Community Events
Invite, Inspire, Impact
47th Volunteer Celebration
Thursday, April 23, 2026, 5:30 - 7:00 PM
Each April, we host our Annual Volunteer Celebration, a tradition that honors Darien’s volunteers. The free event invites community members, nonprofit partners, donors, and volunteers for an evening of appreciation, thanking and recognizing those whose time and talent make a lasting impact on our community.
Each year, we invite community organizations and individuals to nominate outstanding Darien resident volunteers for one of several award categories. Nominations are open to all and are accepted each spring through the online submission form. Each organization or individual may submit one nomination. Nominees must be Darien residents who have made a meaningful contribution during the past year and who have not previously been recognized for the same volunteer project.
Nominees are evaluated on their action, commitment, and time. All nominees and nominators are notified by email in late March, and award recipients are celebrated at the Volunteer Celebration in April.
Thank You to Our Generous Event Sponsors
Bankwell
Brown Harris Stevens
PURE Insurance
USI Insurance Services
Designed to Dine
Designed to Dine returns bigger and better on Friday, May 1, 2026, with two signature events in one day, celebrating The Community Fund's 75th Anniversary and nearly $30 million granted since 1951 to local nonprofits supporting the basic needs of our neighbors in Stamford, Norwalk, and Darien.
Tickets Available Sunday, March 1 at 4:00 PM.
Thank You to Our Generous Event Sponsors
KPMG
Land Rover Darien
JP Morgan Private Bank
Ring's End
The Corbin District
The Jennifer Leahy Team at Compass
Tuckernuck
Bankwell
Carlson & Carlson Insurance
Hollow Tree Self Storage & Wine Vault
Three Keys Team at Houlihan Lawrence
Tooher-Ferraris Insurance Group
Evening Celebration
Friday, May 1
6:00 - 10:00 PM
Join us for an evening of cocktails, culinary stations, and live entertainment, all set among an extraordinary showcase of 25+ designer tablescapes. Honoring Lisa Haas and her 20 years of service to The Fund.
Afternoon Tea Guest Speaker
Cece Bowman
The Community Fund is proud to welcome special guest speaker Cece Bowman, founder of Cece Bowman Interiors and former designer for Kemble Interiors.
Known for her bold use of color and richly layered spaces, Cece creates homes that feel both elevated and deeply lived-in. Her fifteen year career has taken her from Palm Beach to Texas, Pennsylvania, Antigua, and more recently, Litchfield County, CT, where she grew up. Cece has been featured in Southern Living, House Beautiful, Luxe, Flower Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.
Cece will lead an inspiring conversation, exploring how color confidence and thoughtful layering can turn a beautiful room into a memorable experience, sharing her signature philosophy of embracing personality, warmth, and her mantra: no white walls.
Evening Celebration Honoree
Lisa Haas
Photo by Calderwood Photography
The Community Fund is proud to honor Lisa Haas for 20 years of dedicated service and steady leadership advancing local philanthropy. Lisa has played an integral role in ensuring that donor generosity translates into measurable impact for our neighbors in need.
Lisa’s journey with The Community Fund began as a Community Grant Volunteer shortly after she moved to town, where she applied her financial and analytical expertise to evaluating nonprofit programs and outcomes. She later served on the Board of Directors before joining the staff, bringing a deep understanding of both governance and grantmaking to the organization.
Today, as Grants Director, Lisa leads the annual grant review process, engaging more than 80 volunteers and overseeing recent record-setting grant distributions exceeding $790,000 annually. She also guides the Youth Community Fund, introducing Darien students to local needs through philanthropy, research, and volunteerism.
Grant Awards Celebration
Save the Date
Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Each year, we proudly host our Annual Grant Awards Celebration to recognize and celebrate the incredible work of our local nonprofit grantees. During this special event, we announce and present our annual community grants — funds that directly support nonprofit programs providing access to food, housing, physical and mental healthcare, employment skills, youth success programs, and emergency services to our neighbors in need.
The event is free, open to the public, and welcomes community members, donors, volunteers, and our nonprofit partners. The celebration is a chance to honor their dedication and the generosity of our donors who make this support possible.
Darien Road Race & Family Fun Day
Save the Date
46th Annual Darien Road Race
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Every September, we host our annual Darien Road Race & Family Fun Day, bringing together more than 500 runners, walkers, volunteers, and supporters to raise essential funds for our grant pool. Locals are invited to “Run for a Reason” in either the 1.5-mile Fun Run or the 5-mile Race along Darien’s scenic coastline, beginning and ending at Pear Tree Point Beach.
Throughout the morning, families enjoy beachside activities in a large tent featuring a photo booth, face painting, games, a prize booth, and more. This is truly a community favorite event, and we invite all neighbors to join us at our next race on September 20, 2026.
This past year, the Darien Road Race raised $65,000 to support local nonprofits.
Mahjong for Good
This past November, we hosted our first-ever Mahjong for Good fundraiser at Woodway Country Club. The sold-out event welcomed over 150 local mahjong enthusiasts and Community Fund supporters for an energized evening of play and shared commitment to caring for their neighbors.
The fundraiser generated more than $25,000 for The Community Fund’s 2026 Grant Pool, which provides grants to local nonprofits supporting the basic needs of neighbors in Stamford, Norwalk, and Darien – providing access to food, housing, physical and mental healthcare, employment skills, youth success programs, and emergency services.
