Responsive New Grants

Click here for: Full Application FAQ's Full application due by 5:00 pm May 28, 2010 For consideration at Board meeting on October 21, 2010

There is only one grantmaking cycle per year for responsive new grants. These grants are generally awarded to address an agency's operating, programmatic, capital or technical assistance needs. The full application review process for responsive new grants -- from pre-application to grant award or decline -- takes seven months. Notification of award or decline is sent by mail within ten working days of the Board of Directors meeting in October. Upon notification of awards, grantees are asked to sign an agreement delineating the terms of condition of the grant and payment plan.

SAMPLE ANSWERS TO PRE-APPLICATION QUESTIONS

The 2010 Responsive Grants Process is intended to be a source of flexible funding and therefore as in the past, we are open to all requests for projects and organizational support.

However, in response to community feedback and consistent with recent trends in philanthropy, The Community Foundation’s responsive grantmaking in 2010 will include but is not limited to a focus on the following areas.

General operating support to nonprofits providing the highest quality of services with proven results

SAMPLE FORM USED TO SCORE GOS PRE-APPLICATION

Project or program support.

Project support is defined as a grant made for a specific new or existing project or for capital expenditures.  This year The Foundation is looking for a few projects that offer innovative solutions to social issues or address social issues that are not being addressed. Social innovation refers to new strategies, concepts, ideas and organizations that meet social needs of all kinds and that extend and strengthen civil society.

SAMPLE FORM USED TO SCORE PROJECT SUPPORT PRE-APPLICATION

In addition, it is the Foundation’s intention to support student achievement in the New Haven school system through a separate grants process, as yet to be defined.

Student achievement grants will focus on funding for nonprofits that support and enhance student achievement in New Haven Public Schools. A request for proposal process will be used to determine grant recipients. Details of this grant opportunity will be announced in the near future. 

Click here to read The Community Foundation's Statement of Principle for Grantmaking

Contact Denise Canning, Grants Manager, at dcanning@cfgnh.org or call (203) 777-7076 for more information about this grants process.

For more information, contact Denise Canning at dcanning@cfgnh.org or (203) 777-7090

The following policy as to out-of-cycle grant consideration was adopted unanimously at the Feb 16, 2006 Board meeting.

The Foundation generally considers applications for new, larger grants in one competitive round annually with the view that doing so maximizes our ability to compare grant applications to one another and thus to achieve maximum beneficial community impact from The Foundation's grants.  

The Foundation recognizes the importance of having clear, transparent and well-understood grant making processes that provide a 'level playing field' to all potential applicants and that are perceived by the community as fair and as being applied in an even-handed fashion.  At the same time, The Foundation recognizes the importance of being able to respond in a timely way to community needs and opportunities as they arise or to take a leadership position in important community activities, and understands that it needs to have processes that are sufficiently flexible to enable it to do so.  

In considering any request to respond to a grant application in advance of the next comprehensive round of new competitive grant making, The Foundation will weigh the relative importance of these fairness and responsiveness considerations in the particular circumstances presented.   In the exceptional circumstances in which the program or activity to be funded by the application could not or would not be undertaken or would otherwise be faced with an undue hardship if a decision was delayed until the date on which it would otherwise be considered, The Foundation may decide that a grant application merits expeditious consideration.  

Procedurally, when a pre-application is received requesting out-of-cycle consideration, The Foundation will in a timely fashion analyze and score the pre-application.  If, based on the score that it receives, the pre-application merits encouragement of a full application, the issue of whether or not to consider the full application on an accelerated out-of-cycle time frame will be referred to the appropriate Board committee, which will make the determination after receiving the recommendation of the staff.  In circumstances in which The Foundation decides to consider a grant off-cycle, the full application will be encouraged with a schedule established that will enable the full Board to receive the recommendation of the staff and to make a decision as to the grant in a timely fashion.

Any organization with an operating budget of $2 million or less is eligible to receive a grant provided through this process, and no organization shall be eligible to receive a grant under this process more often than once in any period of two calendar years.

Requests considered for funding through this process include:

• Emergencies: Defined as needs which are time-sensitive-where a quick response from The Foundation can make a significant difference in the outcome of a project.
• Access for Small Organizations: Defined as assistance for small non-profit organizations that would not normally be competitive in the responsive grant process.

Applications are accepted year-round. Contact Denise Canning at dcanning@cfgnh.org or (203) 777-7076 to request an application.

Sponsorships are awarded throughout a calendar year, only for events and may not exceed $2,500 per event. It is recommended that nonprofits submit a sponsorship request at least 60 days in advance of their event.

Applications are accepted year-round. Contact Leigh Higgins directly at lhiggins@cfgnh.org or (203) 777-7092 with questions or if you are experiencing trouble with the link below.

Sponsorship Request Application

Funding available under this heading are made as part of the The Community Garden and Greenspace Program and The Valley Neighborhood and New Haven Neighborhood Programs. The Valley and New Haven Neighborhood Programs accept applications through a request for a proposal process. Neighborhood grants help our partners to motivate and grow civic engagement efforts across our community. Funding, technical assistance and training helps groups carryout their civic agenda. Small grants are awarded ranging from $100 to $3,000.

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven partners with the Valley Community Foundation to support the development and implementation of projects that will have an effect on the quality of life in the Valley communities.

Visit our Grants Awarded page for examples of past grant recipients. Contact Stephanie Sutherland, Associate Philanthropic Officer, at ssutherland@cfgnh.org or (203) 777-7077 for more information about the Neighborhood Program.

Valley Applications due by 12:00 pm on February 1, 2010 For consideration at Board meeting in March

New Haven Applications due by 5:00 pm on February 12, 2010 For consideration at Board meeting in April

  Valley Neighborhood Grant Program
       Guidelines and Application 

  New Haven Neighborhood Small Grant Program
       Guidelines and Application

Scholarships at The Foundation are distributed throughout the year from more than 80 funds. Of the scholarships available, only a dozen are managed by The Foundation's Education Subcommittee. This Sub-committee is made up of Foundation Board members, staff and community volunteers and determines scholarship recipients in the Spring of each year. Visit our Scholarship Application page to download applications. For more scholarship availability information, contact Denise Canning at dcanning@cfgnh.org or at (203) 777-7076.

Donor advised funds enable a donor, or a committee established by the donor, to make recommendations regarding grant distributions from the fund. Examples of donor advised funds that currently accept applications are:

The Community Fund for Women & Girls

Est. 1995 by an anonymous donor and gifts from the community to provide social and economic advancement for women and girls through strategic philanthropy, grants, advocacy and collaboration. There are two grant types (small and large) available from the Fund; consideration is given to grant proposals that:

The Fund's Grants Committee will announce 2010 recipients in May

1. Create and support opportunities for the economic, educational, physical, emotional, social, artistic, and personal growth of women and girls.
2. Meet special needs of women and girls and the diverse populations of women in our region.
3. Encourage the advancement and full participation of women and girls in the community and in philanthropy.
4. Advance the status of women and girls in the core areas of economic security, health, violence, education and political participation.

Recipients of grants from The Community Fund for Women & Girls must complete a final report under their terms of grants. Click here to download the form.

  Women & Girls Report Guidelines

The submission deadline for applications has passed for this grant opportunity. For more information, contact Denise Canning at dcanning@cfgnh.org or (203) 777-7076.

The Quinnipiac River Fund

Est. 1990 as a result of a settlement between the National Resources Defense Council, Connecticut Fund for the Environment, and the Upjohn Corporation to improve the environmental quality of Quinnipiac River, the New Haven Harbor, and their watersheds, and otherwise benefit the environment of these resources. Consideration given to grant proposals that:

1. Research methods of reducing pollution, or otherwise improving the Quinnipiac River's environmental health
2. Address means of reducing both non-point and point sources of pollution to the River
3. Research the permitting process and look at the permits themselves
4. Entail environmental advocacy, except litigation
5. Study the ecology of the Quinnipiac River and the New Haven Harbor
6. Provide public education about the Quinnipiac River and its watershed
7. Purchase land on the Quinnipiac River for conservation purposes, or to reduce pollution and improve public access to the River.

The submission deadline for applications has passed for this grant opportunity. For more information about applying for a grant from the Quinnipiac River Fund, contact Sarah Fabish at sfabish@cfgnh.org or (203) 777-7075.

In addition to the grant opportunities from The Foundation (listed above), there is a Non-profit Philanthropic Resource Center (NPRC) at the New Haven Free Public Library. NPRC is a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center, which is the nation's leading authority on institutional philanthropy. NPRC is located on the first floor of the Main Library, 133 Elm Street, New Haven and is open during regular library hours. No appointment is necessary, but if you would like to arrange for an orientation of resources or instruction on one of the databases, please contact Seth Godfrey at nprc@nhfpl.org or (203) 946-7431.