Contributing to the Health, Safety and Well-Being of the Canton Community.

MinutesMAY 19, 2025 BOARD MEETING

Minutes

MAY 19, 2025 BOARD MEETING

September 9, 2025

MAY 19, 2025 BOARD MEETING

Canton Community Center, Room B; Community Center PW: Collinsville2015

 5:30pm-8:30pm: Meal & Awarding Board Meeting

 

Attendees: Janot Bente, Sylvia Cancela, Ann Gorjanc, Ken Hiscoe, Deirdre Lloyd, Kristin Oswald, Linda Smith, Diane Sodaro (on iPad) Sandy Trionfini,

 

AT 5:30pm, ON MONDAY MAY 19, 2025 WITH A QUORUM IN PLACE, THE BOARD MEETING OF CANTON COMMUNITY HEALTH FUND, WHERE 2025 COMMUNITY PARTNERS & PAY IT FORWARD SCHOLARS WILL BE AWARDED WAS OPENED.

 

OPENING STATEMENT (Sylvia)

 

Tonight, we fulfill our fiduciary responsibilities to our 100-year Legacy by Canton Visiting Nurse Assn who entrusted us with the distribution of the Fund created by & for the Community in 1997. So, in 2025 we continue to build on this Legacy. We’ve worked hard to get here: we know our strategy, understanding the importance of our brand & the requirement for a consistent process that better guarantees equity in our funding distribution.

 

REVIEW, ASSESSMENT, AWARDING OF 2024 COMMUNITY PARTNER GRANTS & PAY IT FORWARD SCHOLARSHIPS

 

Sylvia conducted a review of CCHF’s Awarding Processes to ensure we move forward with the same understanding & underlying framework we began in 2023 and reviewed at our March Award Process Meeting; complimented with our Jan Strategy where we identified our brand at the ‘Growth Stage, continuing to build our awareness with new ideas & opportunities to thrive.

 

  • Awarding Process: Board Rules of Engagement

 

KEY MEASUREMENTS: 

  • Strategic Brand: GRANTS: Looking to Partner with a diversity network of Community leaders in the best position to serve Canton residents, which includes organizations working out of church basements to those with brick/motor campuses they run like professional businesses& even based out of Town SCHOLARSHIPS: Looking for Canton residents building careers that will inspire others to Pay It Forward through their work in healthcare or public Safety/Service.

 

  • Our Values: Generosity. Respect. Integrity. Service/Support. People First. Empathy. Credibility. Accountability & Due Diligence to the community with regards to their money & needs. Our Reputation built other things & operational standards.
  • Our Vision: Making the lives of Canton residents better. Empowering. Creating Value. Accessibility to funding. Being involved. Paying Attention. Listening. Partnering with Community Partners who want our success as much as we want theirs.
  • What We’re Not: We’re not just a paycheck. Our Community Partners are proud that they have earned their funding by their work & their merit; no one gets a grant just because they know someone on the Board & are entitled to get funding..
  • Distinctive Competency: Our diverse & significant relationships ‘hands on’ in the community & our 360-degree POV of how we serve the community.

NOTE: Some members may recuse themselves based on their own assessment, and personal integrity as to whether their relationship with an applicant might unfairly influence their vote

  1. 2025 COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
  • Data Points: Detailed applications; 2024 Impact Reports; Experience as 2024 Community Partners; Responses received to Board Follow up Q/A; Applicant Fact Sheets

 

  • Funding: Starting Point: Our Starting Point tonight, per our accountant, is $45,000 minimum with no maximum other than the individual grant maximum. That’s just to remain in compliance as a Nonprofit with the IRS. Every dollar after that is what defines our brand & solidifies our future legacy.

 

A review of CCHF’s Awarding Processes was shared. Process details are outlined in the March/2025 MINUTES.

 

  1. 2025 PAY IT FORWARD SCHOLARSHIPS: (Deidre)

 

  • Data Points: Detailed BLIND applications; Any responses received to Board Follow up questions; Fact Sheet; Responses to Follow up Q/A; ARE YOU IN CANTON? ARE YOU CONTRIBUTING TO THE COMMUNITY? ARE YOU IN HEALTHCARE OR PUBLIC SAFETY/SERVICE? NEED OF FUNDING SUPPPORT?

 

  • Funding: Starting Point: Recommended Scholarship beginning at $1,000 with flexibility of additional funding depending on the quality of the individual candidate.

 

A MOTION WAS MADE BY SANDY, SECONDED BY KRISTIN & UNANIMOUSLY VOTED ON AS 2025 CCHF INVESTMENTS:

 

  • Diters Legacy Scholarship: $3,000.00*
  • Community Grants: $51,116.00
  • Pay It Forward Scholarships: $8,000.00

 

For a total 2025 investment of $62, 116.00. See EXHIBIT #1.

*Administered by Canton Dollars for Scholars

 

NEXT STEPS

 

MAY

  • May 20: Sylvia will email 11 Approval & 1 Denial Letter to Grant Applicants
  • May 20: Sylvia will email 4 Approval Letters to PIF applicants
  • May 21: Linda updates ‘puzzle’ home page on FB with 2025 Community Partners
  • May 22: PR distributed to Valley Life for July**, Courant.com, Town FB Page.
  • May 29th Scholarship Award Reception, 6:30 Deirdre, Mark Diters to present: Dr. Diters Legacy Scholarship awards to 3 $1,000 students.

**Edit with May 29th Dr Diter Scholars names

  • May 30: Sylvia Follow up with 2025 Community Partners (with PR attachment), intro to each other & notice of Partnership meetings in June.

 

JUNE

  • Kristin: Fund & write grant checks to Community Partners & PIF Scholars
  • Sylvia: Coordinate in-person delivery of Community Partner Grant checks with Board members. Review Roles/Responsibilities, Story Sharing opportunities
  • Monday: June 30th: Marketing & Elections Meeting, 6:30pm-8:30pm, Room D

MEETING ADJOURNED

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS BOARD & TO ALL OUR 2025 COMMUNITY PARTNERS, DR DITERS LEGACY SCHOLARS & PAY IT FORWARD SCHOLARS!

 

THERE BEING NO ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO DISCUSS, SANDY MADE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MAY 19, 2025 MEETING OF THE CANTON COMMUINTY HEALTH FUNDAT 8:47pm. DEIDRE SECONDED THE MOTION. THERE WAS NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. THE MOTOIN PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

 

 

Last modified: September 10, 2025

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