Traditionally, it is the time of year when the Chestnut Hill Community Association holds its Annual Appeal to raise funds for our programs, events and operations.

This year is different. We are not holding the CHCA Annual Appeal at this time. We have determined it is best to postpone it until April 2026.

Here is why: As many of you may know, our newspaper, the Chestnut Hill Local, which serves Chestnut Hill and its neighbors (and has for 67 years) is in financial difficulty. The Community Association is putting all its efforts into raising funds to stabilize the paper as we develop a strategy to ensure its long-term viability.

Five weeks ago, we launched a fundraising campaign to save the Local. While we have raised approximately $86,000 from grants and generous community support that we have put to use, we still have a way to go to “right the ship” and get the Local back on track with a model that is more sustainable. Realistically, we must raise three times that amount to see a forward path. We can’t possibly run two fundraising appeals at the same time. It is just too much and likely will cause confusion.

We understand and appreciate that some of you have planned to donate to the CHCA at this time of year as your annual gift. Those gifts are very important to the CHCA’s ongoing operations, so if you can make a contribution directed to the CHCA’s benefit alone before the end of this year, 2025, we will certainly and gratefully accept your donations and steward them on behalf of the Community Association itself.

If you are accustomed to making a contribution to the CHCA early in the year, we ask that you hold your donation until our April 2026 Annual Appeal announcement.

From now until the end of January, the CHCA will continue our normal December operations and programs and devote considerable resources (the board, staff and volunteers) to raising funds for the Local and get this terrific community resource on solid ground. We urge you to donate to The Local Emergency Appeal in 2025.

Thank you for reading this notice. The CHCA board did not make this decision lightly, as like all nonprofits, we rely on financial support and the decision to postpone the Annual Appeal was not made quickly.

Laura Lucas, CHCA President

Kathi Clayton, CHCA Past President, Annual Appeal Chair

For more background information on the Local’s current status please see Laura’s two letters to the community, both published in the Local and on the CHCA’s website:

“Writing a new chapter for the Local – Part 1” (Oct. 23 issue)

“Writing a new chapter for the Local – Part 2” (Nov. 13 issue)