More than $2.4 Million Awarded to Greater New Haven Nonprofits by The Community Foundation
Grants support the full range of local charitable activity, including programs that serve the region's homeless, help stabilize families in transition, support immigration integration, provide emergency support to seniors, help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully return to the community, offer services for at-risk youth, and promote literacy.
New Haven, CT (October 31, 2014)- The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the permanent endowment and largest grantmaker to nonprofit organizations serving the Greater New Haven region, announces that it has awarded $2,405,044 in one-year and multi-year grants to 43 nonprofits serving its twenty-town region. These grants are the culmination of The Community Foundation's largest, annual competitive grants process, which began in March with 123 applicants requesting $9.2 Million in total funding. This competitive process is only one element of The Foundation's overall grantmaking, which is expected to exceed $20 million in total competitive and non-competitive grants in 2014.
"Each year The Community Foundation's competitive grantmaking process highlights all the great work being done by nonprofits in our community and poses very difficult decisions for us in choosing which grants to support. As always, in making these decisions we have sought to find a balance among our community's many opportunities and needs," said William W. Ginsberg, President & CEO of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.
Grants broken down by category are as follows: protecting the environment (1 grant for $20,000), supporting arts and culture (3 grants for $120,500), promoting civic vitality (4 grants for $183,000), boosting economic success (4 grants for $170,000), nurturing children and youth (6 grants for $278,000), meeting basic needs (7 grants for $355,000) and providing quality education (9 grants for $350,000). Because The Community Foundation has a sizable number of preference funds that support health services, the largest number of grants was made in the category of ensuring health and wellness (9 grants for $882,544), as in years past.
In seeing greater evidence that there is a transition occurring in the manner in which homeless shelter services are funded and delivered, The Community Foundation awarded several grants to nonprofits serving the homeless population in the region to ensure individuals and families at risk of being homeless or who are chronically homeless do not experience an interruption in services. These grant recipients include: Christian Community Action, Columbus House, Community Soup Kitchen, Connecticut Veterans Legal Center, Corporation for Supportive Housing, Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, New Reach and Youth Continuum.
In alignment with emerging strategies identified by The Foundation's Board of Directors, two grants were awarded to address issues of 1) incarceration and community reentry and 2) immigration integration. The Connecticut Women's Consortium received $160,000 to support trauma-informed, gender responsive training and technical assistance to four agencies that provide services to formerly incarcerated individuals reentering the Greater New Haven community. That grant follows a decision by the Board earlier in the year to award $50,000 to The Transitions Clinic Network to serve the reentry population. To support immigration integration, JUNTA, which ensures that the rights of immigrants are respected and protected and that the Latino population is better represented in all segments of the community, received $50,000 for its general operations.
"The Community Foundation is committed to making New Haven and the region a welcoming community to all including the most vulnerable among us. This means ensuring that nonprofit organizations are prepared to serve the most vulnerable populations like undocumented immigrants and those returning to the region after incarceration. We want to ensure that these individuals have access to well-coordinated and quality services and that they have the tools they need to become civically engaged citizens. The Community Foundation has a long history working in these two areas and is committed to making more strategic investments that will lead to positive outcomes for individuals and the community," says Christina Ciociola, Senior Vice President for Grantmaking & Strategy.
Illustrating how preference funds are used to support requests that align with donor intent, distributions from the Konopacke and Phelps Funds were used to support a local animal shelter and services for the aging, respectively.
Thanks to the Lillian and Henry Konopacke Fund, a grant was awarded to Animal Haven Inc., a private, nonprofit no-kill shelter for homeless cats and dogs located in North Haven. The Konopacke Fund was created in 2013 by bequest of New Haven native Henry Konopacke, who worked as a machinist at the Winchester Repeating Arms Factory. The fund states a preference to assist nonprofit animal shelters in the Greater New Haven area. The grant will be used to train staff and upgrade Animal Haven's facility to prevent disease, ensure animal health and wellbeing and serve as a model for other shelters in Connecticut.
The John P. & Cora E. Phelps fund was established in 1962 as a preference fund by bequest of Emma P. Pelton, in honor of her grandfather and mother. A grant to the Town of Hamden was made possible from the fund for the Hamden Phelps Community Project, which provides short-term or emergency support to needy senior residents.
"Honoring donor intent is central to The Community Foundation's grantmaking," says Angela Powers, Senior Vice President for Development, Stewardship and Donor Services at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. "We are very pleased to have identified grants that will make our community stronger in ways envisioned by Mr. Konopacke and Ms. Pelton."
