Dear friends and colleagues,

This letter is to inform you that the Perrin Family Foundation will be closing its doors as of September 30, 2023, after 28 years of working with non-profits and philanthropic organizations across Connecticut. The founders have made this difficult decision as the result of irresolvable governance issues within the family. I deeply regret the harm and confusion this decision has caused our staff and community partners. I sincerely hope that the groundwork laid through our deep investments in the power of youth organizing and youth led social change will continue to support and guide others into the future.

I would like to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of our Community Board and Strategy Council members: Alyssa-Marie, Cajigas Rivera Ortiz, Kerry Ellington, Twy Greaves, Kia Levey-Burden and Clifton Watson. These individuals were brave and generous enough to work with our family in an attempt to shift the status quo of a traditional family foundation. It was both a challenging and rewarding process for me and the decision to dissolve the foundation is in no way a reflection on them.

I would also like to thank our incredible staff for their commitment and service to PFF: Laura McCargar for her 12 year tenure at PFF, and for her formidable leadership and care running the foundation for the last seven years; Amarilis Pullen for her creative spirit and dynamic program work which served as a training hub for so many of our partners; and Mindy Wallen for her diligence and attention to our administrative needs in these recent months. I would also like to thank all of our partners and multiple stakeholders who have walked alongside us and supported PFF’s evolution over the years.

It has been a long and productive road with many lessons learned along the way. I believe in the mission and vision that has driven our work over the past decade and hope it can continue to grow outside of our institutional walls. Despite the decision to close the foundation, my belief in building youth power for social and racial justice remains strong.

I am proud of what the Perrin Family Foundation has accomplished. I am grateful to our grantee partners who have persisted in their dedication to their missions. And I continue to be inspired by the youth across our state who are standing up and speaking out on racial and social injustice in Connecticut.

Sincerely,
Sheila Perrin
Co-Founder