Nonprofits
The Community Foundation has awarded more than $100 million in grants and scholarships since 1983. In 2024, we put over $8 million to work - thanks in large part to the generosity of our donor advisors - to impact our region and beyond.
Recent Grant Recipients
Click on the links below to view the full range of grants to our nonprofit partners, whose services and programs are critical to the well-being of our region.
Animal Welfare Grants
C.A.T.S. Northeast, Inc. Support for medical care, including spay and neuter clinics. $ 5,000 Connecticut Votes for Animals Education Fund, Inc. Together for Animals 2025 Project. These funds will empower us to expand our educational programming, reach a wider audience, build a CFA Animal Ambassador Volunteer Program, and amplify our impact on animal welfare. $10,000 Groton Animal Foundation, Inc Medical care for animals in Groton. $12,994 Ledyard C.H.A.I.N. Inc Grant to support pet food supplies in Ledyard and Preston food pantries, as well as spay, neiter and vaccine services for pets. $6,000 Our Companions Animal Rescue Support the veterinary care needs of our Ashford animal sanctuary and our community veterinary services. $20,000 PAWS (Pound Animals are Worth Saving) Cat Shelter, Inc. Spay and neuter program to reduce overpopulation. $5,000 Safe Futures Support for medical care and more for pets of Safe Future's clients and as well as therapy animals. $14,500 Town of Plainfield/Town Hall Spay and neuter clinic. $5,000 Waggle Foundation, Inc. Medical care for Eastern Connecticut pets from low-income families. $7,574
Organization Project/Description Awarded All Paws on Deck Medical support. $6,000 C.A.T.S. Northeast Medical support and pet food. $5,000 Connecticut Humane Society Pet-working: Brighter Futures for Eastern CT's most at-risk pets. ($30K/year x two years) $60,000 Connecticut Veterinary Medical Foundation Companion Assistance Program. $2,500 CT Votes for Animals Advocacy dedicated to improving the lives of animals through legislative action. $5,000 Groton Animal Foundation Medical support for Groton pets. $10,000 Ledyard C.H.A.I.N. Pet Food Assistance & Fixed4Life Program. $6,000 PAWS (Pound Animals are Worth Saving) Cat Shelter Medical care and spay/neuter. $4,000 Safe Futures Protect Our Pets supports clients with animals. $12,000 Waggle Foundation Solving the economic euthanasia of animals in marginalized communities in Eastern Connecticut. $8,000 Total 10 Grants $118,500
Environmental Grants
Alliance for the Mystic River Watershed Community-led effort of planners, nonprofits and scientists to create a comprehensive Watershed Resilience Action Plan. $50,000 Avalonia Land Conservancy 166 Colonel Brown Road, Griswold, open-space land acquistion adjacent to Patchaug Pond and will include ADA accessible parking. $50,000 Camp Harkness Foundation As part of the Homegrown National Park movement, Brookside Farm will participate in grassroots actions to regenerate biodiversity in our environmentally distressed community. $80,000 Connecticut Audubon Society Science in Nature program at Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School and Lillie B. Haynes Elementary School $25,000 Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CLCC) Foundations for the Future: Strengthening CLCC’s Capacity to Serve Land Trusts by enhancing financial systems $30,000 Connecticut League of Conservation Voters Eastern Connecticut Grassroots Mobilization project to encourage environmental friendly legislation. $50,000 Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs Promoting a just transition from fossil fuels to a renewable energy economy while training people of color, women, formerly incarcerated and other workers in communities where infrastructure jobs are sited. $25,000 Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Inc. Connecting Communities to Wildlife will provide programs targeting underserved students, organizations, and communities in Eastern CT. $31,000 Girl Scouts of Connecticut Inc. Scholarship support of Camp Laurel Science in Nature programming. $15,000 Interreligious Eco-Justice Network Work with religious communities to reduce their energy use, pollution and carbon emissions, and advance the cause of environmental justice. $29,000 National Young Farmers Coalition NCTFA will advance policies to meet the needs of CT’s historically underserved farmers, focusing on land access, climate disaster response, and economic viability while remaining responsive to emerging risks and opportunities. $12,000 New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) In this partnership with Groton schools, NESS engages students through experiential, STEM-based programs in the classroom and outdoors that educate participants on the local and global environment. $45,000 New London Youth Affairs Engage teens as environmental stewards, facilitate workforce readiness in environmental careers, develop on the water skills. $20,000 Pattaganset Arts Center Through community engagement and educational programs focused on youth and community outreach, Pattagansett Art Center will implement land conservation practices through native plant restoration, and erosion control strategies identified by the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District. $20,500 Project Imo Pogram to empower a group of youth leaders as they develop public land in North Windham as the Windham Outdoor Education Preserve. $60,000 Project Oceanology Blue Impact: High School Work-Based Learning with Project Oceanology; on the job training and mentorships for students. $12,800 Save the Sound Green Jobs Training for Emerging Environmental Professionals in Southeastern Connecticut $21,000 Sea Research Foundation - Mystic Aquarium Next Generation of Where the City Meets the Sea initiative to students in the New London and Norwich school districts. $25,000 Sustainable CT To foster inclusive, resilient, and vibrant Connecticut municipalitiesby providing a menu of sustainability actions that build local economies. $50,000 The Active Voice The Active Voice is a student leadership program that combines civics, journalism and environmental advocacy by mentoring motivated high school and college students $20,000 The Nature Conservancy Resilient Southeastern Connecticut will advance and implement TNC's proven conservation strategies in partnership with the most vulnerable communities of Southeastern Connecticut. $50,000 Town of East Lyme - Brookside Farm Museum As part of the Homegrown National Park movement, Brookside Farm will participate in grassroots actions to regenerate biodiversity in our environmentally distressed community. $15,000 University of Connecticut Foundation UConn's Natural Resources Conservation Academy engages teens, UConn students, and adult volunteer community partners in community environmental action projects. $25,000 Waterford Land Trust, Inc. This project will support the planning phase of the Waterford Trail System, a pedestrian/bicycle trail network for the general public. $18,000 Yellow Farmhouse Education Center Environmental education through three programs focused on reducing food waste: learning opportunities for students with developmental disabilities; work skills program for students transitioning out of the education system; and support for Family & Consumer Science teachers and students to reduce and process food waste in their culinary classrooms. $14,838
Organization Project/Description Awarded Conservation Alewife Cove Conservancy Support of a sediment study for tidal marsh enhancement and restoration in Waterford and New London. $40,000 Alliance for the Mystic River Watershed Request to support the infrastructure of this community-led effort of planners, nonprofits and scientists to create a comprehensive Watershed Resilience Action Plan. $50,000 CLiCK Windham Waste Reduction Program: an initiative to divert food waste and work with the town of Windham to bring efforts to scale. ($22,175/year x two years) $44,350 Garden Club of Windham, CT Redesigning the Plaza and Threadway at the Garden on the Bridge in Willimantic for the community and its immediate low-income neighbors. $30,000 The Nature Conservancy Resilient Southeastern Connecticut will advance and implement TNC's proven conservation strategies in partnership with the most vulnerable communities of Southeastern Connecticut. $50,000 Town of East Lyme Brookside Farm Museum's Homegrown National Park will engage residents in work to increase biodiversity and native plantings. $15,000 Education Connecticut Audubon Society Science in Nature for New London County Schools for 440 students at Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School and Lillie B. Hayes School in multiple outdoor experiential learning sessions. $25,000 Connecticut Forest & Park Association Connecting Windham Middle School to Connecticut's Forests, Wildlife, and Trails for Windham Middle School students at Goodwin State Forest. $50,000 Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center Exploring Ecosystems will support programming to enhance the scientific understanding and appreciation of Connecticut’s ecosystems and will target students, organizations and communities which are traditionally underserved. $23,000 New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) Groton Partner Program: Students gain STEM content, develop social-emotional skills critical to success in the 21st Century, and receive knowledge and resources on becoming positive stewards of their environment. $45,000 New London Youth Affairs Teen Environmental Experiential Learning, Conservation, and Careers with partners such as NESS and the Mystic Aquarium. $20,000 Save the Sound Growing Opportunities for Green Jobs Training/Fostering Emerging Environmental Professionals with students from students at Three Rivers Community College, Connecticut College and UCONN Avery Point, and Grasso Technical High School. $19,000 Sea Research Foundation - Mystic Aquarium Next Generation of Where the City Meets the Sea initiative to students in the New London and Norwich school districts. This effective Long Island Sound experiential education program sparks STEM aspirations in underserved youth by offering an introductory outreach program, a coastal field study, and explorations of Mystic