December is flying by and 2018 will be here before we know it. As you check off items from your end-of-the-year checklist, please don’t forget that Dec. 31 is the last day to make charitable contributions in order to receive a tax deduction for the 2017 fiscal year.

This year has been an exciting one for our city, our region and the Foundation. We granted more than $8.4M to city and regional nonprofits. Additionally, the Foundation awarded 390 scholarships totaling $630,000 to students at nearly 50 high schools in Central Massachusetts.

We also saw significant growth in our Summer Literacy Initiative where we have seen some remarkable outcomes. In the three years we have co-sponsored the program with the United Way, we’ve seen 75% of the children involved maintain or gain reading skills over the summer and 95% avoid typical levels of summer learning loss.

We’re extremely proud of all the work that we do and couldn’t do it without our board, corporators, donors, volunteers and staff.

If you would like to make a last minute charitable donation, our staff is available to help with any of your giving needs, including donations to funds and setting up new funds.

We thank you for all you do for bettering our community. Our commitment to keeping pace with the growth of Worcester and the Central Mass region is only rivaled by our commitment that everyone benefits from that growth. Together, we’re all looking forward to a wonderful 2018.