Letter From The President

I was an enthusiastic observer in 1981, the year that the Town Creek Foundation (TCF) was certified as a 501 (c)(3) organization. Ted Stanley, TCF founder and my husband, was often asked about his reasons for starting a foundation. He might have begun his short explanation with something like, "I wanted to give while I was alive, not posthumously". He was passionate about the significance of the three areas of TCF giving: the environment, peace and security, and news dissemination. His belief in their interdependence and in the need to have the public mobilized to safeguard the earth was inescapable.

Ted so respected the work of grant seekers - both large and small - who were working for a healthy environment, an informed society and a peaceful world. This respect made him willing - when other foundations often were not - to provide general support and continuing support. He was guided by the concepts of "action and advocacy", and the threat of political controversy or lawsuits did not discourage him. Confident and resolved, Ted believed that government, corporations and the citizenry must respect the truth and be held accountable if a just and sustainable world is to be realized.

In assuming the presidency of the foundation in 2003, my goal was to continue with the passion and courage that characterized Ted's' leadership and to not depart from the fundamental areas in which we make grants. These remain my goals today. As we look back on our past, we observe that our causes--our natural heritage, world peace and the relevancy of the press--have not appreciably improved - the inescapable truth is that the condition of the earth and humanity has worsened.

As we enter our 25th year, we here at the Town Creek Foundation know that it is imperative to identify the best political strategies and collaborations that will sufficiently address the state of global degradation. We know the challenge is to help find and fund 'long-term' solutions and that an informed and mobilized citizenry will be required for their implementation. The Foundation seeks grantees who are thinking clearly and speaking honestly about the state of the world and are dedicated to the political work and strategies necessary to effectively transform societies.

Jennifer Stanley, President