Grantmaking

More than 850 funds distribute grants each year to support non-profit services in the Greater New Haven and Lower Naugatuck Valley region.

As the Greater New Haven’s largest public philanthropic institution, The Community Foundation is steward of the community’s charitable and permanent endowment and its aspirations for a brighter future.

The Foundation fulfills these aspirations both by making grants that respond to the community’s top priorities, and by undertaking initiatives in collaboration with other philanthropic leaders in the community.

In 2011, The Community Foundation distributed approximately $19.5 million in grants to non-profits that address low-literacy levels, feed and shelter the homeless, advocate for the eldery... and so much more.

How We Do It

The Foundation fulfills its mission by adhering to donor's wishes to make grants to their favorite charities, by responding to the community’s top priorities and by undertaking initiatives in collaboration with other philanthropic leaders in the community.

Grants are made possible through the generosity of thousands of donors over three generations who have created funds or given to any one of the more than 825 funds managed by The Foundation.

• Unrestricted and preference funds distribute millions each year through the responsive new grants process to address the immediate needs of the community. These funds are also used to support Foundation initiatives that address current issues and seize opportunities for the benefit of the community.
• Donor advised, designated and Organization Funds name specific non-profits as beneficiaries and are not open to a competitive application process.
• Scholarship funds make distributions to educational institutions on behalf of the students who are awarded scholarships. Eligibility criteria for each scholarship varies.
  

Click here to read The Community Foundation's Guiding Principles for Nonprofits: Leadership, Evaluation and Sound Management.

Click here for How an Idea Becomes a Grant