The Community Foundation Awards $3 Million to Area Nonprofits

New Haven, Conn. (July 30, 2026) – The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven has awarded more than $3 million in unrestricted operating grants to nonprofit organizations across Greater New Haven, providing flexible funding at a time when many organizations are facing rising demand for services, federal funding reductions and growing financial uncertainty.

This year's responsive grant program includes $1,407,500 in first-year grants to 55 nonprofit organizations, along with $1,635,000 in second- and third-year commitments, for a total of $3,042,500 in responsive grant funding. Combined with previously approved multi-year grants, The Community Foundation will provide responsive grant support to 158 nonprofit organizations in 2026. The average first-year grant size was $25,591, a 10% increase over last year. The percentage of grants awarded to organizations led by people of color is also up 10% compared to last year.

As a place-based funder, The Community Foundation's responsive grants provide unrestricted general operating support to organizations serving Greater New Haven residents across a wide range of issue areas, including health, education, arts and culture, youth development, civic engagement, economic opportunity and basic human needs. 

This year, funding priorities reflected the increasingly difficult environment facing nonprofits and the communities they serve. Local organizations have reported significant federal funding reductions and a growing demand for services, particularly those providing food, housing, immigration, and health programs. 

"Nonprofits throughout Greater New Haven are facing extraordinary challenges as demand for services continues to rise while many traditional funding sources become less certain," said Karen DuBois-Walton, PhD, president and CEO of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. "These flexible operating grants give organizations the stability they need to respond to emerging challenges while continuing to serve our communities where they are needed most."

The annual responsive grant program is The Community Foundation's largest competitive grantmaking program and provides one-, two- and three-year general operating support grants.

"Unrestricted, multi-year grants are the most impactful type of grants because they give nonprofit leaders the ability to respond to changing community needs and plan for the future," said Christina Ciociola, senior vice president for planning and community strategies. "This year's grants also demonstrate the strength of our long-term commitment to Greater New Haven organizations, with more nonprofits than ever before currently receiving multi-year support." 

Funding recommendations for multi-year core support to Greater New Haven nonprofits were prioritized to align with both The Community Foundation’s strategic impact areas and such timely issues as civic health, immigrant communities, climate change, community organizing, women’s reproductive rights, legal services, economic mobility, mental health and health equity. 

Organizations with a statewide footprint were eligible for multi-year grants for work focused on improving civic health, one of the Foundation’s key strategic impact areas.

The Foundation received fewer applications this year because a record 103 organizations are already receiving multi-year responsive grants approved in previous years and therefore were not eligible to reapply. The expanded use of multi-year grants has reduced administrative burdens for nonprofits while providing greater funding stability.

Beyond the responsive grants program, The Community Foundation continues to invest in Greater New Haven nonprofits through small grants, sponsorships, capacity-building initiatives, collaborative funding partnerships and leadership activities. Earlier this year, The Great Give raised a record $4.8 million for 546 nonprofit organizations across the region.

"These grants are possible because generations of donors have invested in a permanent charitable endowment for Greater New Haven," said DuBois-Walton. "Together with today's donors, we are ensuring that local nonprofits have the resources they need not only today, but for generations to come."

2026 Responsive Grant Awards

50CAN, Inc. d/b/a ConnCAN - $45,000
Abilities Without Boundaries - $40,000
All Saints Catholic Academy - $35,000
ALS Association, Connecticut Chapter - $10,000
Apostle Immigrant Services Corporation - $50,000
Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater New Haven - $95,000
Bridges Healthcare, Inc. - $95,000
Center for Children's Advocacy - $55,000
Chicks Ahoy Farm, Inc. - $60,000
Children in Placement - CT, Inc. - $60,000
Citywide Youth Coalition inc. - $30,000
Concepts for Adaptive Learning - $45,000
Connecticut Against Gun Violence Education Fund Inc - $65,000
Connecticut Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA)- $95,000
Connecticut Court Appointed Special Advocates - $55,000
Connecticut Hospice - $95,000
Connecticut Hurricanes Drum and Bugle Corps - $35,000
Connecticut Public Broadcasting - $95,000
Creative Arts Workshop, Inc. - $75,000
E.C. Scranton Memorial Library - $65,000
East Shore Regional Adult Daycare Center, Inc dba Orchard House - $75,000
Elm City Internationals - $45,000
Ely Center of Contemporary Art - $50,000
Greater Dwight Development Corporation, Inc - $50,000
Guided By Goats - $15,000
Guilford Art Center - $65,000
Guilford Center for Children, Inc. - $45,000
Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven - $65,000
Jewish Family Service of Greater New Haven - $30,000
Leaders for Educational Advocacy and Diversity - $25,000
Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership, Inc. (LEAP) - $105,000
Legacy Theatre - $42,500
Loaves and Fishes New Haven - $60,000
Lost In New Haven, Inc. -  $35,000
MakeHaven - $50,000
Mercy by the Sea Retreat and Conference Center    - $30,000
New Haven Ballet - $45,000
New Haven Counts - $25,000
New Haven Ecology Project/ Common Ground - $60,000
New Haven Land Bank - $30,000
New Haven Reads - $95,000
New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Inc. - $70,000
Operation Fuel, Inc. dba Generation Power CT - $95,000
Parents' Foundation for Transitional Living     - $20,000
Partnership for Strong Communities - $60,000
Rape Crisis Center of Milford, Inc. - $65,000
Save the Sound - $95,000
She Leads Justice, Inc - $40,000
Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA - $80,000
The Glendower Group - $25,000
United Way of Meriden and Wallingford, