ALLOCATIONS

The Community Fund allocations process involves over 50 volunteers from the Darien community and is overseen by the Allocations Executive Committee which includes TCF board members and seasoned past allocations volunteers.

Each year agencies are invited to apply for grants from TCF. Allocations volunteers are divided into panels which thoroughly and objectively study, evaluate and deliberate over each agency’s effectiveness in delivering quality programs and the best use of TCF donors’ dollars. Each Panel reviews three or four like-agencies, reads grant applications, studies financials, makes site visits and asks questions of agency professionals and board.

The Community Fund allocations panels are given funding criteria to evaluate each agency. These criteria include:

• demonstrated positive impact to address need in the community
• experience and strength of the organization
• effective use of funds
• clear and measurable goals
• reasonable strategic plans to achieve those goals
• demonstrated financial need

For more information about becoming an Allocations volunteer, please contact lisa@communityfunddarien.org.

“Once again, our staff was impressed with the members of The Community Fund of Darien’s allocations panel. These community volunteers spent considerable time, and engaged in careful evaluation, to ensure that contributions from Darien residents would be put to good use within their town.”
~Edward Pollack, Anne Lynn, Debra Hertz, John McCarty
Darien residents and Board members, Liberation Programs