Our story begins and ends with the generosity of our friends across the 42 towns we serve in Eastern Connecticut.

You are the generous individuals and families, civic organizations, and businesses who love your communities. You are passionate and compassionate about youth and education, economically secure families, animals and the environment, and arts and culture. You have established funds and scholarships and have made investments that impact the lives of people you may never meet. For decades, you have entrusted your funds with the Community Foundation, always with the intention of improving the communities in which you live; always with the ideal that communities can only become stronger because of your involvement and generosity. Thank you!

LIST OF 2023 DONORS

Our Services

At its heart, philanthropic work is about putting dollars in the hands of charitable organizations that will use the money to make an enduring impact. We have decades of experience in grantmaking across a broad spectrum of charitable issues – which is an expertise you can access at any time, at no charge. We can offer ideas and advice, and help you with research. We are here to:

• Help you identify worthy nonprofits to consider. We can provide you with background information on well-managed nonprofit organizations in Eastern Connecticut that are doing highly regarded work in the community.
• Conduct research on a topic or nonprofit in which you are interested. As we learn more about your interests, we can bring interesting funding ideas to your attention.
• Arrange for you to visit and evaluate nonprofit organizations and programs. Reviewing the available data and making site visits is a great way to get an in-depth understanding of the nonprofits working on the front lines to meet our region’s needs.
• Share with you the best practices in grantmaking that we’ve developed with area donors during the past three decades.
• Ensure your grant making falls within IRS and foundation guidelines.
• Assist with your specific grantmaking decisions, if you desire.
• Help you evaluate the effectiveness of your grants, where feasible.
• Focus or reevaluate your philanthropic interests to achieve a greater impact.
• Help you involve your children and grandchildren in your charitable giving.
  Identify and help you network with other donors in Eastern Connecticut who share your charitable passions and who might present opportunities for partnerships in grantmaking.