The Foundation's Community Impact Endowment (CIE) is comprised of generous gifts from visionary donors who knew that their unrestricted gifts would allow the Community Foundation to respond to the ever-changing needs and opportunities in our community for generations to come. These gifts have allowed the Foundation to create the Connected Communities grant initiative and projects like Midlands Gives. The Connected Communities grant initiative aims to answer the questions, "What makes residents love where they live?" and "What draws them in and keeps them there?" The Foundation is working to improve our quality of life and make the Midlands more connected, vibrant, compassionate and engaged. We strive for a livable, equitable and just community for all. Through this grant program, the Foundation funds philanthropic projects - spearheaded by Midlands nonprofits - with the common goal of further connecting residents to the community and knitting the Midlands region together. Since its inception, the initiative has granted over $3 million to local projects. This year's grant awards total $375,000 and the 14 Midlands nonprofit recipients are located in Calhoun, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry and Richland counties. The projects vary greatly, but include support for caregivers (caring for loved ones with dementia or sickle cell disease), sober-living for college students, virtual healthcare access for rural residents, innovative projects to provide wrap-around support for those experiencing housing insecurity, and community events and services to help small towns connect.