The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (GWCHF) is pleased to share our 2020 Impact Report with the community.

Since inception, the Foundation has invested $10 million in Dodge and Jefferson counties to measurably improve child and family health outcomes. Our investments are designed to engage all sectors of our community in working collaboratively to improve determinants of health over the long term. We are committed to health equity, and we are honored to partner with agencies equally committed to ensuring every child has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.

We are proud of the progress our communities have made in just four years, and we look forward to continuing to grow our impact together!

Technical Assistance Grants - to support nonprofit and governmental agencies in engaging consulting expertise to evolve agency strategy, operations and fundraising to successfully fulfill the agency’s mission post pandemic.

Covid Emergency Response Grants - to support safety net agencies actively meeting basic community needs (including food, shelter, safety, education, health) who are experiencing increased demand or expenses due to the pandemic.

Nonprofit Stabilization Grants - to provide cash flow needed to stabilize nonprofit organizations whose viability is threatened due to the pandemic. Grants can be utilized to support fundraising gaps due to local event cancelations in 2020. They may also support agencies experiencing a significant loss in program and operational revenue due to the pandemic.

In fall of 2018, the Watertown Public Library, Watertown Family Center, and Foundation committed to create the TalkReadPlay Center, a best-in-class, early learning destination for families across the region. GWCHF made a five-year commitment to provide programming and technical assistance to support planning and implementation for the Center‘s opening in late 2021. 

In an Annual Progress Report made to the Boards of each organization, we outline the Center's mission, shared performance measures, key accomplishments in 2020, and priorities for 2021. We are growing more excited each day as we get closer to the Center's opening!

Thank you to the many organizations who have already distributed gratitude cards as part of our 20,000 Messages of Thanks Challenge. The effort has been a great success, and we want to continue the momentum!

Gratitude cards are available at no cost to businesses, schools, churches, libraries, civic groups and any other organization in Dodge or Jefferson County. Distribute them to students, employees, families, customers and community members and encourage them to write notes of gratitude to people who are making a difference.

Cards with envelopes are available in bundles of 100. They are also available in smaller quantities at multiple pick-up sites throughout the community. Click here to order cards online and to see pick-up locations.