Laura Ducceschi, president and CEO of Scranton Area Community Foundation; Terilynn Brechtel, chief operations officer of United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA; Christy Manuel, director of development and communications for United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA; Amy Betts, lead community impact manager for Scranton Area Community Foundation; and Ellen Burkey, WIP supporter, hold the check to United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA.
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Laura Ducceschi, president and CEO of Scranton Area Community Foundation; Tamara Hall of St. Joseph’s Center; Sister Maryalice Jacquinot, president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Center; and Ann Powell, WIP supporter, hold the check to St. Joseph’s Center.
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Peg Ruddy, CEO of WRC; Nancy Perri, grants and education program director for WRC; Mackenzie Major of WRC; Tessa Wright, economic and housing program director for WRC; and Laura Ducceschi, president and CEO of Scranton Area Community Foundation, hold the check to WRC.
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Laura Ducceschi, president and CEO of Scranton Area Community Foundation; Elaine Shepard, WIP supporter; Robin Olson, grants manager for Indraloka Animal Sanctuary; Indra Lahiri, CEO of Indraloka Animal Sanctuary; Patti Thomas, Scranton Area Community Foundation Board governor and WIP supporter; and Ellen Burkey, WIP supporter, hold the check to the Indraloka Animal Sanctuary.
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Laura Ducceschi, president and CEO of Scranton Area Community Foundation; Megan Gagorik, director of Children’s Advocacy Center; and Amy Betts, lead community impact manager of Scranton Area Community Foundation, hold the check to the Children’s Advocacy Center.
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Laura Ducceschi, president and CEO of Scranton Area Community Foundation; Brendan McGovern, executive director of Recovery Rises Foundation; Helen Lavelle, Board Chair of Recovery Rises Foundation; and Patti Thomas, Scranton Area Community Foundation Board Governor and WIP supporter, hold the check to Recovery Rises Foundation.
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Laura Ducceschi, president and CEO of Scranton Area Community Foundation; Sue Cosgrove, assistant director of school programs for Lacawac; and Patti Thomas, Scranton Area Community Foundation Board Governor and WIP supporter, hold the check to Lacawac Sanctuary Environmental Education Center.
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Women in Philanthropy announced the recipients of its 2026 Spring Grants Cycle, awarding $42,000 in grant funding to seven nonprofit organizations serving communities across the region.
Women in Philanthropy is an initiative of the Scranton Area Community Foundation dedicated to empowering and transforming the lives of women and girls throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. Since its founding in 2014, the initiative has raised more than $2 million and partnered with dozens of nonprofit organizations.
This year’s grant awards were presented during the Women in Philanthropy Spring Grants Meeting held this spring in Scranton.
Grant recipients include Children’s Advocacy Center of NEPA for its Resilient Mothers: Maternal Mental Health & Stabilization Program ($8,750); Indraloka Animal Sanctuary for Lotus Rising ($8,150); WRC for Safe Housing and Economic Empowerment for Survivors ($5,500); St. Joseph’s Center for Maternity Housing Transition Supplement ($5,400); Lacawac Sanctuary Environmental Education Center for its LeadHER in STEM Symposium ($5,000); Recovery Rises Foundation ($5,000); and United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA for its Multicultural Housing Stability Program ($4,200).
Each funded initiative addresses needs facing women, girls, and families in Northeastern Pennsylvania, from maternal mental health support and housing stability to economic empowerment and STEM education opportunities for young women.
Grant recipients and award amounts were selected during the Spring Grants Meeting by Women in Philanthropy Supporters, who gathered to hear presentations directly from nonprofit leaders before casting their votes.
