Carver was one of the inaugural honorees inducted into the Center for Nonprofit Excellence Hall of Fame in 2019. Fairfield County's Community Foundation, a consistent financial benefactor of Carver’s work, introduced its vision to strengthen, support, train, expand, and fortify the region's nonprofit community with the establishment of the Center for Nonprofit Excellence.
Members of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation and Hall of Fame honorees celebrate the 10th anniversary of FCCF’s Center for Nonprofit Excellence held at the Westport Library. Center: Carver’s Novelette Peterkin standing next to (then) FCCF President and CEO, Juanita James.
Across the United States, more than $326 billion has already been set aside for charitable giving through donor-advised funds (DAFs). These funds—administered by organizations such as Fairfield County’s Community Foundation (a long-time Carver donor), Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, and National Philanthropic Trust—allow individuals and families to reserve money for charitable purposes and recommend grants to nonprofit organizations over time.
For many donors, a donor-advised fund is one of the simplest and most effective ways to support causes they care about.
If you are a donor-advised fund holder living or working in Lower Fairfield County, we invite you to consider recommending a grant to The Carver.
For more than eight decades, The Carver has partnered with Norwalk Public Schools and the broader community to equip young people with the skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to succeed. Today, Carver serves more than 3,000 students each year through academic support, STEAM enrichment, workforce development, college preparation, and wellness programming.
Every day, Carver students are building the foundation for successful futures—graduating high school, pursuing college and careers, and developing the leadership skills our community needs.
A grant from a donor-advised fund can help make that possible.
DAF grants support programs such as:
After-school academic enrichment
Workforce readiness and paid internships for high school students
College preparation and mentoring
STEAM learning experiences that spark curiosity and creativity
Recommending a grant is simple. If you maintain a donor-advised fund, you can log into your sponsoring organization’s online portal and recommend a grant to The Carver. You can also visit Carver’s “Ways to Give” page, where our donor-advised fund DAF Direct widget allows you to quickly recommend a DAF grant to support Norwalk’s youth.
Your support helps ensure that Norwalk’s young people have access to the opportunities they deserve—and that our community continues to grow stronger for generations to come.
If you would like to learn more about Carver’s programs or discuss how a donor-advised fund grant can make an impact, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Together, we are investing in the future of Norwalk.