Aquarium. $28,000 Three Rivers College Foundation Environmental Research, Fieldwork, and Internship Opportunities for CT State Three Rivers Students. ($30K/year x two years) $60,000 Environmental Justice Audubon Connecticut Increasing Diversity in Conservation will engage eastern Connecticut communities in environmental educational and habitat stewardship, provide paid employment in conservation for diverse youth, and improve and enhance priority forest and coastal habitats to benefit both birds and people. ($40K/year x two years) $80,000 Connecticut League of Conservation Voters Eastern CT Organizing and Advocacy Project to build a strong network of environmental activists who are voting with climate change top of mind. $25,000 Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs Addressing the Climate Crisis Through a Just Transition to Clean Energy: Prioritize positive outcomes in racial equity and climate resilience. Building inclusive just and restorative communities. Training people of color, women, formerly incarcerated and workers in communities where infrastructure jobs are sited. Transit initiatives, ride share and free public transportation. Just climate justice legislation. Providing resources to reduce child poverty for children and families in need. $20,000 FRESH New London Building Leaders, Building Justice to engage young people and other community members the expansion and care for gardens and green spaces throughout New London and educate on policy for long-term change. ($40K/year x two years) $80,000 Interreligious Environmental Justice Network Eco-Justice Network: support work to engage religious communities in CT around the issues of climate change, toxic pollution, and biodiversity loss. Primary areas of focus will be energy efficiency, gardens, and environmental advocacy. $17,875 Local Media Foundation The Day Community Journalism Fund: Energy and Environment Lab to conduct in-depth reporting on climate change, environmental justice, emerging energy trends, coastal resiliency and related consumer issues in southeastern Connecticut. $30,000 New CT Farmer Alliance Building Farmer Power through State-level Advocacy: Educate and organize 600+ members on land access, economic viability of farming and healthcare for farmers. $10,000 Sustainable CT General Operating Support to Amplify Sustainable CT's Impact in Eastern Connecticut. $50,000 Yellow Farmhouse Education Center Food waste education & farm-based skills training for youth with developmental disabilities in partnership with the Ocean Avenue LEARNing Academy. $10,000 Total 23 Grants $822,225
Fund for Racial Justice Grants
Organization Project/Description Awarded Access Community Action Agency Provide Racially-Aware Trauma-Informed Care training to staff and partner organizations in Access' service region. $10,000 Artreach Theater and video project to explore racial disparity in healthcare and the impact on mental health. $10,000 Castle Church The Norwich Jubilee Project is a comprehensive racial equity initiative designed to revitalize downtown and impact the region for generations to come. Ultimately, this historic, landmark project features a community park in the city center in which free music, art and other events engage the theme of resilience. $10,000 CLiCK Just Food: Provide training and education on racism in the food industry. The education program Grow/Cook/Share for middle school age youth includes "Start: Empowerment," a BIPOC led social and environmental justice education project implementing a justice focused education curriculum. This includes assessing the cultural appropriateness and effectiveness of our communication practices. $10,000 Connecticut College The Genesis Mentoring Program at Connecticut College's Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy offers exceptional community building and enrichment opportunities to students of color and first-generation college students, as well as to high school students of the same demographic at the New London Multi-Magnet Secondary School (NLMMSS). Through the program at the NLMMSS, the goal is to increase the number of mentees by 67% (from 12 to 20). $2,000 Connecticut Voices for Children Programming for immigrant communities within early childhood education with a goal to build and grow a movement around early child care as essential infrastructure—advocating for high-quality care for children, fair compensation for workers, and affordable care for parents. $10,000 Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF) Women of Color First. Develop authentic relationships (grounded in cultural humility) with Native communities, leaders, and organizations. Conduct Women’s Wisdom Circles in eastern Connecticut with the goal of informing future policy agendas. Perform outreach to Native women to inform them of the free legal information and referral services offered by CWEALF. Educate and activate staff, board members, and majority white women supporters on the issues most important to Connecticut’s Native communities. $10,000 Discovering Amistad Implement a multifaceted, culturally relevant educational program entitled "Discovering Amistad’s Voices for Change." The Program is designed to use the lessons of the Amistad Uprising to foster increased awareness of racial and social justice and to foster social activism. $12,000 FRESH New London/TSNE Supporting Strong Leaders: solidifying a leadership track that moves young people into power within this local movement and in the organization. Work to identify and remedy issues that may arise when transitioning leadership from a white leader to a leader of color. This work will help identify and address the ways that white supremacy influences the nonprofit power structure. $10,000 Garde Arts Center Host and co-present a community celebration at the Garde, free to the public, honoring the New London Black History Trail, and other recent racial justice initiatives addressing the past and future of racial dynamics in Southeastern Connecticut Communities. The event will include video presentations, performances, speakers, and awards and testimonials. Conduct interviews with local elders about their historical perspectives on the intersection between minority residents and public entertainment venues throughout the City. $5,000 Grow Windham Windham Youth Advocacy Curriculum addresses the need for Latinx youth to have better access to power, resources and opportunities in the community. Programming gives Latinx youth more voice in – and control over – their learning opportunities, and brings compensation and academic credentials to their experience advocating in the community. $10,000 Health Education Center Racial Justice Training for Health Education in Connecticut: partnering with Step Up New London to train all HEC staff plus at least 50% of the Board of Directors on Understanding and Undoing Racism. This is a workshop taught by Step Up New London’s partner Peoples Institute for Survival and Beyond. $10,000 Hispanic Alliance of Southeastern Connecticut La Latina Network will resume in-person gatherings at the Hispanic Alliance gallery. The goal is to create trust and be present as a positive force for change in the community, whether as the source of that change or simply providing ancillary support for it. $10,000 Lyme Public Library Provide six special speakers to appear at yearly meetings of the Lyme Library's Racial Equity Book Club. $1,000 Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Initial phase of a new permanent exhibit at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center entitled “Shqaak (Pequot Women): historical and contemporary contributions of the Pequot Woman.” This exhibit will highlight contributions of Pequot women to this region in all modern fields such as medicine, culture, politics, health, education, and society. $12,000 National Council of Negro Women of New London County The Girls in Jazz Band Camp is an immersive music education and writing camp for girls 12 and up, facilitated by Black women for Black and Brown girls and their community. The camp includes the learning of Jazz music repertoire, music education and the composition of new music. In addition to music rehearsals, daily guest speakers will present to the girls on topics ranging from financial literacy to college recruitment and building self esteem. $5,000 New London Adult & Continuing Education Dismantling Racism through Adult Education. Training to understand racism as it relates to students and staff. Continue to center conversations and experiences around the issues of racial justice through the delivery of professional development sessions, team building activities, and staff-facilitated student leadership workshops. $9,000 New London Youth Affairs Facilitate People Empowering People parent leadership and advocacy skills development, through a collaboration between New London Youth Affairs and the Dominican Association of New London. $10,000 Norwich Public Schools Develop a comprehensive 6-8 Student and Community Racial Advocacy Program that focuses on the eight National Service-Learning Standards and the six key themes of the CT School Counselor Framework. The six themes of leadership, equity, advocacy, collaboration, accountability, and systemic change are woven throughout the Connecticut Comprehensive School Counselor Framework. $10,000 Public Art For Racial Justice Education Support for all three program areas: the Sister Murals, Mini-Murals, and Artist Talks. This work brings communities together while introducing them to historical and contemporary ideas in racial justice movements. $10,000 Robertsine Duncan Youth Council Norwich Race Equity Collaborative will consist of three program areas: Race Equity in the Arts to educate on the positive impact of the diverse cultures and ethnicities of Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) through the performing and visual arts and forums; Race Equity in STEM to host Pathways to College & Career to address the disparities in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics, education and entrepreneurship by creating an awareness and pipeline for Black, Indigenous Students of Color (BISOC); and Race Health Disparities to focus on preserving the experience of historically underrepresented and underserved populations that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. $10,000 United Community and Family Services (UCFS) Implement strategies to promote and maintain diversity, equity and inclusion at UCFS. Activities will include an opportunity for departments to request smaller, more intimate conversations around these topics, and an in-person panel discussion with historically underrepresented BIPOC staff at UCFS. $10,000 Waterford RISE Partner with a variety of town agencies (e.g., the senior center, community center, public library, and school administration) and businesses and seek the guidance of cultural team-building experts, DEI consultants, and guest speakers to engage residents in diversity training and the development of cultural competency. $7,000 Writer's Block Ink "Critical": Educate youth on real history events without the alterations made throughout history by white supremacy. $2,640 Total for 24 Grants $205,640
