CT Community Foundation Awards More Than $330K
to Area Nonprofits in Third Grant Round

 

February 1, 2010 — The Connecticut Community Foundation recently awarded its third round of grants for 2009 to the following area nonprofits in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills. Grants for new and continuing programs totaled more than $330,000 and support early childhood education and kindergarten readiness, education, health care, human and social services, job training, arts, and assistance for nonprofits to improve efficiency and operations.

Nonprofits are reminded that the Foundation will only offer two general grant rounds in 2010. Foundation staff is currently reviewing letters of inquiry that were submitted for the first grant round. The deadline for the fall round is September 10, 2010. Please review the Foundation’s grant guidelines and complete your request by using the Foundation's standard form which are both available at www.conncf.org/program-grants. Please note that a new one-step application is available for requests of less than $5,000.

For more information, contact Josh Carey, program officer, 203-753-1315.

Early Childhood Education

New Milford Public Schools:
$8,620 for a P3 grant to hold two sessions for parents on kindergarten expectations including development of parent tool kits detailing skill expectations, development of preschool form for each child entering kindergarten and joint planning and information sharing by preschool and kindergarten teachers.

Thomaston School Readiness Council/Thomaston Public Schools:
$3,000 for a P3 grant to hold three joint professional development sessions with kindergarten and preschool teachers aimed strictly at addressing Thomaston’s declining scores in literacy as measured through the state kindergarten inventory.

Education

Naugatuck Adult & Continuing Education: No Adult Left Behind
$7,000 over three years to offer day classes for parents of school age children looking to communicate more effectively in English or to achieve their high school diploma. These classes are currently offered in the evening, but they will be extended to the daytime at convenient sites, so parents can attend while their children are in school.

Women’s Business Development Center: Access to Capital, Business Sustainability, Financial Coaching
$47,500 over three years to expand WBDC’s Entrepreneurial Training and Professional Development programs in the Naugatuck Valley area and adapt them to current economic conditions.

Health Care

American Cancer Society: $82,393 for education and prevention efforts including support for the Patient Resource Center at Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center.

New Milford Hospital: Diabetes Outreach and Management for Senior Centers in Northwest CT
$20,000 (second year of $50,000 grant) to continue supporting the hours of its Registered Nurse/Certified Diabetes Educator in order to provide further community outreach.

Wellpath, Inc.: Child FIRST Replication Project
$50,000 for Child FIRST, a public/private partnership between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and CT state leadership and philanthropy. The Child FIRST early childhood system of care is an innovative model, which effectively decreases emotional and behavioral problems, developmental and learning problems, and abuse and neglect among very vulnerable young children (prenatal through age six years) and their families.

Human/Social Services

Connecticut Association of Human Services: EarnBenefits Online Screening Initiative
$35,000 over two years for an online screening initiative that will improve access to financial supports by low-wage residents: a powerful strategy for promoting job stability and economic advancement among low-wage workers. When fully operational, CAHS expects to enroll about 1,500 individuals each year, helping them to receive benefits valued at $2.5 million per year.

International Institute of CT, Inc.: Citizenship Outreach
$3,000 to support and expand the US Citizenship counseling and preparation program to the Greater Waterbury community. This expanded program will educate immigrant populations, service providers, and community members about the eligibility requirements and application process for US naturalization. Through partnerships with local community and ethnic organizations, the program will assist eligible low-income individuals prepare for and obtain US citizenship.

Salvation Army: Homelessness Prevention Program
$34,298 over two years to serve low-income families in the Waterbury area at risk of homelessness. Families eligible for this program will receive intensive services, including short/medium-term rental assistance, utility payment assistance, legal services, and other supports that will help sustain their housing.

Youth Enrichment

Girls Inc. of Southwestern Connecticut: Gymnastics Program
$4,000 (from the Edith M. Kingsbury Fund) for equipment for its certified gymnastics program, in order to provide a safe environment for students.

Waterbury Symphony Orchestra: Young People’s Concert
$13,000 to support the WSO Young People’s Concert and related classroom preparation visits in the spring of 2010. Approximately 1,500 greater Waterbury students in grades 5-6 will experience a full orchestra concert at the Palace Theater and receive preparatory instruction from featured musicians.

Nonprofit Assistance

Community Mental Health Affiliates, Inc.
$5,000 toward upgrade of hardware and software for computer network connecting all locations in the state, including Waterbury and New Milford.

Greater Waterbury Chamber of Commerce Foundation as fiduciary for Arts & Culture Collaborative
$10,000 for expanded marketing of the arts and culture events in Waterbury area and to research the feasibility of a centralized ticketing system for member organizations.

Independence Northwest
$3,500 for consultants to conduct technology plans for two organizations’ websites and collaborating on a separate website that will serve as an Aging and Disability Resource Center

Theaterworks
$4,000 to complete the Fund Development planning and Community Outreach project.