2020 Annual Report - Frey Foundation

2020 Results

meeting challenges with collaboration, connection & trust

2020 will forever live in our memories as a time when the world reluctantly hit pause. Like everyone, our lives were upended. We were disoriented as we pivoted to working off-site and we were saddened as we mourned the staggering loss of life to COVID-19. Through all of this, we were incensed as we bore witness to systemic social injustices spotlighted as our nation struggled through a pandemic that disproportionately impacted our black and brown neighbors and further devastated already struggling families.

In our 2020 annual report, we seek to affirm our belief in place, equity, trust and community. As we all regain our civic footing, we believe that these values will help us heal and keep us ever mindful that while we were all experiencing the same storm, we were not all in the same boat.

We hope you enjoy the interactive elements of our report—a virtual placeholder to help connect us until we can resume social interaction again. We enthusiastically look forward to stepping out of our bubbles, continuing to lean into our important work of caring for our neighbors and celebrating our great communities together!

Leading with Trust

A Message from Board Chair Mary Frey Bennett

“This past year has been a lesson in humility and vulnerability. COVID-19 laid bare our nation’s disparities and inequities. As philanthropists, we have long been advocating for social justice, but when 2020 turned our world upside down, we realized that much more intentional work is needed.”

A Message from President Holly Johnson

“When we reflect on 2020 there will always be a collective sigh with memories of isolation, worry and stress. But I hope it also will be remembered as an inflection point where we built new muscle, better understood the barriers that foster inequity and deepened meaningful relationships.”

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Rising to the Occasion

How Local Philanthropy and Community Responded to the Global Health Crisis

The coronavirus pandemic has been referred to by many as “the great equalizer,” but we know that this does not accurately capture the reality of the situation. While we are all at risk of infection, we are not all equally affected by the virus and the corresponding public health response. The pandemic amplified existing inequities, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable in our communities, including communities of color, older adults and low-income populations. The lasting effects of this virus will be wide and deep and are greatly impacted by the social determinants of health in our communities. Thus, it was and continues to be critical to apply an equity lens to the planning and implementation of short- and long-term response efforts.

Follow the link below to learn more about our community partners and the Frey Foundation response.

Committed to Serving Better

Staying the Course with a New Grant Portal and Reconfigured Community Space

Prior to the inescapable disruptions brought by 2020, the Frey Foundation embarked on a journey to better serve community partners with the initiation of two ambitious projects—streamlining the grant management and application process with a new online grant portal and improving on-site community space and technology. Rather than pausing these projects to exclusively navigate the uncertainties of the pandemic, we committed to moving forward knowing that, in the long-term, both resources will serve our partners as they work to address critical community needs.

Watch the video and follow the link below to learn more about both projects.