Norwich Youth Grants
2-4-1 CARE For afterschool sessions at J.B. Stanton and Veterans Elementary Schools to introduce students to three sports while building self-awareness, self-regulation, and collaboration. $12,500 Arts for Learning Connecticut Creative workshops offering every Teachers’ Memorial Middle School student two opportunities to learn a new artform from a professional Teaching Artist. $10,500 Connecticut Audubon Society Science in Nature Bird Ecology introduces Norwich 3rd graders to the charismatic nature of birds and the interconnectedness of birds to their habitats, while helping to narrow the science achievement gap for this underserved community. $15,000 Connecticut Democracy Center To support workshops and resources for Norwich students and program expenses for the Norwich Regional Connecticut History Day Contest in March 2026. $3,500 Connecticut Storytelling Center For Littlest Listeners emergent literacy programming in Norwich preschool classrooms. $4,800 Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center Environmental Science Adventures offer all Norwich 2nd grade classrooms three in-school visits and a field trip to the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center. $15,000 Discovering Amistad For Voyage for Freedom Educational programming for Norwich 7th/8th grade students, using a historical lens on the Amistad to focus on leadership, resilience, courage and the importance of community. $10,000 Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra For Norwich 3rd, 4th,and 5th graders to attend the Young People's Concert to experience live symphonic music. $3,500 Junior Achievement of Southwest New England For experiential career readiness and preparation workshops focusing on the job process, resumes, and interviewing for 100+ Norwich Free Academy students. $5,000 Madonna Place To support the Summer Connections and Monthly Family Connections educational and literacy support programs. $10,000 Niantic Children's Museum For hands-on learning experiences for Norwich pre-K, K and 1st grade students $9,994 Norwich Public Schools For an afterschool mentoring program for elementary school students with Big Brothers Big Sisters of CT. $25,000 Norwich Youth, Family & Rec For Summer Jam and Learn for at-risk youth to develop leadership, conflict resolution, communication, and relationship-building skills; and for camperships for low-income Norwich families for summer day camp for their children. $25,000 Ocean Community Y To offer Norwich youth the opportunity to attend a session of Summer Camp at the YMCA. Camp Cove in Mystic, CT with transportation and camp shirts included. $20,000 Project Oceanology For hands-on, experientially focused STEM programming aboard a research vessel and in school to Norwich 7th graders. $30,000 Rose City Learning Center For GED Prep support for Norwich English Language Learners aged 18-24 in earning their GED and pursuing education or career goals. $9,405 S.T.E.P.S. For an afterschool empowerment program for Norwich middle and high school girls. $5,000 Safe Futures For a week of overnight camp and monthly activities after camp for Norwich children ages 7-17 who have been exposed to domestic violence and other trauma. $8,000 Salt Marsh Opera For a one-hour production of Rossini's Cinderella for Norwich 5th and 6th grade students at The Garde Arts Center in May 2026. $3,500 Sankofa Education and Leadership To support the NAACP Robertsine Duncan Youth Council's 1) Game Changers leadership and activism training, and 2) ACT-SO and the America 250th Norwich Youth Initiative, which will offer young people opportunities to demonstrate academic and artistic excellence and learn about the untold stories of people during the American Revolutionary War. $4,500 Sea Research Foundation - Mystic Aquarium Ocean-Minded Workforce Development internship program for marginalized NFA 11th and 12th graders. $10,000 Thames River Community Service Parenting skills training for young parents and their children in the transitional housing program. $10,000 Thames Valley Council for Community Action For an Illumination Station for the Taftville Child Development Center. $7,500
Organization Project/Description Awarded 2-4-1 CARE In partnership with NPS, for two 8-week afterschool sessions of 2-4-1 TOP Self Sports, a physical literacy-informed sports enrichment program for Kindergarten to grade 5 students. $10,000 Arts for Learning Connecticut Series of creative workshops at Teachers’ Memorial, providing at least 2 opportunities for all students to learn a new artform from a professional Teaching Artist. $7,000 Big Brothers Big Sisters of CT To support community-based, one-to-one mentoring for Norwich youth. $5,000 Connecticut Audubon Society Science in Nature for Norwich Bird Ecology to introduce 3rd graders to the charismatic nature of birds and develop an appreciation for the interconnectedness of birds to their habitats while helping to ignite an interest in the sciences. $15,000 Connecticut Science Center To support informal STEM programming for Norwich 6th grade students through field trips to the Science Center, and Science in Motion Traveling Programs in 4th or 5th grade classrooms. $8,000 Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center/Coogan Farm Connecticut Organisms - To provide three in-school visits and a field trip to DPNC for all 2nd graders to study plants, animals and habitats. $14,000 Discovering Amistad Voyage for Freedom and Amistad Educational Program for 8th graders at both Norwich middle schools and high schoolers at Norwich Tech. $10,000 Eastern Connecticut State University For eight low-income Norwich high school students to attend Eastern’s one-week residential Pre-College Summer program. $6,000 Junior Achievement of Southwest New England Pathways to Careers experiential career readiness and preparation workshops for NFA students. $4,000 Madonna Place To support the Summer Connections and Monthly Family Connections educational and literacy support programs. $7,000 Niantic Children's Museum For Tiny Houses, Tiny Homes for pre-Kindergarten, Seed to Plant for Kindergarten and Meet the Animals for first grade Norwich students. $7,500 Norwich Public Schools For an afterschool mentoring pilot program for elementary school students with Big Brothers Big Sisters of CT. $25,000 Norwich Youth & Family Services To support Summer Jam & Learn and Day Camp. $25,000 Ocean Community YMCA - Naik Family Branch To support the costs, including transportation and camp shirts, for Norwich youth to attend a session of summer camp at Camp Cove in Mystic. $20,000 Our Piece of the Pie To help high-risk Norwich young people get on track to a diploma, postsecondary degree or certificate, and/or meaningful employment. $5,000 Project Oceanology For Seventh Grade at Sea - hands-on, experientially focused STEM programming for all 7th graders at Kelly STEAM Magnet Middle School. $11,000 Read to Grow For Bookmobile visits in Norwich during the summer and fall months. $5,000 Robertsine Duncan Youth Council (Sankofa Education and Leadership) For the NAACP Game Changer Program to help youth build leadership and activism skills, and the ACT-SO Program to prepare, recognize and reward youth who exemplify scholastic and artistic excellence. $2,500 S.T.E.P.S. To support an afterschool empowerment porgram for Norwich middle and high school girls. $5,000 Salt Marsh Opera For Kids Love Opera! 2025: Gianni Schicchi, a fully staged production for Norwich 5th and 6th grade students at The Garde Arts Center in March 2025. $3,500 Sea Research Foundation - Mystic Aquarium Ocean-Minded Workforce Development internship program for marginalized NFA 11th and 12th graders. $10,000 Thames River Community Service Summer support program for young parents and their children in the transitional housing program. $10,000 The Connecticut Storytelling Center Littlest Listeners Literacy Residency - emergent literacy programming in Norwich public preschool classrooms. $5,000 Total 23 Grants $220,500
Social Equity Council Grants
Southeast General Grants
