About Us

Our Community. Your Foundation.

Since 1995, the SouthCoast Community Foundation has served as a catalyst for philanthropic giving. By matching donor resources with the needs in our community, we champion change and engagement in our region.

As a tax-exempt, public charity, the SouthCoast Community Foundation offers donors the guidance and flexibility to fulfill their philanthropic goals. We serve a range of charitable individuals and corporations whose main concern is improving the quality of life in our community.

The SouthCoast Community Foundation allocates individual, family and corporate funds to meet community needs. To date, we have contributed over $41.9 million in assets to charitable grants, funds, and scholarships across the SouthCoast. We currently support over 175 programs benefiting art, culture, education, and humanitarianism across the region.

Our Board

Our Board of Directors helps our community thrive by mobilizing philanthropic giving.

Board of Directors

Linda Bodenmann
Chair

Eric Strand
Vice Chair

Louis E. Sousa CFA
Treasurer

Carl J. Cruz
Clerk

Seth Garfield
Past Chair

John Vasconcellos
President

Trish Arnold
Colleen Carney Courtney
Damōn Chaplin
Nicholas M. Christ
Priscilla Ditchfield
Gail Fortes
Jayne Rebllo Korn
Maria A. Rosario
Cynthia Rose
Jonathan Rounds
Jason Rua
Denise M. Porche

Director Emeritus
Kim Clark

Our Team

Our staff and associates are champions of our community, with focuses on public service and development, arts and culture, youth services, finance, and more.

John Vasconcellos
President, 508-996-8253 ext. 201,
jvasconcellos@cfsema.org

John Vasconcellos joined the Community Foundation as President on August 1, 2016. Most recently, John served as Senior Regional Director for the Southeast and Boston Regions of The Trustees of Reservations. Other experience includes Managing Director of Development and Marketing for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Vice President of Development and Communications at the Buzzards Bay Coalition and Director of Development for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Jasmyn Baird
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
508-996-8253 ext. 217
jbaird@cfsema.org

Jasmyn Baird joined the Community Foundation in March 2020 as Marketing and Communications Coordinator. Jasmyn is a graduate of The New School Master of Media Management program and received her Bachelors of Marketing from UMass Dartmouth. As a New Bedford native, Jasmyn has been involved with creating an impactful digital footprint for nonprofits in the local area of New Bedford.

Pam Ellis
Development Systems Administrator
508-996-8253 ext. 214
pellis@cfsema.org

Pam Ellis joined the Community Foundation in October 2017 as Development Systems Administrator. She served 10 years as Development Operations Assistant/Office Manager for the Marion Institute and has extensive experience as an environmental educator at several local institutions and nonprofit organizations. In one of her many volunteer leadership roles in the community, Pam serves as secretary for the Leadership SouthCoast alumni committee, and is a member of the Class of 2013.

Pamela Evans
Director of Finance and Administration
508-996-8253 ext. 204
pevans@cfsema.org

Pamela Evans, CPA, joined the Community Foundation in 2015 as Director of Finance and Administration. Pam most recently has been an associate with ML Nunes and Associates. From 2010-2014 she was Director of Finance for the Schwartz Center for Children. Her previous non-profit work included the YWCA of York PA and the Audubon Society. She currently serves as a member of the Finance Committee for the Women’s Fund.

Rayana Grace
Arts and Culture Program Manager
508-996-8253 ext. 203
rgrace@cfsema.org

Rayana Grace joined the Community Foundation in April 2018 as Arts & Culture Program Manager. A New Bedford native, she most recently served as Youth Development Director for the New Bedford YMCA where she focused on the creation of innovative community partnerships to increase the impact of programs for city youth. Rayana is a member of the Leadership SouthCoast Class of 2017 and she serves as Treasurer of the New Bedford Historical Society Board of Directors.

Tricia Grime
Development Manager
508-996-8253
pgrime@cfsema.org

Tricia Grime joined the Community Foundation in February 2019 as Development Manager with a focus on Annual Giving & Special Events. Early in her career, she wore many hats as co-owner of her family business, a successful wholesale chemical & knitting company in the city of New Bedford, Dyl-Chem, Inc. aka Whalerknits. Upon retirement from the company in 2003, Tricia joined Southcoast Health. She held various administrative positions throughout these years, most recently as Development Associate & Manager of Special Events. As a recipient of the Southcoast Health President’s Award of Excellence in 2018, Tricia was recognized for her excellence in service, leadership and cultural values.

