SouthCoast Community Foundation

SouthCoast Community Foundation Uniting people, organizations, and resources to strengthen our communities.

ONE WEEK TO GO! We're counting down the days to the Creative Sector Summit, and counting up participants as more and mor...
06/08/2026

ONE WEEK TO GO! We're counting down the days to the Creative Sector Summit, and counting up participants as more and more of you lock in your tickets. ๐ŸŽซ

Reserve your ticket today and join 260+ artists, community organizers, educators, planners, arts administrators, public officials, and culture bearers for an unforgettable day of peer-learning, skills-sharing, and community-building.

Visit mass-creative.org/summit to learn more and join us.

The 2026 Creative Sector Summit is made possible by Buttonwood Park Zoo, the College of Visual & Performing Arts at UMass Dartmouth, Explore New Bedford, Massachusetts Health Connector, MassDevelopment, New Bedford Creative, O'Neill and Associates, Portugalia Marketplace, SouthCoast Community Foundation, The New Bedford Light - A community-news organization, The Trustees, WaterFire Providence, Women's Fund SouthCoast, and 8 Stratton Events

Yesterday, Patti Rego, Director of Communications and Community Engagement, was pleased to join community leaders, elect...
06/05/2026

Yesterday, Patti Rego, Director of Communications and Community Engagement, was pleased to join community leaders, elected officials, nonprofit partners, and supporters at Kennedy-Donovan Center (KDC)'s special walkthrough event in New Bedford.

Guests had the opportunity to learn more about KDC's remarkable impact across the region and explore plans for the future ๐—–๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—œ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜, a transformative project that will renovate a 3,500-square-foot social hall into a welcoming space for collaboration, connection, learning, and community engagement.

For more than 50 years, KDC has provided life-changing services and supports for children, adults, and families throughout Massachusetts, helping individuals of all abilities thrive and reach their full potential. The proposed Center for Impact reflects that same commitment to building stronger communities by creating a shared resource where people and organizations can come together to learn, connect, and create positive change.

The Foundation is grateful for the opportunity to learn more about this exciting vision and looks forward to seeing the impact it will have across the SouthCoast.

๐ŸŽ“ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ต๐—–๐—ผ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—™๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป'๐˜€ ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฒ ๐—ฆ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐˜€!  On Tuesday, we celebrated ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฐ ๐—น...
06/05/2026

๐ŸŽ“ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ต๐—–๐—ผ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—™๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป'๐˜€ ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฒ ๐—ฆ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐˜€!

On Tuesday, we celebrated ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฐ ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐˜€๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐˜€ ๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜€ ๐—ฆ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ป ๐— ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ผ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—น๐˜† ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป $๐Ÿต๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ,๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜€๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐˜€ to help pursue their educational goals and dreams for the future. ๐ŸŽ‰

These awards represent far more than financial support. They are a reflection of a community that believes in investing in the next generation. Thanks to the generosity of more than 60 scholarship funds, and the dedication of our donors, volunteers, fund advisors, and staff, these students are taking their next steps with the encouragement and support of an entire region behind them.

We are incredibly proud of each recipient and look forward to seeing all they accomplish.

๐Ÿ“š See the full list of 2026 scholarship recipients: https://southcoastcf.org/2026sccfscholarships/



UMass Dartmouth Fall River Public Schools Brockton Public Schools Dartmouth Public Schools Wareham Public Schools Westport Community Schools Fairhaven Public Schools Somerset Public Schools / Somerset Berkley Regional School District Plymouth Public Schools New Bedford Guide Fall River Reporter HNNow SouthCoast Today New Bedford Public Schools

On Friday, May 29, SouthCoast Community Foundation's Dianne Gauthier, CAPยฎ, Chief Strategy Officer, and Patti Rego, Dire...
05/31/2026

On Friday, May 29, SouthCoast Community Foundation's Dianne Gauthier, CAPยฎ, Chief Strategy Officer, and Patti Rego, Director of Communications & Community Engagement, were proud to serve as Community Advisors at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Civics Project Showcase at the UMass Dartmouth.

Alongside dozens of fellow volunteers from across the region, Patti and Dianne met with student teams to learn about and provide feedback on their civics projects, joining a day that brought together more than 70 middle and high school students from area schools.

The projects tackled a wide range of timely and important issues, from environmental sustainability and educational equity to mental health and community well-being. Through thoughtful research, collaboration, and civic action, students demonstrated what it means to engage with the issues shaping their communities.

Hosted by DESE in partnership with Generation Citizen, the Civics Project Showcase is part of a broader effort to strengthen civic learning and engagement among young people. Generation Citizen works with school districts to transform how civics is taught, helping students move beyond textbooks and into real-world problem solving by identifying community issues, researching solutions, and taking meaningful civic action.

The annual showcase gives students the opportunity to share their work in a science fair-style setting while receiving feedback from community advisors representing education, government, business, healthcare, and the nonprofit sector.

We left inspired by the passion, creativity, and commitment these young people brought to their projects. Their ideas, curiosity, and determination are powerful reminders that the next generation is already making a difference in their communities.

Congratulations to the 92 graduates of the Class of 2026 at UMass Dartmouth School of Law, the only public law school in...
05/25/2026

Congratulations to the 92 graduates of the Class of 2026 at UMass Dartmouth School of Law, the only public law school in Massachusetts. Your achievement represents years of hard work, perseverance, and a commitment to justice, public service, and strengthening communities across the Commonwealth and beyond.

The SouthCoast Community Foundation was especially proud to see our own Chief Community Investment Officer and University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees member Julie Ramos Gagliardi take part in this meaningful milestone, offering remarks and well wishes as graduates prepare for the next chapter of their journeys.

As these new attorneys step forward into careers in advocacy, public interest, business, government, and community leadership, we celebrate the important role they will play in shaping a more just and equitable future. Congratulations to the entire Class of 2026. ๐ŸŽ“ โš–๏ธ

UMass Law

This morning, Patti Rego, Director of Communications & Community Engagement, and Samia Walker, Director of Programs and ...
05/22/2026

This morning, Patti Rego, Director of Communications & Community Engagement, and Samia Walker, Director of Programs and a BankFive Board Member, were honored to attend BankFiveโ€™s fourth annual Flagpole Ceremony at the Veterans Association of Bristol County headquarters on Globe Street in Fall River.

During the ceremony, BankFive announced a $75,000 donation to support the VABC's programs, services, and ongoing capital campaign, bringing the bankโ€™s total support to $100,000. The event also included the unveiling of a flagpole at the organizationโ€™s headquarters ahead of Memorial Day weekend.

The ceremony brought together veterans representing generations of service, from World War II through the Global War on Terrorism, alongside community leaders, elected officials, and advocates committed to supporting those who have served our country and their families.

The SouthCoast Community Foundation is grateful to see organizations like BankFive continue to invest in the strength, dignity, and wellbeing of our veteran community here on the SouthCoast.

โ˜€๏ธ Summer Office Hours โ˜€๏ธBeginning Friday, May 22 through Friday, September 4, the Foundationโ€™s office hours will be:Mon...
05/22/2026

โ˜€๏ธ Summer Office Hours โ˜€๏ธ
Beginning Friday, May 22 through Friday, September 4, the Foundationโ€™s office hours will be:

Mondayโ€“Thursday: 9:00 AM โ€“ 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM โ€“ 2:00 PM

We remain committed to serving our donors, nonprofit partners, and community throughout the summer months.

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As we head into Memorial Day weekend and the start of the summer season, the SouthCoast Community Foundation pauses to honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Their sacrifice reminds us of the importance of community, compassion, and caring for one another, values that continue to guide our work across the SouthCoast every day.

We also wish everyone a safe, meaningful, and restorative holiday weekend with family, friends, and loved ones.

Over the past three days, the SouthCoast Community Foundation had the privilege of hosting Dr. Irwin M. Jacobs, visionar...
05/21/2026

Over the past three days, the SouthCoast Community Foundation had the privilege of hosting Dr. Irwin M. Jacobs, visionary scientist, co-founder of Linkabit and Qualcomm (respectively), and philanthropist, on a meaningful visit back to his hometown of New Bedford.

