our work, share information, shape strategies, and influence policy. We also invest in strategic nonprofit partnerships that promote collaboration. LEARN MORE
Shared Resources
The Foundation supports initiatives that bring critical education, programming, and data to the nonprofit sector and the community at large. In recent years, we’ve hosted several community forums to share information about the region’s needs, resources, and opportunities to engage. LEARN MORE
A Seat at the Table
Our resources are not just financial. We also invest in partnerships that inform our work and give us the opportunity to share our expertise and community knowledge with others to increase our individual and collective impact across Cape Cod. LEARN MORE
The Town Fund Model
The Cape Cod Foundation continues to promote the Town Fund model, a hyper-local way for residents to support their communities. Each Town Fund started as a grassroots movement to create a permanent endowment fund to build resources to invest back into their communities every year. The model is highly effective because it combines the Advisory Committee members’ intimate town knowledge with the Foundation’s expertise in grantmaking, administration, marketing, and financial management. This partnership gives the Town Funds immediate and long-term visibility, credibility, functionality, and continuity. LEARN MORE
Other Replicable Philanthropic Models
In 2022, we partnered with Southworth Development, owners of Willowbend Country Club, on a member-driven philanthropic initiative designed to connect its members to the community. This successful partnership and philanthropic model can be adopted and adapted by other groups who want to engage with the Foundation to learn more about community needs and resources and increase impact through collective giving. LEARN MORE
Together, we have invested more than $106 million in grants and scholarships in the Cape Cod Community. For good.
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Cape Cod Foundation
508.790.3040
261 Whites Path, Unit 2
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
info@capecodfoundation.org