50CAN d/b/a ConnCAN Parents leading parents to fight for linguistic and educational equity in Eastern Connecticut $15,000 A Better Way Foundation/Hearing Youth Voices The Road to 2000/ Schools That Work for us: Equity in School to encourage youth civic engagement in our community. $20,000 Alliance for Living, Inc. To provide food, clothing, personal care and household supplies, transportation, phones, emergency hotel stays, and any other needs community members identify as critical to their well-being and survival. $25,000 Always Home, Inc. Always Home's Homelessness Prevention Program offers a proactive approach to crisis intervention, providing low-income families with timely support and resources to quickly restore housing stability, thus lowering their risk of eviction and homelessness. $20,000 American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Connecticut, Inc. (ACLU) Protecting and Expanding Civil Rights and Liberties $25,000 American Heart Association Blood Pressure and Nutrition Education in Eastern Connecticut $10,000 American Red Cross-Connecticut & RI Region Disaster Cycle Services in Southeastern Connecticut $7,500 Arts for Learning Connecticut Higher Order Thinking (HOT) Schools at Regional Multicultural Magnet School during the 2025-26 school year. HOT Schools is a whole-school, deep impact, teaching and learning program that is helping improve student engagement, enrich school culture, and expand teacher practice through performances, workshops, arts-integrated residencies, and professional development grounded in Social and Emotional Learning and Culturally Responsive Teaching. $20,000 Artreach, Inc. Artreach will partner with Stand Up for Mental Health to offer a 12-week stand up comedy workshop for adults living with mental illnesses. Through the program, participants will learn how to mine their lived experience for comedy gold in a psychologically safe and supportive environment. $7,500 Big Brothers Big Sisters of CT Mentoring in Southeastern Connecticut: Community-Based and the Foster Grandparent Program $10,000 Care and Share of East Lyme Care & Share of East Lyme, Inc. food pantry $3,000 The LEARN Project/Children First Groton Children First Groton Early Literacy Community Outreach Initiative $5,000 Children in Placement CT To maintain our position at the forefront of the child welfare system and to offer a crucial voice to this marginalized group, who have suffered from abuse, neglect, and abandonment. $15,000 Connecticut College Horizons Beyond High School is a college and career exploratory program for rising juniors from New London High School and includes an intensive, two-week summer experience and a complementary academic year program. $18,000 Connecticut Fair Housing Center This project will provide fair housing services to fight housing discrimination. The Center will provide intake and outreach services to low-income individuals and families to support civil rights enforcement, with a focus on communities of color and other underserved populations. The initiative will also support tenant organizing in Eastern Connecticut to provide tenants with the tools they need to use collective power to accomplish system change and create a more equitable renter landscape. $20,000 Connecticut Foodshare Connecticut Foodshare achieves its work through collaboration with 22 local community food assistance programs operating in the region. $12,500 Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants CIRl's Immigration Legal Services (ILS) is designed to provide expert and accessible immigration assistance to low-income immigrants in Eastern Connecticut who would not otherwise have access to these services. The purpose is to ensure equitable access to justice for all. $5,000 Connecticut Lyric Opera Support for our Juneteenth productions of Anthony Davis’ opera Amistad along with the educational Future Arts Leaders of CT program. These initiatives blend opera and history to highlight justice, resilience, and freedom, fostering education and dialogue through the performance, FALConn students’ opening numbers, and a post-performance panel. $7,000 Connecticut Science Center Connecticut Science Center & Groton Public Schools - STEM District Partnership $10,000 Connecticut Storytelling Center, Inc. Littlest Listeners Literacy Residency $6,300 Connecticut Voices for Children Early Childhood and Education Research & Advocacy $10,000 Covenant Shelter of New London, Inc. Emergency Shelter and Housing Assistance Programs at Covenant Shelter $15,000 CTData Collaborative Data literacy training for non-profit professionals in SECT. We will provide five workshops that cover essential data skills to empower advocates to effectively and ethically use data in their advocacy, program design, and storytelling. Data literacy training will strengthen the capacity of organizations working to address complex issues like child poverty, promote data-informed decision-making, and raise the profile of the region through improved storytelling. $10,000 Cultural Coalition To give us the flexibility to continue to meet the needs of the communities we serve in a time of decreased funding availability for the creative sector, yet also requiring creative solutions to further support social and economic issues. $15,000 Eastern Connecticut Ballet Eastern Connecticut Ballet will engage approximately 1,400 children in its Nutcracker School Assembly Program, a live learning experience focusing on ballet, music and local history. The interactive presentation in 12 elementary schools in 4-6 school districts prepares students to attend ECB’s live The Nutcracker performance at the Garde Arts Center. $5,000 Eastern Connecticut Community Gardens Association Whitfield Giving Garden grows heirloom vegetables using ecological methods. A Community Shared Agriculture donation, serving 60 seniors and adults with disabilities over a 12-week growing season through our collaborative efforts. $5,000 Eastern Connecticut Housing Opportunities, Inc. SECT Supports was established to purchase and operate a supportive housing rental portfolio (6 buildings - 15 units) in Groton and New London. $20,000 Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra The ECSO Young People's Concert (YPC) provide the unique experiential opportunity for 3rd, 4th,and 5th graders in the region to attend a live symphonic concert. $10,000 Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board The Connecticut Youth Employment Program provides up-front employability skills training to low-income youth ages 14-24, & places them into a structured community work experience in an area of their interest. $10,000 Elevate to Even Plus Incorporated 2025 Summer Internships for underserved New London-area Students $10,000 Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Young Playwrights Festival helps students in Eastern Connecticut build self-confidence, identify new modes of self-expression, experience creative and personal growth, and cement a lifelong appreciation for the arts. $5,000 Expressiones Cultural Center ARTVenture Bridging the Americas project provides culturally relevant, bilingual arts and educational programming for children in New London Public Schools and after-school sessions. This initiative aims to bridge cultural gaps, increase cultural competency, and support the educational development of underserved Latino or Hispanic children in the community, ultimately contributing to building an inclusive and equitable community. $15,000 Furniture Bank of Southeastern Connecticut Purchase beds for families in financial need $5,000 Garde Arts Center To build PACE partnerships on deeper levels with even more non-profit, educational and social service agencies to create unique programming for issues of: homelessness, drug dependency, mental illness, post-Covid-driven issues affecting students and families in all populations at younger ages via specialized workshops, lectures, exhibits, live events, thematic cinema screenings and community-hosted events. Offer the theater as a place of solace during trying times. $30,000 Global Impact United States of Readers (USoR) is an innovative literacy support intervention, designed by Scholastic, for children in public elementary schools in underserved communities. Each student chooses 10 books at no cost through the year, boosting their reading skills, academic achievement, and self-confidence. $15,000 Groton Community Meals Funding to support provision of stipends to Chefs for a 6-month period. $5,000 H.O.P.E., Inc. To transform 57 Belden St. into a newly renovated four-bedroom, two-bathroom home for a dedicated Honduran family who recently achieved U.S. citizenship. As participants in our Reynard Program, this family is on a path toward future homeownership, with rent savings set aside to build equity. This project will provide them with stable, affordable housing, fostering growth, community integration, and lasting generational impact on the family and the City. $10,000 Habitat for Humanity of Eastern CT Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut is building a total of three three-bedroom, two-bath homes in North Stonington, CT. Phase I includes two of these three homes. $20,000 Haitian Community Center Of Greater Norwich The English as a Second Language program will be offered free of charge to community members, providing instruction in listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Classes will be available at multiple levels to meet participants where they are. $5,000 Health Education Center, Inc. Medical and Community Interpreter Program Training for Southeastern CT $10,000 Higher Edge College Access and Success: A Path of Persistence. Higher Edge builds a foundation enabling students to persist through until they graduate. Through the establishment of trust; advisors create an environment where students feel heard, empowered and respected. $30,000 Hispanic Alliance of Southeastern Connecticut To fund its primary programming, which includes the Scholarship Program and other educational and leadership development offerings. In particular, this grant is key to sustaining our organizational efforts. $10,000 Hygienic Art, Inc. New London Arts Community Programming $10,475 Immigration Advocacy & Support Center (IASC) Changing Lives, Empowering All Residents - CLEAR (New London Area) $31,032 Junior Achievement of Southwest New England, Inc. Economic Empowerment for Groton & New London Elementary Students will provide dynamic financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship programming for elementary students in Groton and New London. $7,500 Justice Dance Performance Project Performance Residency at York Correctional Institution, which prepares incarcerated women for community reentry through an immersive arts engagement aimed at building renewed identity, sense of agency, and personal voice. They are guided by a team of JDPP teaching artists in developing a final performance shared with peers, family, and invited guests at the York compound in June each year followed by a special wrap-up visit with the teaching team. $7,000 Ledge Light Health District The Place for CommUNITY Wellbeing is becoming hub for programs, services and community building to promote community health. Food to the People now operates as a grocery-store style set-up in one wing ("The Bodega") and funding will support increasing food choice and safe storage for the more than 3,000 community members served each month. $20,897 Lyman Allyn Art Museum To advance its mission of providing accessible and enriching art and cultural experiences for the community. These funds will support the museum’s Learning and Engagement programs, which serve approximately 20,000 visitors annually and reach an additional 130,000 online, fostering creativity, connection, and cultural understanding. $15,000 Madonna Place Community Outreach Plus Education (COPE) program providing emergency crisis mental/behavioral health, addiction, housing, and domestic violence outreach and resources to New London County. $20,000 Martin House Housing Advocacy/Capacity Building $20,000 Mitchell College Healthcare Academy (HCA), an early college program expanding healthcare career pathways for marginalized and underserved students. Through updated learning spaces and hands-on experiences, the HCA creates equitable access to healthcare education, prepares a diverse workforce while strengthening community partnerships and addresses local labor shortages. This initiative will empower students, promote economic mobility, and advance health equity in the region. $30,000 Musical Masterworks Community Engagement Program activities in Eastern CT. These funds will allow us to conduct a week-long residency featuring in-depth projects that help participants use music as a means of expression and a tool for understanding the world. In addition, we will host several one-day workshops and concerts, offering individuals exposure to classical music, instrumentation, and the discovery of their own musical voices and talents. $8,000 New London Adult & Continuing Education Oral Language Development for Our Youngest Learners $9,285 New London Area Food Coalition/New London Area Food Pantry, Inc. The New London Area Food Pantry has been providing groceries to food insecure citizens of the New London Area since 1989. Our goal is to strengthen the community by supporting individuals and families who lack access to basic nutritional needs. $10,000 New London Community Meal Center The Family Cupboard at DINE $20,000 New London Community Orchestra The Music City Strings program offers free violin, viola, and cello lessons to students at the Public Library of New London after school and during the summer. Instruments and all materials are provided to students at no cost, and the program is taught by two experienced and highly qualified instructors. The program fills a crucial gap between New London and surrounding districts and offers a unique opportunity to underserved students. $5,000 New London Homeless Hospitality Ready to Work/CT Pathways - Employment Program Support $32,500 New London Maritime Society/U.S. Custom House Museum Local-History & Landmarks program for third-graders in the New London Public Schools $15,000 New London Youth Affairs The Teen Links program supports middle/high school aged teens achieve academic and employment objectives. Workforce, life skills, risk prevention, and mental health promotion prepare youth for employment/career pathways. $10,000 OIC of New London County, Incorporated Early Childhood Education Workforce Development Training Program $18,000 Operation Fuel Emergency Energy Assistance $12,000 Planned Parenthood of Southern New England The New London Fund for Access $30,000 Pro Bono Partnership Legal Help for Nonprofits $30,000 Public Library of New London STEAM and Music programs for Children and Teens $13,800 Reach Out and Read, Inc. Southeastern Connecticut Early Literacy Initiative $6,286 Riverfront Children's Center Scholar Dollars: Early Childhood Education & Care Tuition Subsidy Program for Lower Income Families $20,000 S.E. CT Community Center of the Blind Inc. Blind and Visually Impaired Transportation Assistance $5,000 S.T.E.P.S. This will allow S.T.E.P.S. to support girls with overall higher-quality programming, events and experiences. $12,500 Safe Futures The Center for Safe Futures $33,500 Salt Marsh Opera Kids Love Music! 2026: Cinderella. To present a one-hour production of Rossini's Cinderella to New London County's 5th and 6th grade students at The Garde Arts Center $4,000 Salvation Army of New London Experiential Youth Programming, Music, Arts & STEM $20,000 SECT Housing Alliance Regional Affordable Housing Planning and Advocacy Program $5,000 Southeastern Connecticut Community Land Trust General Operating Funds $25,000 Southeastern Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (SCADD) The Access Assistance Program provides essential support to clients by covering costs for critical essentials, such as obtaining identification documents, transportation, and other necessary items. This funding helps clients overcome barriers, enabling them to pursue employment, housing, and other key opportunities for self-sufficiency and stability. $10,000 Southeastern CT Robotics, Inc Southeastern CT Robotics requests funding to support its STEM education programs, providing equitable access to robotics and engineering for interested youth in New London County. The grant will cover operational costs, including coach stipends, materials, technology, and outreach, benefiting 42-60 students annually and engaging 500+ community members through events. SECTR fosters hands-on learning, teamwork, and inclusivity, equipping students with critical skills for success in STEM fields. $10,000 Spark Makerspace To continue partnering with its original four organizations and grow by including a fifth organization. The partnerships will enable culturally responsive initiatives, enhance resource accessibility, and address educational, mentorship, and technology needs. The anticipated impact includes deeper cultural integration, improved access to essential resources for skill and personal growth, and more inclusive educational opportunities that benefit diverse communities. $10,000 St. James Episcopal Church The Lord's Pantry $7,500 St. Vincent de Paul Place St. Vincent de Paul Place Food Pantry $7,500 Thames River Community Service, Inc. Young parents who experience homelessness will receive individualized support, training and resources to help advance their economic security. The project aims to work with families to ensure safe housing with support services. $20,000 The Governor's Prevention Partnership The Governor’s Prevention Partnership and New London Youth Affairs will coordinate two Por Los Niños Community Café series to engage approximately 70 youth and parents/caregivers in community conversations to prevent substance use. $5,000 The Housing Collective/Center for Housing Opportunity This grant will enable CHO to empower resident leaders in underserved communities to effectively advocate for their housing needs and will continue to foster meaningful, regional collaboration around housing justice and affordability for all. $15,000 The Samaritan House Inc. We C U Mentor Program $6,000 The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries, Inc. Pantry Food Distribution $5,000 Three Rivers College Foundation Strengthening Nursing and Workforce in SECT $20,000 United Cerebral Palsy of Eastern Connecticut To promote housing stability and accessibility for individuals with disabilities in Eastern Connecticut by providing essential resources, engaging in advocacy, and offering rental assistance. $20,000 United Way of Southeastern Connecticut To help the Food Center purchase nutritious food needed to help people in need in New London County. Fresh produce, lean meats and dairy products are needed for the Food Center's mobile food pantry sites & 65 member feeding programs serving 23,500 people each month. $20,000 University of Connecticut Foundation UConn 4-H Military Partnership Project $5,000
Organization Project/Description Awarded Youth Empowerment Arts for Learning Connecticut Higher Order Thinking Schools is a whole-school, deep impact, teaching and learning program that is helping enrich school culture, expand teacher practice, and improve student engagement at the Regional Multicultural Magnet School. $17,000 Big Brothers Big Sisters of CT Operation and expansion of Community-Based Mentoring Programs. $15,000 Children's First Groton Increase early literacy outreach in the community. $10,000 Connecticut College Horizons Beyond High School is a college and career exploratory program for rising juniors from New London High School and includes an intensive, two-week summer experience and a complementary academic year program. $18,000 Connecticut Landmarks Society The project offers educational and engaging programming that encourages participants to think and interact deeply about slavery, freedom, and social justice. $8,000 Connecticut Science Center Science-in-Motion programs for students at Catherine Kolnaski Magnet Elementary School. $10,000 Eastern Connecticut Ballet Nutcracker School Assembly Program, a live learning experience focusing on ballet, music and local history. $5,000 Eastern Connecticut State University Provide sixteen low-income high school students the opportunity to attend Eastern’s one-week residential Pre-College Summer program free of charge. $10,000 Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra 2025 Young People’s Concert, a live and experiential symphonic concert, and Carnegie Hall’s Link Up program for year-long engagement of students through curriculum support. $16,000 Elevate to Even Plus Incorporated Summer internships in greater New London for students of color. $12,000 Eugene O'Neill Theater Center The Young Playwrights Festival helps students in Eastern Connecticut identify new modes of self-expression, experience creative and personal growth, and cement a lifelong appreciation for live theater. $7,500 Expressiones Cultural Center ArtVenture is a bilingual program that connects art with people and promotes social justice to reflect the diversity of New London County. $18,000 Flock Theatre To develop and implement Women & Minorities in STEM residencies, breaking down stereotypes and empowering youth in STEAM. $15,000 Florence Griswold Museum To establish a transportation scholarship fund in support of its youth education programming. $5,000 Garde Arts Center PACE is a community-based network strategy that bridges education, the arts, regional social service and educational organizations. The program focused on young people and their families, especially those that are disadvantaged and underserved $30,000 Higher Edge Guides first generation high school seniors as they navigate the college application process and make an informed decision. $30,000 Hispanic Alliance Support for a variety of programs for Hispanic youth and adults in New London. $10,000 Musical Masterworks Programs with Fitch High School and Waterford Country Day School with music as a means of expressing and understanding the world they live in. $8,000 Mystic Museum of Art The Arts in Education Field Trip Program provides in-depth experiences and supports teachers and learners with relevant, enriching experiences of the Museum. $7,500 Natchaug Hospital Collaboration with NESS to provide field experiences to students whose emotional or behavioral health problems prevent success in a traditional school environment. $8,000 New London Adult & Continuing Education Provide high-quality, early intervention language and literacy services for 15 young, at-risk children to address their weak or delayed oral language development. $9,000 New London Youth Affairs The Family Center addresses school readiness by supporting families' basic needs, identifying and addressing developmental delays, and facilitating preschool placements. $14,000 Niantic Children's Museum Yearlong series of monthly sensory friendly programs to families with children on the autism spectrum. $15,000 New London Maritime Society/U.S. Custom House Museum Third-grade local history program for New London Public School students. $15,000 Our Piece of the Pie Helping high-risk youth to get back on track (and stay on track) to a high school diploma, a post-secondary degree/credential and meaningful employment. $10,000 Project Oceanology Summer camp scholarships for students who cannot afford to pay. $10,000 Public Library of New London Provide STEAM programs and Take and Make STEAM kits for children and teens in our community to explore and experiment in a safe and welcoming environment. $5,000 Reach Out and Read To distribute books at well-child visits from birth-5 and counsel parents on the importance of reading. $5,000 Riverfront Children's Center Scholar Dollars tuition scholarship program for low-income families. $20,000 Salt Marsh Opera Production of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi in English for New London County's 5th and 6th grade students. $5,000 Salvation Army of New London Boys and Girls Club of New London - Music, Arts and STEM programming. $18,000 SARAH Inc. Providing free autism resources to families in their home language. $7,500 Southeastern CT Robotics Making STEM education accessible to the youth of New London County. $6,000 Step Up New London "Boldly, unapologetically, and intentionally fighting for education, housing and health justice" in New London. $18,000 S.T.E.P.S. Empowering girls and uplifting communities by providing young women the tools necessary to build lives of integrity and self-sufficiency through positive choice. $15,000 The Connecticut Storytelling Center Emergent literacy programming in New London preschools. $7,500 The Governor's Prevention Partnership The Future Prevention Leaders Conference for high school-aged youth leaders. $5,000 Traveling Toys To establish educational toy libraries in the children’s and teens’ sections of Ledyard Public Library, Waterford Public Library and Wheeler Library. $10,000 University of Connecticut Foundation/4-H Program 4-H provides hands-on learning activities in STEM, work force skills, and healthy lifestyles for military-connected youth. $7,500 Waterford Country School Scholarships for summer camp program. $15,000 Writer's Block Ink Youth participants will work as a team to create and perform their own live theater production, which will be performed at the end of the program. $10,000 Basic Needs Always Home Homelessness Prevention Program provides families with access to case management support and short-term financial resources, when necessary, to overcome an immediate housing emergency and stabilize housing. $19,000 American Red Cross-CT & RI Region Respond to all home fires as well as other disasters, such as storms and floods to assist those who experience an unexpected emergency. $7,500 Children in Placement CT Recruitment and onboarding of new Guardian ad Litem volunteers, essential to the welfare of the child victims we serve. $15,000 Community Partners in Action (CPA) Prison Arts Program including in-prison workshops, exhibitions, publications, mural projects, permanent collection, reintegration initiatives, and the program's health education and community outreach projects. $7,000 ConnCan To engage the Latino community in New London, Ledyard, Salem and Groton to advocate for educational change and ensure successful implementation of the Multilingual Learners’ Bill of Rights. $15,000 Connecticut Fair Housing Center Provide intake and outreach services to low-income individuals and families to support civil rights enforcement, with a focus on communities of color and other underserved populations. $20,000 Connecticut Foodshare Provide healthy and nutritious food to the nearly 20,000 food insecure individuals residing in the Foundation's geographic catchment area. $10,000 Eastern Connecticut Housing Opportunities Junior Project Manager to oversee the desperately needed physical rehabilitation of the properties that have experienced abuse and neglect. $20,000 Furniture Bank of Southeastern Connecticut Purchase beds for families in financial need. $7,000 Groton Community Meals Chef stipends to provide nutritious weekly meals for Groton residents $5,000 Habitat for Humanity of Eastern CT Habitat for Humanity is pursuing a corner lot in New London, for two multifamily homes, providing affordable housing for four families. $15,000 HOPE Partnership Feasibility for projects in Lyme or Old Lyme that will result in needed, deed-restricted affordable housing. $10,000 Immigration Advocacy & Support Center (IASC) Presentations and outreach on legal immigration requirements and processes, expert immigration legal guidance, casework at affordable rates, and expanded services to assist with asylum and deportation defense. $20,000 Justice Dance Performance Project York Performance Residency engages women at York Correctional Institution in a process of self-expansion, creativity, renewal, and healing through movement, song, writing, and visual art. $7,000 Ledge Light Health District Food to the People is an initiative which works to promote access to free, healthy and culturally respectful food for community members. $15,000 Lymann Allyn Museum Support for the exhibit Eleggua: Opening the Paths. The show and public programs will explore themes of women and her ancestors, exploring connections between the African continent and the Diaspora. $10,000 Madonna Place Community Outreach Plus Education (COPE) program providing emergency crisis mental/behavioral health, addiction, housing, and domestic violence outreach and resources to New London County. $20,000 Martin House Housing Advocate position to transition residents to independent living, thereby increasing the organization's capacity to serve additional people. $15,000 New London Area Food Coalition Supporting food insecure individuals and families of the New London Area who lack access to basic nutritional needs. $10,000 New London Community Meal Center To establish a dedicated food pantry space in order to get The Family Cupboard at DINE open to our families. $20,000 New London Homeless Hospitality Specialized employment program targeted to the needs of very low-income individuals especially those who are experiencing homelessness and are guests at the homeless shelter. $25,000 Operation Fuel To support emergency energy distribution in the Southeastern part of Connecticut. $7,500 Planned Parenthood of Southern New England The New London Fund for Access ensures that Southeastern CT residents have access to preventative reproductive healthcare. $12,000 Spark Makerspace Enable culturally responsive initiatives, enhance resource accessibility, and further address educational, mentorship, and technology needs. $10,000 St. Vincent de Paul Place To provide food, companionship, and needed services to the neediest members of the southeastern Connecticut community. $7,500 Sunrise Northeast Camperships for those with severe and complex developmental disabilities to have a fulfilling camp experience. $7,500 Thames River Community Service Young parents who experience homelessness will receive individualized supports, training and resources to help advance their economic security. $20,000 Thames Valley Council for Community Action Homelessness Prevention/Diversion Financial Assistance Program, which offers households at risk of eviction monetary help for security deposits, rent payments/arrearages, overdue utility bills & related expenses. $15,000 The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries Purchase food for distribution to needy residents through our Old Lyme and East Lyme Food Pantries. $5,000 Three Rivers College Foundation Funding for nursing students to adequately prepare for the NCLEX exam. $20,000 United Cerebral Palsy of Eastern Connecticut To ensure the continuation of free, vital services to individuals with disabilities in New London County. $15,000 United Way of Southeastern CT To help the Food Center procure/purchase healthy nutritious food not readily available through donations to help people in need in New London County. $12,500 United Way of Southeastern CT/Eastern Connecticut Health Collaborative Coordinated Outreach initiative to increase equitable access to healthcare and wrap-around services for underserved community members in Eastern Connecticut. $12,000 UR Community Cares Supports older and disabled adults living safely at home by connecting them with background-checked community-based volunteer support. $5,000 W.A.R.M. Center Community Outreach Program provides intensive case management and financial assistance for basic needs. $5,000 Waterford Public Library Weekly 90-minute conversation circle, open to all new English language learners, who wish to meet in a safe space and practice speaking English. $5,000 Advocacy & Capacity A Better Way Foundation Coaching support and capacity building for grassroots organizations for stable operations. $10,000 Child & Family Agency of Southeastern CT Support for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging training for CFA leadership to remove barriers to equitable healthcare by supporting delivery of care to a diverse population. $17,000 Connecticut Arts Alliance Arts, Culture, and Tourism Funding Roadmap to secure more meaningful, reliable, and equitable state support for these three important contributors to Connecticut's economy, the vitality of our cities and towns, and the health and well-being of our residents. $5,000 Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness Advocacy strategy in the Southeastern region of CT to prevent and end homelessness through the coordination and oversight of a fully resourced homeless emergency response system. $14,000 Connecticut Voices for Children Advocacy to advance universal access to early care and education, and advocacy for tax reform, specifically progressive revenue to fund critical investments to create family economic security. $30,000 Cultural Coalition Capacity building, advocacy and education for arts organization and artists. $20,000 Regional Plan Association (RPA) for Desegregate CT Affordable housing advocacy and data reporting in Eastern CT. $15,000 Thames River Heritage Park Foundation Support for program/outreach coordinator to assist with program development. $15,000 The Arc Eastern Connecticut Social equity workshops for employees work with individuals with disabilities. $10,000 Total 86 Grants $1,075,000
