Susan DeVenny, President & CEO, Arras Foundation

In an interview with Invest:, Susan DeVenny, president and CEO of Arras Foundation, discussed the foundation’s evolution, its role in revitalizing downtown Lancaster, and how it supports workforce development through partnerships and community engagement initiatives.

How does the Arras Foundation fit within the philanthropic sector?

The foundation was created 29 years ago from the sale of our local hospital. We’re about to celebrate our 30th anniversary next year. The foundation’s original trustees were hospital trustees in 1994, and the hospital was just half a mile from where I am today. It was founded in 1940 to serve Lancaster County and eastern Chester County, including Great Falls and Fort Lawn, South Carolina.

The original nonprofit hospital was sold in the 1990s for roughly $50 million. The IRS allowed these assets to remain in the community, through a provision for hospital conversions significant in the US, as many smaller nonprofit hospitals were being sold to private entities at the time. The board spent months deciding how best to use those assets as a local foundation, while keeping the mission of creating a healthy community, and began grantmaking in September 1995.

We are part of a niche in philanthropy known as health legacy foundations, often created after a hospital sale. We hold the original hospital’s institutional papers, though modified to reflect our structure as a private nonprofit. Our mission has always been the same since our inception: to build a healthier community. I’ve been fortunate to lead the foundation for almost nine years.

How has the foundation evolved since its inception to meet current and future community needs?

A few years ago, we changed our name from the J. Marion Sims Foundation. Dr. Sims, born in Lancaster County in 1814, contributed to gynecology, but his work in the mid-1800s is complicated when viewed through today’s lens. When I joined the foundation in 2015, it was clear that it was difficult to tell our story — focused on health and well-being for all — while carrying this name.

After thoughtful discussions with trustees and the community, we rebranded in 2020. Our current name, Arras, means tapestry, and symbolizes our belief that every voice matters in shaping the rich story of a community. The rebranding, announced during the pandemic, has allowed us to focus on our mission without the burden of a name that inhibited our connection with all people.

We’ve also completed a major renovation of our headquarters in Lancaster. We moved from a 5,000-square-foot office to a 12,000-square-foot building, repurposed the space, added an outdoor room, and purchased additional land to create a campus for community meetings and educational events.

This revitalization of a vacant Main Street building has given us more opportunities to bring people together and offer shared learning experiences for the entire community. We’ve already started hosting meetings with leaders and nonprofit partners, inspiring others to see potential in underused spaces.

How does the Arras Foundation view education, and what role does it play in workforce development in Lancaster?

We’ve always been strong believers in the importance of education. There is no substitute for quality education, and that starts at home — frankly, even before babies are born. You want stable families, clean and healthy spaces to live in, and nurturing environments for children as part of a healthy community. The love and care a child receives from caregivers in those first two years sets the foundation for success throughout their life.

For us, early childhood education is key. We have identified 11 indicators, based on national research and community engagement, that measure the health of a community. Education plays a major role in many of these indicators, from early childhood to K-12 and beyond into college, career, and workforce development.

What specific initiatives has the foundation taken to support workforce development?

In 2016, we partnered with a national firm, Advocacy & Communications Solutions, to uncover a key issue: many young people felt they had to leave Lancaster after high school for better opportunities. We held in-depth conversations with people aged 14 to 30 to understand their views on the community, education, and job prospects.

From this research, we identified helping young people transition from high school to adulthood as a priority. We implemented two strategies as a result.

In partnership with Furman University, the Duke Endowment, AmeriCorps, our local school districts, college, and the National College Advising Corps, we brought the SC pilot of an innovative national service program to our students and families. With near peers to support them through the College Advising Corps initiative, our high school students now have another hands-on resource to lean on when making post-secondary plans.

We also launched the Arras Foundation’s college internship program, which has brought in more than 70 interns since 2016. These students, from the region and beyond, gain experience working in our community, and learning about business, education, nonprofit management, and civic engagement. We’re proud it’s encouraged many young people to return to Lancaster and take on leadership roles.

This initiative also led to a partnership with the University of Chicago, where we serve as a summer placement site for their students.

How does the foundation collaborate with other organizations on workforce development?

We always aim to work with partners for sustainability. For example, we closely collaborate with the local Chambers of Commerce, which launched a Young Professionals initiative last year, aligning with our shared goal of retaining and attracting young talent. We have been a host of their meetings and have collaborated on their workforce development initiatives.

We also partner with economic development organizations by listening to their needs and convening around their goals wherever we can. We believe in fostering cross-sector collaboration for the best community outcomes.

As the name “Arras” suggests, we believe all voices have a place in community development. To build on that value, we introduced the Community Heart & Soul methodology to Lancaster and Chester counties in 2016 through a national strategic partnership. This initiative, designed by a Vermont foundation by the same name, engages communities to collect data through storytelling to create value statements reflecting local needs.

The goal is to present these themes to local leaders — town councils, city planners — to align decisions with community values. We’ve implemented this community development approach with partners in Kershaw, Great Falls, and Fort Lawn.

How have your community trips influenced local development and collaboration efforts?

Since 2016, we’ve organized “See the Possible” trips, where we take groups to visit communities facing challenges similar to ours, like the downsizing of the textile industry. We’ve learned from businesses, educators, and philanthropies across the Southeast who have provided examples of addressing these issues successfully.

These trips give our community leaders firsthand insights into how others have transformed and revitalized their areas. We believe shared experiences are the best way to learn, so we bring together groups focused on similar challenges. For example, we recently visited a neighboring city to explore its downtown revitalization, which is relevant to our ongoing restoration efforts in Lancaster.

What role does the foundation play in the revitalization of downtown Lancaster?

We’ve been deeply involved in downtown Lancaster’s revitalization since 2017, when we became the City’s community engagement partner. We assisted consultants in gathering community input through workshops and surveys, asking questions like, “What is your vision for downtown Lancaster?” and “What do you want your grandchildren to experience here?”

The feedback was consolidated into themes and presented to the City Council, resulting in a revitalization plan passed in March 2020, just before the pandemic. While the pandemic reprioritized some efforts, we’re now reviewing what has been accomplished and what still needs to be done. We recently hosted a leadership group to continue this work, with exciting developments emerging.

How does the foundation facilitate collaboration between the public and private sectors?

We’re excited about bringing together leaders from all sectors to develop public-private partnerships that build a stronger community. By creating a shared vision for downtown Lancaster, for example, we help foster a climate that allows everyone’s efforts to align with that vision. When we craft a common goal together as partners, it becomes easier to make sustainable progress in our community.

One recent project we’re proud of is a pocket park in downtown Lancaster, developed with the Arts Council and the City. This idea came from our “See the Possible” trips and from community feedback, where people expressed a need for more outdoor green space. The 40 by 90-foot park lights up at sunset, and features community-painted murals, a unique globe sculpture and benches by local artisans. 

It’s a vibrant space that shows how listening to the community and working together can bring visions to life. We always seek to support projects that strengthen our community.