Ten years ago, we decided to try something new. In partnership with our neighbors, our team explored how we might change the traditional nonprofit model to build a deeper, more lasting impact in our community. Building upon the historic, decades-long work of the Lower Price Hill Community School, we founded Community Matters and embraced the opportunity to do things differently.
We uncovered core values that we now use in every aspect of our work, including being flexible enough to take risks, centering the expertise and voice of our neighbors, and always believing in people. The results speak for themselves.
– Nearly 90% of families who partnered with us on long-term goals achieved one or more of those goals.
– An increased number of adults re-engaged with education, and 223 adult learners earned their GED or high school equivalent.
– We fostered community leaders resulting in more than 100 new initiatives, including a neighborhood grocery store.
– The Washing Well launched as a social enterprise laundromat, saving neighbors over $3.5 million since opening.
– Through strategic partnerships, we transformed 15 vacant, blighted buildings into affordable homes for families.
While these data points indicate progress, they only begin to capture the impact found in hundreds of positive stories from our neighbors. We include four stories from just the past year in this annual report.
Over the next year, we invite you to join us in celebrating the past ten years of learning, innovation, and impact at Community Matters as we look to discover what is possible within the next ten years!
Click here to read our full Annual Report.
Mary Delaney
Executive Director