Systems Change Grants
Organization Project/Description Awarded Access Community Action Agency Re-imagine pathways to homeownership for families in Northeastern Connecticut through community-level partnerships to bring high quality homeownership counseling services and education to Windham County. (This grant is over 2 years.) $200,000 Partnership for Strong Communities Conduct a comprehensive analysis of housing needs, engage underserved families, advocate for policy change, and provide education on advocacy to families and children facing housing insecurity in Norwich. (This grant is over 2 years.) $105,765 Total 2 Grants $305,765
Windham/Northeast Basic Needs Grants
Access Community Action Agency In support of a part-time position to ensure efficient food distribution in the food pantry. $6,160 Community Health Resources For basic needs of Windham clients $2,000 Covenant Soup Kitchen For support of the soup kitchen and food pantry $5,203 Holy Family Home and Shelter For shelter staffing that will allow having two staff on at all times, which will result in more efficient support and increased safety of guests. $9,900 Madonna Place For basic needs and resources of Willimantic/Windham families who are served by Great Beginnings Home Visiting, Fatherhood Initiative, Community Outreach Plus Education, and Family Support Center programs. $1,000 Thames Valley Council for Community Action (TVCCA) To support Meals on Wheels to the homebound & providing Congregate lunch for Willimantic elders. $2,500 The Salvation Army of Willimantic For support such as rent and utility assistance, along with personal hygiene items, to Windham residents. $3,500 Windham Area Interfaith Ministry (WAIM) For the Emergency Financial Assistance Program, which offers rental assistance, fuel assistance and other unmet basic needs. $5,000 Windham Human Services Department and Senior Center To provide emergency assistance in the form of tangible materials, laundry cards, bus passes, grocery gift cards and similar to eligible Windham/Willimantic residents experiencing a critical need. $6,000 Windham Region Chamber of Commerce Foundation To help purchase healthy, fresh food for the veterans commissary, which serves Windham veterans of any military branch, active or retired. $3,500 Windham Region No Freeze Project For expenses incurred in diverting individuals from homelessness, such as paying utility or rent arrearages, purchasing transportation to available housing, or providing move-in money, as well as expenses incurred in helping people obtain identification or other documents needed to obtain housing. $8,000
Organization Project/Description Awarded Access Community Action Agency Food Pantry - To purchase two new glass-front refrigerators for our Willimantic food pantry to replace three standard, non-commercial size refrigerators with solid doors. $3,000 Covenant Soup Kitchen To purchase and distribute nutritious food to thousands of people who are struggling to make ends meet due to poverty, unemployment, underemployment, illness, homelessness, and fixed incomes that are not sufficient to meet expenses. $5,500 Holy Family Home and Shelter Ending Homeless One Family at a Time - To help families experiencing homelessness to achieve self-sufficiency by providing shelter with support services from case managers. $8,000 Thames Valley Council for Community Action Senior Nutrition Services in the Town of Windham - To enhance Windham seniors’ food security, provide vital social connections, and safeguard their well-being as they age through home delivery of Meals on Wheels and congregate lunch daily at two convenient locations. $1,500 Windham Area Interfaith Ministry (WAIM)
Human Needs Program - For short-term case management, advocacy, referral and/or emergency cash assistance to hundreds of clients who are at risk of losing heat and/or electricity, who have fallen behind in their rent, or who have other unmet basic needs because of financial hardship. $5,000 Windham Community Food Network
Community Table/Mesa Comunitaria - For a constituent-led, communal food pantry for primarily Latinx immigrant households in Willimantic. $2,900 Windham Human Services Department and Senior Center Neighbors Helping Neighbors Windham - To help provide emergency assistance, in the form of tangible materials, laundry cards, bus passes, grocery gift cards and similar to eligible Windham/Willimantic residents experiencing a critical need. $6,000 Windham Region No Freeze Project For general operating funds to keep people from becoming homeless, assist them in securing housing and help keep them out of the elements and help with their hygienic needs. $4,000 Total 8 Grants $35,900
Women & Girls Grants
Organization Name Project/Description Grant Award Economic Security A Better Way Foundation/Step Up New London Second Chance Rental Initiative for single mothers and women-led households to secure and maintain stable housing. $9,500 Always Home Homelessness prevention and shelter diversion of low-income, single-mother households with minor children. $12,000 Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut Women's Leadership Development Programs for women to advance their careers, achieve parity in regional leadership roles, and support female entrepreneurship, with a distinct emphasis on women of color and underemployed women. $5,000 Covenant Shelter of New London Support of female-headed families transitioning out of homelessness. $8,000 Covenant Soup Kitchen Covenant Soup Kitchen and Community Food Pantry Cooperative $3,000 Defy Ventures In-prison entrepreneurship and professional development programming at State correctional facility $11,000 H.O.P.E. Renovating the apartments at 35 Terrace Ave. for single mothers. $5,000 Holy Family Home and Shelter Support for young mothers by increasing access to educational certifications and trainings. $7,500 Interfaith Human Services of Putnam Pathways to Success childcare support for working mothers in Putnam. $5,000 Network Against Domestic Abuse Domestic violence services for women and their children from nine Windham area communities and healthy relationships education and youth advocacy for women and girls in Stafford/Stafford Springs. $5,000 Southeastern Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SCADD) Alternate Career Paths for women in early recovery. $10,000 St. Vincent de Paul Place Family Safety Net program to help women secure benefits, stabilize housing, increase employment or wages, and reunite with their families. $6,000 Thames River Community Service Economic security for young women who are experiencing homelessness through education, employment supports and affordable housing. $8,000 The Children's Law Center of Connecticut Legal representation for indigent girls whose parents are embroiled in contentious family court disputes in the Windham Judicial District. $7,075 The Neighbor Fund Legal aid to immigrants in the Windham area, with the goal of successful applications for youth visas, green cards and asylum for women and girls. $6,000 United Cerebral Palsy of Eastern Connecticut Support and advocacy for women and girls with disabilities. $7,000 Windham Area Interfaith Ministry (WAIM) Women's and Girls' Fund For Housing Stability $7,500 Women's Business Development Council Business training, counseling and financial support for entrepreneurs and child care providers. $8,000 Women's Health and Mental Health BEB-Birth Support, Education & Beyond Flexible, adaptable perinatal support to reduce toxic stressors in pregnancy and early parenting. $6,000 High Hopes Therapeutic Riding Therapeutic horsemanship programs specifically designed for women veterans who have served in the U.S. Military. $6,000 Horizons Respite and summer camp program for women and girls with disabilities. $3,500 New London Youth Affairs Mental health support for Family Center mothers/caregivers. $9,000 Planned Parenthood of Southern New England Windham Fund for Access and New London Teen Engagement $12,000 Power Clean Recovery Corp DBA Move to Heal CT Fitness-based recovery program for women in Putnam. $3,500 TEEG (Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment Group) Real Talk: Putting the Reality into Relationships for 8th-12th graders in the Thompson, Putnam, and Pomfret schools. $4,200 Girls and Young Women CLiCK/GROW Windham Young Women’s Food System Apprenticeship for Latinx girls. $5,400 Girl Scouts of Connecticut Scholarships and camperships to ensure that girls in the Northeast area can participate scouts and/or summer camp. $2,500 Girls on the Run of Southeastern CT Girls on the Run Spring 2025 Season Support $5,000 Higher Edge Empowering Young Women to Create a Path to College Persistence $8,000 Hispanic Alliance of Southeastern Connecticut Summer leadership and mentorship program for high school-age Latinas. $8,500 Madonna Place Great Beginnings