By Kathi Clayton and Susan Bray

CHCA Annual Fund Co-Chairs

“Growing a Stronger Community Together” is the motto of the Chestnut Hill Community Association.

Chestnut Hill is a special place to live, work, shop and dine. It has been recognized as Philadelphia's best neighborhood because of its considerable amenities and quality of life. The Chestnut Hill Community Association (CHCA) and all the people who support its mission play a major part in maintaining such a vibrant community.

The CHCA is launching the Annual Appeal this month. This fund drive supports many of the programs and activities that make Chestnut Hill unique.

As our Annual Appeal gets underway we are taking this opportunity to outline how the CHCA works to improve the quality of life and encourage a sense of community in Chestnut Hill for readers of the Local who may not be familiar with the Community Association’s activities.

The CHCA is a 501c3 membership organization with three major focus areas: Service, Advocacy and Community.

Service and Advocacy

The CHCA serves as a public forum for residents and stakeholders of Chestnut Hill. This is where community policy is discussed. The CHCA has developed and maintains strategic partnerships with officials to better serve residential needs. We are the voice of our neighborhood to the City of Philadelphia regarding development, planning, and zoning. The CHCA also provides forums for residents to voice their opinions on issues and resources.

Community

The Association holds special events to bring residents together throughout the year. The Circle of Trees, Holiday House Tour, Pastorius Park Summer Concert Series, Friday Night Movies Under the Stars, the Community Parade and the Hoops Madness Basketball Tournament are all sponsored by the CHCA.

The CHCA also supports and coordinates some community-based activities with the Chestnut Hill Business District Association, the Chestnut Hill Conservancy, Woodmere Museum and other organizations throughout the year to promote and preserve Chestnut Hill’s unique attributes.

Membership and Operations

The Chestnut Hill Community Association has approximately 1,600 members who pay $50 membership dues annually. Membership, which funds the daily operations of the CHCA, includes a subscription to the Chestnut Hill Local (valued at $20, the remaining dues are tax deductible) discounts at over 60 participating Chestnut Hill businesses and the opportunity to join a CHCA committee, vote and run for a seat on the all volunteer board.

The CHCA Staff consists of a full-time executive director, a director of marketing, as well as development review facilitator, bookkeeper and a member relations coordinator – all of whom are part-time.

The CHCA board of directors meets monthly. Please refer to the committee section of the CHCA website for a list of the committees and what they do: www.chestnuthill.org

You do not need to be a resident of Chestnut Hill to join the CHCA. In fact, we have many members who do not live in Chestnut Hill but enjoy its amenities and support its events.

Outreach to Friends and Neighbors

We are confident that with your generous support we can achieve our ambitious Annual Appeal goal of $100,000 which will help to ensure Chestnut Hill remains one of the best neighborhoods anywhere!

If you are not currently a member, please join the CHCA.

All donations to the Annual Appeal are tax deductible. The Annual Appeal is underway until late April; however, many of our donors prefer to make their contributions this calendar year. Any donations made by Dec. 31, 2017, will be recognized as charitable gifts for 2017.

There are a few ways you can contribute.

Kindly write a check made out to the Chestnut Hill Community Association and mail it or drop it off at the office: Chestnut Hill Community Association, 8434 Germantown Ave, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19118 Go to our website and click “Donate” button: www.chestnuthill.org

We very much appreciate your contributions to the Annual Appeal. At the same time we welcome your opinion and suggestions as to how the CHCA can better serve you, your family and the Chestnut Hill community with future programs and events.

Please send your suggestions along with your donation, or contact us at info@chestnuthill.org.

We thank you for your generosity and support.