Together We Thrive

We want New Hampshire to be a community where everyone can thrive.

When a community can draw on the potential, strength, ingenuity and grace of every person in it, that community will be healthier, happier, more prosperous and a better place to live for all.

This aspiration is not new. But to make real, lasting progress, we need to think and act differently. It starts with being clear about who faces barriers to thriving, why those barriers exist and what it takes to remove them.

That is the work of our community foundation, now more than ever.

The crises of recent years — a pandemic, economic and social upheaval, polarization, threats to democracy, accelerating climate change — have further illuminated and widened inequities in New Hampshire. Too many of us face obstacles based on race, gender identity, socioeconomic background, age, geography, sexual orientation, immigration status, ability and other factors. People of color, in particular, face disproportionate barriers — to housing, health care, environmental protection and more.

For all of us to thrive, together, we need to face the challenges of this era with adaptation and determination to change. And — equally essential — with the hope, love and courage that nonprofits and the people who support them have shown in the last few years.

We have been asking what that means for the Foundation: Are we tackling big enough problems at their root causes? Whose voices are missing, and why? Where has philanthropy itself contributed to inequity? How can we collaborate more effectively with nonprofits, donors and other community members?

In December, the Foundation Board of Directors adopted a new strategic plan to answer those questions. It is called “Together We Thrive.”

Our purpose is to make New Hampshire a more just, sustainable and vibrant community by advancing equity and racial justice across the Foundation — leading with community, mobilizing philanthropic resources and aligning internal operations. We will elevate community voices in our decision-making, sharing power and creating solutions together. We will live our values: Accountability. Belonging. Collaboration. Courage. Equity. Justice. I invite you to learn more at nhcf.org/TogetherWeThrive.

We believe that New Hampshire can be a community where we can all thrive, together. Our future and shared well-being depend on it.

This work will take deep collaboration, unflagging tenacity and time. It is both urgent and generational, which is exactly what community foundations are built for.

Learn more about our strategic plan and how we can work together to make New Hampshire a community where everyone can thrive.