I. Overview

The Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust made 54 new grants in 2006, awarding over $2.6 million of its $3,059,230 annual annuity in new support. The remainder of the funds was allocated to commitments on multiple year grants. Of the 54 grants, 34 were one year grants, 15 were two year grants and 5 were three year grants. The Trust supports innovative approaches to persistent problems in its fields of interests, focused on new or expanded programs or growth in services or constituencies. Cox Trust-funded projects employ a number of strategies to achieve long term change in New England by means of public education, citizen engagement, policy development, pilot programs and direct service to underserved communities. The Cox Trust does not make grants listed below, the Trustees support a wide range of issues, constituencies and geographies.

A. Education

In 2006, the Trust made 12 new grants, awarding $775,112 in seven single year and five multi-year grants, covering four states. Among the projects supported by the Trust were programs immigrant and refugee youth, addressing racism in school envornments, supporting college access programs for nontraditional students, launching teacher preparation programs to increase the number of teachers of color, supporting the growth of new pilot schools, increasing parent engagement and addressing childhood literacy.

B. Environment

In 2006, the Trust made 12 new grants, awarding $622,804 in six single and six multi-year grants. The projects funded by the Trust address a wide range of enviornmental issues, consistent with the Trust's history of being responsive to pressing conservation, enviornmental justice and community building needs. Issues covered by the Trust's 2006 grants include land use, sustainable energy, open space, coastal fisheries protection, toxics and pollution prevention. The projects focus on improving local and state policies, engaging

C. Health

The Cox Trust supports promising new ideas and visionary projects that address the health of underserved and vulnerable residents in New England. In 2005, the Trust awarded 12 grants totaling almost $800,000 in its health program. Cox Trust funding is supporting health access, wellness and disease prevention throughout New England. The Trust is supporting innovative pilot projects in Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut focusing on wide ranging challenges to health, including access to prescription medicines, mental health services for people involved with law enforcement and corrections, health care for girls under state supervision, interpretation services for non- English speaking patients, and health care workforce development. The Cox Trust is also supporting children’s mental health reform in Rhode Island and a New England-wide strategy to promote the collaboration of medical and legal advocates to improve the health of children and low-income families. Finally, the Trust made a grant to expand the design and construction of hospitals and long term care facilities using “green” guidelines.

D. Philanthropy

Development of Philanthropy has typically been the Cox Trust’s smallest program area. Historically, the Trust has been a strong supporter of the creation of community foundations and has done through challenge grants. However, with the growth of community foundations in recent years, the Trust has focused its community foundation grants on those that support broad geographical regions, larger sized populations and areas that include economically disadvantaged populations. The Trustees are interested in new and innovative ways to encourage the development of philanthropy.