7 THE UNITED WAY’S SHARED SERVICES INITIATIVE The Newtowne School in Cambridge is one of 14 childcare providers in Cambridge/Somerville supported by the United Way’s Shared Services Initiative. The Initiative provides business support and training so that staff can focus on curriculum and children and save on operating costs. It received a $30,000 CCF grant that includes $15,000 in matching funds from The Alice Wolf Early Education and Care Fund in 2018. Photo by the Newtowne School CREATIVE MARKETPLACE/CAMBRIDGE ARTS COUNCIL Cambridge Arts Creative Marketplace is a program that positions artists as an integral part of our innovation economy and promotes a marketplace where residents, artists, arts organizations, and business and corporate communities can connect to support increased cultural identity and economic vitality in Cambridge. It received a $10,000 CCF grant in 2018. Source: (2012 data) The City of Cambridge Community Needs Assessment, 2017. Photo by Greg Cook, courtesy of Cambridge Arts Council 125 nonprofit arts organizations active in Cambridge trative help. Others are multiyear investments, such as $200,000 over four years to Family Independence Initiative. Still other grants respond to nonprofit needs, with requests increasing every year. Through these efforts and Donor Advised Funds, we distributed 1.34 million in grants in 2018 to 150 nonprofit organizations involved in human services, workforce training, housing, hunger, homelessness, elder services, youth and early childhood services, education, and the arts. Listening to the community and responding to its needs is essential for a local philanthropic platform that supports shared prosperity, social equity, and the city’s cultural richness. “The Foundation’s grants offer much-needed financial support so local nonprofit organizations can carry out critical work here in Cambridge,” says Jason Weeks, executive director of the Cambridge Arts Council. “Receiving support from a highly respected organiza- tion like the Cambridge Community Foundation is an important stamp of approval that gives other donors and foundations the encouragement and confidence to also support our programs.” The Cambridge Endowment was built by generous donors over the last century and supports the Commu- nity Fund. Beginning with Jonathan Parmenter’s bequest, the founding gift for CCF, the Cambridge Endowment is still supporting college students today through the Parmenter Fund and grants that reach thousands of Cambridge children, adults, seniors, and families.