This year, as in the past, the responsive grant process for the Lower Naugatuck Valley was carried out collaboratively with The Community Foundation's affiliate, the Valley Community Foundation. In addition to The Community Foundation's $2.4 Million, 12 Valley grants totaling $420,304 were awarded by the Valley Community Foundation, including one joint grant by the two foundations to Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven to help reestablish its literacy program in the Valley.
A complete list of grant recipients is available at www.cfgnh.org (or see below)
| 2014 Responsive Grants Awarded by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven | ||||||
| Organization | Description | Total Amt Awarded | 1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year | 4th year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut, Inc. | to support the AARP Experience Corps, an intergenerational literacy learning program of Greater New Haven providing tutoring and mentoring for K-4 students in New Haven and Hamden schools. | $10,000 | $10,000 | |||
| All Our Kin, Inc. | to provide general operating support to support and engage child care providers in improving the quality of childcare. | $35,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | |
| Almada Lodge - Times Farm Camp Corporation | to provide general operating support for opportunities to children of all physical, developmental and economic ability to participate in year round recreational and educational programs that promote friendships, learning and growth. | $46,500 | $15,500 | $15,500 | $15,500 | |
| American Red Cross, Connecticut Chapter | to provide general operating support for services for disaster relief and recovery, supports to military families, and health and safety training for Greater New Haven residents and first responders. | $25,000 | $25,000 | |||
| Animal Haven, Inc. | to support an on-site education program for staff and volunteers as well as facility improvements that will eliminate the spread of disease, ensure animal health and wellbeing. | $33,000 | $33,000 | |||
| Arts Council of Greater New Haven | to provide general operating support to promote, advocate, and foster opportunities for artists, arts organizations, and audiences. | $60,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | |
| Bridges...A Community Support System, Inc. | to provide general operating support for a comprehensive range of prevention, mental health and addiction recovery programs for adults, children and families. | $100,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||
| Children's Community Programs of CT, Inc. | to support the Nurturing Kin project, which will deliver new Core Kinship Training to caregivers who are awarded custody of kin through New Haven's Regional Children's Probate Court. | $40,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | ||
| Christian Community Action | to support the costs to develop and execute a program model and implementation schedule for the ARISE! Center, an anticipated network of coordinated services to lift families out of poverty. | $40,000 | $40,000 | |||
| Columbus House, Inc. | to provide general operating support to serve people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless by providing shelter/housing, and fostering personal growth and independence. | $150,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| Community Soup Kitchen | to provide general operating support for free, nutritious meals to individuals in need in downtown New Haven. | $5,000 | $5,000 | |||
| Connecticut Food Bank | to support the Mobile Pantry Program that distributes healthy perishable groceries directly to food-insecure households and residents of low-income neighborhoods in Greater New Haven. | $30,00 | $30,000 | |||
| Connecticut Veterans Legal Center | to provide general operating support to help veterans recovering from homelessness and mental illness overcome legal barriers to housing, healthcare and income. | $60,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | |
| Connecticut Voices for Children | to provide general operating support to promote the well-being of all of Connecticut's children and families by identifying and advocating for strategic public investments and wise public policies. | $40,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | ||
| Connecticut Women's Consortium | to support trauma-informed , gender responsive training, and technical assistance to four agencies that provide services to individuals with a history of incarceration in the Greater New Haven community. | $160,000 | $55,000 | $65,000 | $40,000 | |
| Connection Fund, Inc. | to support improvements to communications and information technology infrastructure as part of a plan to improve client outcomes and data collection. | $31,144 | $31,144 | |||
| Cornell Scott Hill Health Corporation | to support the expansion of the Department of Wellness, Education and Outreach in public housing developments in New Haven and West Haven and affordable housing developments in East Haven. | $30,501 | $30,501 | |||
| Corporation for Supportive Housing | to support a match for the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) "Healthy Futures" pilot project in Connecticut that will connect homeless individuals with stable housing and access to health care to improve health outcomes and contain medical costs. | $25,000 | $25,000 | |||
| Diaper Bank | to provide general operating support to ensure that all families living in poverty have an adequate supply of diapers, to raise community awareness and to advocate for policy reform. | $35,000 | $20,000 | $15,000 | ||
| Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen | to provide general operating support for free, nutritious meals for homeless individuals and families, and the working and non-working poor of the Greater New Haven area. | $50,000 | $20,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | |
| Fellowship Place | to provide general operating support to help adults with mental illness lead more meaningful, fulfilling and healthy lives by offering resources, education, and opportunity. | $100,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||
| Foote School Association, Inc. | to support becoming an affiliate of National Horizons to provide a proven hands-on educational program opportunity for summer enrichment to low-income K-8 students. | $30,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | |
| Greater New Haven Community Loan Fund | to provide general operating support for programs that include lending to non-profit affordable housing developers and non-profits organizations in need of capital for operating and major purchases. | $25,000 | $25,000 | |||
| Guilford Arts Center | to provide general operating support, allowing it to diversify its participants and provide for more arts education. | $45,000 | $20,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 | |
| Helen Keller International | to support the ChildSight® program to provide refraction assessments, prescription eyeglasses and ophthalmic referrals to New Haven public school children in need and to launch four pilot programs/assessments that will contribute to sustainability of the program. | $200,899 | $100,784 | $100,115 | ||
| Higher Heights Youth Empowerment Programs Inc. | to provide general operating support for college planning programs for high school students. | $20,000 | $20,000 | |||
| Jewish Family Service of New Haven | to support the expansion of the JFS Food Assistance Program into a multi-functional JFS Food Pantry and Nutritional Health Clinic; achieving long-term stability for its clients. | $60,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | |
| Jumpstart for Young Children Inc. | to support the enhancement of the preschooler education program for low-income children in New Haven schools so they enter kindergarten prepared to succeed. | $10,000 | $10,000 | |||
| JUNTA for Progressive Action | to provide general operating support for services, programs and advocacy that improve the social, political and economic conditions of the Latino community in Greater New Haven. | $50,000 | $50,000 | |||
| Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven | to provide general operating support to recruit, train and support volunteers who work with adults as literacy tutors. | $75,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | |
| Mutual Housing Association South Central Connecticut dba Neighborworks New Horizons | to provide general operating support to develop and operate permanently affordable quality housing that builds strong, healthy and vibrant communities through active resident and community participation and leadership. | $45,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | |
| New Haven Ecology Project | to provide general operating support for a public charter school, an environmental education center and an urban farm; providing services to an expanded student population and enhancing programs for greater community use. | $20,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | ||
| New Haven Family Alliance | to provide general operating support for improving families' economic status, facilitating offender re-entry; offering job skills training; providing mental health services and reducing the criminalization of children and the incidence of gun violence. | $100,000 | $0 | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| New Haven Reads | to provide general operating support for the promotion of literacy through tutoring, family engagement, college preparation and a free book bank. | $90,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | |
| New Haven Works | to support the establishment of an Eds & Meds employment preparation and On-The-Job Training program that will prepare workers for specific industry growth in the New Haven market. | $60,000 | $25,000 | $20,000 | $15,000 | |
| New Reach | to support a case worker position for the Family School Connection program; stabilizing families and supporting student achievement. | $60,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | |
| Peabody Museum of Natural History | to support the EVOLUTIONS after-school program for New Haven and West Haven high school students, providing job opportunities and exposure to future careers in STEM fields. | $18,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | ||
| 'r Kids, Inc. | to provide general operating support for services to children and families in transition and to promote permanency, safety and stability for children by providing nurturing services to biological, foster, adoptive and relative care families. | $90,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | |
| Solar Youth | to support the Green Jobs internship program for teens in three New Haven neighborhoods. | $60,000 | $25,000 | $20,000 | $15,000 | |
| St. Martin de Porres Academy | to support the Teacher Intern Incentive Program; improving student learning by ensuring staff continuity and providing extensive teacher training and mentoring. | $20,000 | $20,000 | |||
| Town of Hamden | to support the Hamden Phelps Community Project, which provides short-term or emergency support to needy senior Hamden residents. | $135,000 | $45,000 | $45,000 | $45,000 | |
| Young Audiences of Connecticut, Inc. | to provide general operating support to engage participants of all ages and abilities in learning creatively through the arts. | $15,000 | $15,000 | |||
| Youth Continuum, Inc. | to provide general operating support to promote the well being of at-risk youth and provide them with skills necessary to take advantage of opportunities for a healthy and productive future. | $70,000 | $35,000 | $35,000 | ||
The Community Foundation will hold its Annual Meeting on November 5 at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. Anyone interested in attending is asked to RSVP to Kat Spadacenta at 203-777-7066 or events@cfgnh.org.
Thanks to the generosity of three generations of donors, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven awarded $21 million in grants and distributions in 2013 and has an endowment of over $430 million comprising more than 830 individually named funds. In addition to its grantmaking, The Community Foundation helps build a stronger community by taking measures to improve student achievement, reduce New Haven's infant mortality rate, promote local philanthropy through www.giveGreater.org and encourage community awareness at www.cfgnh.org/learn. For more information, visit our website at www.cfgnh.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cfgnh or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cfgnh.
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