News

The National Iron & Steel Heritage Museum (NISHM) has announced Karen Simmons, President and CEO of the Chester County Community Foundation, as the recipient of the 20th Annual Rebecca Lukens Award. Simmons is being recognized for her longstanding leadership, commitment to community philanthropy, and impact across Chester County. With over 25 years at the Foundation, she has guided its growth and helped distribute millions in grants and scholarships, strengthening local nonprofits and initiatives. The award honors individuals who embody the leadership and resilience of Rebecca Lukens, a pioneering industrialist. Simmons will be celebrated at an event in May at the… Read More »

Funds benefit Chester County student to “help residents learn traditional trades” to preserve our historical heritage (WEST CHESTER, PA – March 10, 2026): Natalie Anne Wescott Leaf, born in 1903, was a West Chester native and lifelong Chester County resident.  She believed in the value of education to raise awareness and develop skills, spending 42 years teaching elementary school art. In the 1960’s Natalie set out to restore her parents’ 19th century home at 26 West Union Street in the borough of West Chester. She was dismayed to find a lack of craftsmen and artisans capable of the restoration work… Read More »

(WEST CHESTER, PA – February 18, 2026): The Chester County Community Foundation once again partnered with the Honors Stewardship and Civic Engagement Class at West Chester University to review and recommend the nonprofit recipient of the 2026 Benjamin Franklin Trust Fund award. The class is taught by Dr. Gerardina L. Martin, Assistant Director for the Honors College at WCU, who also serves on the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors. Students in the Honors Stewardship and Civic Engagement Class apply their knowledge of grant proposal writing and effective due diligence in the grant-making process to evaluate proposals submitted by qualifying nonprofit… Read More »

Thanks to Act 50 of 2025, Pennsylvania ended what many have described as a “100% tax” on dying without family or a will. Instead of assets going to Harrisburg, those estates now remain in the communities where those individuals lived, supporting local charities and the public good, forever. The fact is, some Pennsylvanians die without family or a valid will. They may have worked their entire lives, paid taxes, volunteered, and contributed to their communities. Until now, when they passed away, the fruits of that lifetime disappeared into the Commonwealth’s general fund, disconnected from the place they once called home…. Read More »

Contact: Beth Krallis, VP Marketing, bethk@chescocf.org Karen Simmons, President/CEO, karen@chescocf.org (610) 696-8211 West Chester, PA, January 29, 2026 — After a quarter of a century of visionary leadership and service, the Chester County Community Foundation announces that President/CEO Karen Simmons will retire this summer. Since taking the helm in 2001, Simmons has played a pivotal role in shaping the Foundation into the vibrant, community-centered organization it is today. Under her guidance, the Community Foundation’s assets and grantmaking have grown significantly, while its commitment to community legacy giving, nonprofit capacity building, and strategic impact have deepened. Simmons has been instrumental in… Read More »