Joined by his grandson Conner Jacobs, the visit offered an opportunity to reconnect with the community, students, educators, nonprofit leaders, and institutions helping shape the future of Greater New Bedford, including Buttonwood Park Zoo, Carlos Pacheco Elementary School (formerly known as the Mt. Pleasant Street School, where Dr. Jacobs attended elementary school), New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford Light - A community-news organization, New Bedford Public Schools, New Bedford Research & Robotics, New Bedford Whaling Museum, the Zeiterion, UMass Dartmouth, and YMCA Southcoast.

One especially moving moment was Dr. Jacobsโ€™ visit to view the completed mural on the Joan and Irwin Jacobs STEAM Center for Education at Global Learning Charter Public School. Created by nationally acclaimed muralist Sophy Tuttle in partnership with New Bedford Creative and DATMA, the mural was designed to reflect Mrs. Jacobsโ€™ love of the arts, music, nature, and education. Seeing the finished work in person was a powerful reminder of how philanthropy, creativity, and education can come together to leave a lasting impact on a community.

Dr. Jacobsโ€™ generosity and commitment to giving back to the city that helped shape him continues to create opportunities for generations of young people across Greater New Bedford. He is an extraordinary example of what it means to remain connected to oneโ€™s roots and to use success as a pathway to uplift others.

We are deeply grateful for another memorable visit with Dr. Jacobs and Conner and look forward to welcoming them back again next year.

๐ŸŽ“ Last evening, the SouthCoast Community Foundation celebrated the 25th anniversary of the the Jacobs Family New Bedford...
05/21/2026

๐ŸŽ“ Last evening, the SouthCoast Community Foundation celebrated the 25th anniversary of the the Jacobs Family New Bedford High School Scholarship at the Zeiterion honoring five remarkable New Bedford seniors whose hard work, leadership, and commitment to their communities have earned them each a $40,000 scholarship toward their college education.

Founded by New Bedford native, Qualcomm co-founder, and philanthropist Dr. Irwin M. Jacobs and his late wife Joan, the Jacobs Family New Bedford High School Scholarship has now supported 94 students since 2001.

This yearโ€™s Jacobs Scholars are:
๐ŸŽ“ Lana Jones, New Bedford High School
๐ŸŽ“ Gracielle Lopes, New Bedford High School
๐ŸŽ“ Laci Silva, New Bedford High School
๐ŸŽ“ Gladys Nieto, Global Learning Charter Public School
๐ŸŽ“ Denisse Alvarez Figaro,Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School

The evening also featured inspiring remarks from former Jacobs Scholar Dr. Nathan Macedo, reflections from community leaders, and a moving address from Dr. Jacobs himself, who returned to his hometown alongside his grandson Conner Jacobs.

Guests were also treated to a special performance by members of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, including a surprise dedication and original trumpet fanfare created by 5th graders at Jacobs Elementary School as part of The Fanfare Project, a powerful initiative celebrating creativity, connection, and the ability of music to honor and uplift others. The student-composed tribute offered a heartfelt moment of gratitude and recognition for Dr. Jacobs and his lasting impact on generations of New Bedford students.

For 25 years, the Jacobs Family Scholarship has opened doors, expanded opportunity, and reminded generations of students that extraordinary futures can begin right here in New Bedford. We are proud to celebrate these students and grateful to the Jacobs family for their enduring investment in the potential of our community. โœจ

New Bedford Public Schools

๐—ฉ๐—ผ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฐ๐—น๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐Ÿฏ๐Ÿฒ ๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€! ๐Ÿ˜ฎLast year, Summerโ€™s Last Blast was named Runner-Up for Best Gala in the South ...
05/15/2026

๐—ฉ๐—ผ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฐ๐—น๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐Ÿฏ๐Ÿฒ ๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€! ๐Ÿ˜ฎ

Last year, Summerโ€™s Last Blast was named Runner-Up for Best Gala in the South Coast Almanac Best Of Awards. This year, thereโ€™s still time to help us bring it home. ๐Ÿฅ‚๐ŸŽ‰

If Summerโ€™s Last Blast has ever been one of your favorite nights of the year, weโ€™d be honored to have your vote for Best Gala.

๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ Vote now: https://bit.ly/scabestplaces26

Address

350 Union Street
New Bedford, MA
02740

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15089968253

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