Annual Report 2024–2025
Dear Friends,
We heard you. This year’s theme isn’t just a phrase — it’s a promise fulfilled.
Across Dutchess, Putnam, and Ulster counties, we listened closely: in community conversations, in surveys, and in one-on-one meetings with donors, nonprofit leaders, and residents from every walk of life. What we heard has shaped everything we’ve done since.
Your voices became Voices of the Hudson Valley—our first-ever regional insights report, reflecting what matters most to the people who live and work here.
We heard about what you love: the deep-rooted sense of place, the access to culture, learning, and nature, and the generosity of neighbors. And we heard your concerns: about housing affordability, mental health, childcare access, and the challenges facing our nonprofit partners.
You told us you wanted the Community Foundations to lead—with humility, with clarity, and with responsiveness. And we acted.
This year, we granted over $17 million across our three counties, growing our support for discretionary funds like the Fund for the Hudson Valley, which fuels regional research, nonprofit capacity-building, and urgent grantmaking.
We also responded to your feedback through the CEP Donor Perception Survey, improving our communications, refining how we steward your gifts, and making it easier to align your giving with emerging community needs.
You also shared that now more than ever, people want to see the impact of their giving. That’s why we’ve expanded our grant reporting, created new donor tools, and launched initiatives that align donor intent with lasting community outcomes.
“We heard you” means honoring our legacy while boldly stepping into the future—together.
Thank you for sharing your voice, your trust, and your generosity. Because of you, we are not just investing in the region—we are investing in its people, its possibilities, and its promise.
With appreciation,
Laura Washington
President & CEO
Robert Cotter
Board Chair
Images (from top): Stan & Sarah Beinstein, Energy Square, Sybil Ludington Statue (photo by Karen Pearson), Community Matters 2, Second Chance Foods, RUPCO.