Home Visiting Program $10,000 Manchester Community College Foundation Emergency fund for female students from the Windham area. $6,000 Northeast Opportunities for Wellness (NOW) Strong Like a Girl~ Girls Empowerment Group for girls ages 12 - 14. $5,000 S.T.E.P.S. Empowerment program for adolescent girls in New London and Groton middle and high schools. $10,000 Salvation Army of New London Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of New London - SMART Girls program $8,500 Town of Preston Parks and Recreation Preston Parks and Recreation has partnered with Northeast Opportunities to bring their Strong Like a Girl empowerment program for young women and teens. $3,500 Windham County 4-H Foundation Camperships for girls to attend day and/or residential summer camp. $4,000 Senior Women City of New London Senior Citizens Center Assist senior women in New London. $10,000 Jewish Federation of Eastern CT Together/Tzuzammen - Supporting senior women to age in place at home in New London $10,000 Thames Valley Council for Community Action Senior Nutrition Meals for New London Women Age 62 and Older. $12,000 Domestic Violence Child & Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut Clinical support of domestic violence survivors. $15,000 Safe Futures For Genesis House emergency domestic violence shelter and crisis counseling for victims in Norwich. $18,000 Advocacy She Leads Justice Women of Color First campaign to advance policies that promote economic equity. $10,000 The Campaign School at Yale Training for women of color interested in public service. $7,500 Total grants $333,675
Organization Project/Description Awarded Family Economic Security Interfaith Human Services of Putnam Support scholarships for the children of low-income working mothers to attend the Putnam Parks & Recreation After-School Program. $2,500 Girls and Young Women Girl Scouts of Connecticut Support Starter Troops, providing mentorship, guidance, and resources to new Girl Scout Troop leaders and ensuring a positive first-time experience for youth. $1,000 Northeast Opportunities for Wellness (NOW) Support of "Strong Like a Girl" to promote self-empowerment, community empowerment, healthy coping, and life skills for girls ages 13-16. $3,000 Our Piece of the Pie Support the gender-specific group SpeakHERS of Change, helping females and female-identifying OPP youth to develop healthy habits, make positive decisions, practice self-care, understand and manage emotions and behaviors, thrive, and lead. $2,500 S.T.E.P.S. Support for the afterschool Girls Empowerment Program at Plainfield Central Middle School. $5,000 TEEG (Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment Group) In partnership with United Services: Train two staff members to become licensed facilitators in the Love146 curriculum for youth on how to protect themselves from human trafficking and exploitation. The program will be offered to Thompson, Woodstock, Putnam, Pomfret, Killingly, and Plainfield high school students. $2,000 United Services In partnership with TEEG: For child sex trafficking prevention, including a multi-pronged public awareness campaign. $2,000 Windham County 4-H Foundation Provide camperships for girls from the towns served by the Northeast Area Women & Girls Fund. $2,500 Women's Health and Mental Health Community Health Resources Train Putnam and Danielson staff in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), an innovative, research-based model to help program participants reduce anxiety, enhance wellness, and improve parenting skills. $4,964 Total 9 Grants $25,464
Organization Project/Description Awarded Family Economic Security Madonna Place Great Beginnings Home Visiting Program $8,000 St. Vincent de Paul Place Family Safety Net $5,000 Domestic Violence Safe Futures Katie Blair Transitional Housing/Rapid Rehousing Program $10,000 Total 3 Grants $23,000
Organization Project/Description Awarded Family Economic Security Always Home Homelessness Prevention and shelter diversion of low-income single mothers with minor children. $8,000.00 Defy Ventures In-Prison Entrepreneurship & Professional Development programming in Connecticut Women’s Correctional Facility. $7,000.00 Southeast Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence Workplace development for women in recovery. $8,000.00 Thames River Community Service Moving young motherss toward economic security. $8,000.00 Women's Business Development Council Business training, counseling, and financial support for entrepreneurs and childcareproviders. $7,500.00 Girls and Young Women Girl Scouts of Connecticut Community outreach to expand troops to schools in New London. $7,500.00 Girls on the Run of Southeastern CT Scholarship support for girls in New London, Groton & Ledyard. $4,147.00 Hispanic Alliance of Southeastern Connecticut Weeklong leadership and mentoring for young Latinas during the summer. $7,500.00 Horizons Respite and camp program for women & girls at their Windham camp. $4,000.00 New London Adult & Continuing Education Mentoring Toward MY Future: coaching women to develop and realize post-secondary goals. $4,600.00 Our Piece of the Pie SpeakHERS of Change: afterschool progam aimed at high-risk young women. $7,500.00 Planned Parenthood of Southern New England New London Teen Engagement for peer-to-peer learning on health and social topics. $7,500.00 Stonington Community Center Girls in STEM program scholarship for low-income participants. $5,000.00 S.T.E.P.S. Afterschool program to increase aspirations of young women of color. $8,000.00 Salvation Army of New London Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of New London - SMART Girls program and camp. $7,500.00 Senior Women City of New London Senior Citizens Center Assist senior women in New London. $10,000.00 Jewish Federation of Eastern CT Together/Tzuzammen - Supporting senior women to age in place at home in New London. $7,500.00 Thames Valley Council for Community Action TVCCA senior nutritionmeals for New London women. $15,000.00 Domestic Violence Safe Futures Genesis House emergency domestic violence shelter and alternative shelter solutions. $10,000.00 Women's Health and Mental Health Child & Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut Protecting privacy through confidential gynecological services. $9,500.00 Dignity Grows Personal hygiene products for low income women. $5,000.00 Ledge Light Health District Mujeres Entre Culturas (Women Between Cultures) support group for Latinas. $8,000.00 Martin House Medical advocacy for women with mental and physical health challenges. $5,000.00 New London Youth Affairs Mental health support for Family Center mothers/caregivers. $8,000.00 United Cerebral Palsy of Eastern Connecticut Support and advocacy for women and girls with disabilities. $8,000.00 Policy and Advocacy She Leads Justice Women of Color First advocacy campaign to advance policies that promote economic equity. $9,000.00 The Campaign School at Yale Training for women of color interested in public service. $7,500.00 Total 27 Grants $204,247.00
Organization Project/Description Awarded Family Economic Security Covenant Soup Kitchen For food and associated costs. $5,000 Higher Edge To supplement non-tuition related college expenses for traditional-aged women students that live in the Windham Women & Girls catchment area, from the June Salamy Krisch Fund for Women & Girls. $568 Manchester Community College Foundation For need-based scholarships and emergency needs for low-income, minority female students who reside in the towns served by the Windham Area Women & Girls Fund. $10,000 The Neighbor Fund To provide legal aid to female immigrants in the Windham area. $8,000 Three Rivers Foundation To support non-traditional-aged women students with financial need from the towns served by the Windham Women & Girls Fund, through the Louise Guarnaccia Fund for Non-Traditional Students. $990 Windham Area Interfaith Ministry (WAIM) To help up to 15 women-headed families and their children remain housed. $8,000 Girls and Young Women Girl Scouts of Connecticut For Starter Troops, which provide mentorship, guidance, and resources to new Girl Scout Troop leaders and ensure a positive first-time experience for youth, in communities served by the Windham Area Women & Girls Fund. $2,750 The Children's Law Center of Connecticut Towards the costs of legal representation for indigent children in the towns served by the Windham Area Women & Girls Fund whose parents are embroiled in contentious family court disputes. $4,000 United Services For a multi-pronged public awareness campaign to prevent child sex trafficking in the region. $2,500 Windham County 4-H Foundation For day and residential camperships for girls from the towns served by the Windham Area Women & Girls Fund. $4,000 Domestic Violence Network Against Domestic Abuse For safe housing and support services for 110 women and their children from nine Windham Area communities, and for healthy relationships programming for women and girls living in Stafford/Stafford Springs. $5,000 Windham Region No Freeze Project To provide a safe sleeping area in the temporary shelter space this season for women who have experienced trauma and do not feel safe sleeping in the same room as men. $5,000 Women's Health and Mental Health Planned Parenthood of Southern New England For the Windham County Fund for Access, so that women and girls living in the Windham area have access to affordable reproductive healthcare. $5,000 Policy and Advocacy She Leads Justice To center and elevate the voices of marginalized and under-resourced women of color and advance statewide policies to improve women’s economic security. $1,000 Total 14 Grants $61,808
To learn more about our grantmaking process, contact Jennifer O'Brien, Program Director, at JennOB@cfect.org or 860-442-3572.
to resources.
their future.
subsistence and/or employment benefits to residents of New London, Norwich and Willimantic/Windham.
Willimantic/Windham to apply for an Absolute Pardon.
Community Engagement
Public Schools.
students from New London and Norwich.
incarcerated.
Willimantic/Windham with quality jobs through the One Million Jobs Campaign.
prison.
14 and 15.
Willimantic/Windham youth.
London and Norwich youth.
weekends for young women and their families.