Kim Heard
Office Administrator
508-996-8253 ext. 215
kheard@cfsema.org

Kim Heard joined the Community Foundation in March 2017 as Office Administrator. She began working for The Trustees of Reservations, a Massachusetts based conservation organization, as a part time Administrative Assistant in April 2004 and was promoted to Executive Assistant supporting the Southeast/Boston Regional Director in July 2011. She held that position until her departure in February 2017. Kim grew up in Tiverton, RI and has lived in New Bedford since 1994.

Holly Weeden
Programs and Donor Services Manager
508-996-8253 ext. 202
hweeden@cfsema.org

Holly Weeden joined the Community Foundation in April 2017 as Programs and Donor Services Manager. Holly is a graduate of the UMass Dartmouth Master of Public Policy program. As a Southcoast native, Holly has been involved with several public organizations within the region. During her student career, she gained exposure to the public sector through her internships at the Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board and the Community and Economic Development Authority of Wareham. Most recently, she worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at the UMASS Dartmouth Public Policy Center, where she assisted with community-based research initiatives in New Bedford and surrounding communities.

AHA! (Art, History and Architecture!)
Candace Lee Heald
AHA! Director
508-996-8253 ext. 205
ahacoordinator@cfsema.org

Candace Lee Heald has been Director of AHA! – New Bedford’s 2nd Thursday FREE Art and Culture Night since 2007. Lee previously worked as Vice-President of Programs, Education and Exhibitions at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, where she oversaw educational and public programs, exhibitions and library functions as well as visitor services and volunteers. She received her Ph.D. from Lesley University, an MA in American History from the University of Delaware, and BA in American History from Brown University. Lee was one of the authors for the original AHA! grant, and served as Program and Steering Committee Chairs from 1999 until joining the staff.

Our Strategic Priorities

Building on nearly 25 years of history and looking ahead toward the next phase of our work to mobilize philanthropy by matching donors and resources with community needs for the benefit of our region, the SouthCoast Community Foundation has grounded itself in a deep understanding of the organization’s business model as well as the needs and challenges of our region.

In order to meet our mission and fulfill the obligations of the SouthCoast Community Foundation, the strategic focus over the next five years will need to balance internal improvements with more robust and engaging external initiatives. We will continue our commitment to be the philanthropic partner of choice for local donors, and we will articulate and promote a clear vision of the impact we will have in servicing the needs of our communities.

By 2023, we will:

Build a Community Foundation that can serve the needs of our region.
Be an effective catalyst for philanthropy.
Improve the quality of life in our region through education, arts and culture, and economic opportunity.

For a detailed summary of our strategic priorities and how we plan to meet them, click below.

view strategic priorities

Our Financials

The SouthCoast Community Foundation was established in 1995 with its first charitable gift of $100,000. For 25 years, we have shown significant growth. We now manage more than $35 million in charitable assets in support of more than 175 funds established by our dedicated nonprofit, individual, and corporate fundholders.

To view our most recent financial statement, click below.

view recent statement

Our History

Since 1995, the SouthCoast Community Foundation has given rise to philanthropic giving across the SouthCoast region.

In its first year of operation, the SouthCoast Community Foundation received its first charitable gift of $100,000. In 1997, we invested $1 million to establish Youth Entitled to Success (Project YES), spearheading drug abuse prevention and education efforts in our community.

For 25 years, we have supported personal and corporate philanthropy by offering a range of innovative giving options. We offer a variety of funds to help every donor meet their philanthropic goals.

The SouthCoast Community Foundation currently manages more than $35 million in charitable assets in support of more than 175 funds established by nonprofits, families, and businesses across Southeastern Massachusetts.

Our Region

In its 25 years of operation, the SouthCoast Community Foundation has distributed more than $30 million to charitable organizations throughout the SouthCoast.

We are active in 41 cities and towns across 4 counties of Southeastern Massachusetts. Our service area includes Greater New Bedford, Greater Fall River, Southern Plymouth County and more.

The SouthCoast Community Foundation serves charitable organizations in Bristol, Plymouth, Dukes and Norfolk Counties.

Bristol County
Acushnet
Attleboro
Berkley
Dartmouth
Dighton
Easton
Fairhaven
Fall River
Freetown
Mansfield

New Bedford
North Attleboro
Norton
Raynham
Rehoboth
Seekonk
Somerset
Swansea
Taunton
Westport

Plymouth County
Abington
Bridgewater
Brockton
Carver
East Bridgewater
Halifax
Hanson
Kingston
Lakeville

Marion
Mattapoisett
Middleboro
Plymouth
Plympton
Rochester
Wareham
West Bridgewater
Whitman

Dukes County
Gosnold

Norfolk County
Avon
Stoughton