SUPPORT THE COMO ANNUAL FUND
When you give to the COMO, your gift ensures we can continue to grow the COMO legacy and serve our community for many more generations!
Your donation invests in curriculum and technology that allows young minds to grow, tinker, create and explore. Because of your generosity, young athletes learn the importance of sportsmanship and teamwork.
As a Stonington COMO donor, you help keep programs accessible for all — regardless of ability to pay.
Charter Oak Federal Credit Union will match member donations of at least $25 and up to $500. The hope is this program will inspire you to make a donation to your favorite nonprofit organization, like the COMO, so they will in turn be able to further their meaningful mission to positively impact the world we live in. Together we can strengthen our communities!
For 80 years, the COMO has been a place where young artists discover their creative voices and explore the art world. This legacy continues with students like Hannah, whose love for painting began in the COMO Preschool. Under the guidance of her teachers, Hannah learned to mix colors and experiment with techniques, unlocking a passion for art she didn’t know she had. When her class won Best Elementary Group Art at the Mystic Museum of Art's Young at Art exhibition and she saw her work displayed at the museum, she started to see herself as an artist. “I can paint anything, even the whole ocean!” she declared.
Hannah’s mom, Carolyn, is proud of her daughter’s artistic journey and treasures the bond it has deepened between Hannah and her grandmother. A botanist who loves painting flowers, Hannah’s grandmother inspires her to try new things. They now text each other pictures of their flower paintings—a special connection made even sweeter by Hannah’s growing confidence as an artist. Your support helps nurture these moments of creativity, connection, and discovery for children like Hannah.
For Coach Janessa, playing at the COMO changed her life. Growing up, she loved basketball, but her passion truly came alive when Coach TJ introduced her to coaching.
Now, as a leader in our Her Time to Play program, Janessa is passing that spark on to the next generation. The WNBA and NBA recognize the valuable role sports can play in the development of young girls and the advancement of women as leaders in society. Her Time To Play is a national initiative that is dedicated to championing change on behalf of girls and women.
This free program has helped over 90 local girls grow both on and off the court, teaching teamwork, leadership, and self-confidence through basketball. With your support, we can continue to offer programs like Her Time to Play and improve our facilities — giving young players and coaches like Janessa the tools to reach even greater heights.
Let’s give every kid a better shot. Donate today!
Meet Lyndsay, local potter and owner of Glaze Handmade pottery shop in Stonington! After a break from teaching, Lyndsay is excited to join us as a COMO pottery instructor. She’s thrilled to spread her love of pottery to new students, getting to know each person’s unique learning style and meeting them where they are in their craft.
Lyndsay is a great example of the local partnerships that make the COMO such a special place to create art and build connections. The pottery studio is a collaborative and welcoming space where artists can truly unleash their creativity. In her classes, students don't just learn pottery techniques but also share their pieces, offer advice, and form friendships.
Your donation helps create art and community, empowering people to discover their passions, develop new skills, and transform their ideas into inspiring artwork. Together, we’re fostering creativity and connection for all. Your support makes all the difference!
Ways to Give
General Support
Annual Fund Gifts: The COMO’s Annual Fund provides critically needed support to the COMO’s programs and operations. Make an online donation to the COMO annual fund!
To make an impact all year long, consider joining the COMO monthly donor program. COMO monthly donors make an investment in COMO-unity by pledging a gift each month.
Matching Gifts: You may increase your contribution to the COMO if your workplace has a matching gifts program. Matching gifts include monetary donations corporate matches for cash donation and volunteer service. See your company’s Human Resources Office for information.
Special Events: The COMO hosts a number of special events during the year. One time-honored major fundraising event is the annual Village Fair. The fair has been held the first Saturday in August for over 60 years. Special events, such as the Village Fair, support our program scholarship fund, meet a critical need and maintain general operations. Recently funded projects include new energy efficient windows and a new van.
Endowment Support
The COMO’s Endowment Fund provides perpetual support to the community center. The principal of a gift to the Endowment Fund is invested and managed by a professional financial planner with oversight by the COMO Finance Committee. The fund's interest and dividend income contributes to a capital budget designed to assist in the maintenance of the COMO's much loved, but aging, facilities. Building a significant Endowment Fund is essential to ensuring the COMO’s ability to sustain our infrastructure so as to preserve and build upon our legacy of service for present and future generations.
Memorial/Tribute Gifts
Memorial and Tribute Gifts are expressions of love and respect. A Tribute Gift shows a person that you care and wish to honor them. A Memorial Gift honors the memory of a friend or loved one. Each Tribute Gift honoree is notified that a gift has been made in his/her honor. Recent Tribute Gifts have included the planting of trees to beautify the campus and entrance into the borough and benches for the Bear's Field and the paddle facility. Please click here if you would like to make a memorial donation.
Leave a Legacy — Planned Giving
The decision to make a planned gift to the Stonington Community Center is a way to continue giving and supporting the COMO now and into the future. A planned gift is arranged by you legally during your lifetime. Planned gifts take many forms, providing additional income for you and/or your heirs, reducing income and estate taxes, relieving you and your heirs of complicated financial management responsibilities and helping to fulfill your personal and charitable objectives. Planned gifts can be made in cash, real estate, stocks, bonds, personal property or life insurance. Below are several ways to make this gift. Please contact your financial advisor regarding various gift types.
Gifts of Cash
The simplicity and ease of giving are the reasons that cash is the most popular type of giving. A gift of cash is considered given on the date it is made to the fund.Bequests by Will
One of the simplest planned gifts is a bequest through your will in which you designate either a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your estate after other disbursements. A bequest also can reduce the amount of your taxable estate, which may increase the actual amount available to loved onesGifts of Security
A gift of long-term securities generally results in several federal tax benefits. You are entitled to an income tax deduction for the full market value of the securities as of the date of your gift. You are not liable for the capital gains tax you would incur if you sold the securities.A Gift of Property
Real property in any location may be given to the COMO, provided it meets certain criteria. If the property is owned one year or longer, the fair market value is deductible, no capital gains taxes are payable on appreciation and the property is removed from your taxable estate. Donations of a personal residence are welcome and you can retain use of them throughout your lifetime.Life Insurance
Contributions of life insurance can provide a substantial gift to the COMO. The value of an ordinary policy at the time of the gift is tax deductible. If you continue paying the premiums, they also are deductible as charitable contributions. If a paid-up policy is given, the cost of purchasing a new paid-up policy at your current age is the value of the charitable deduction.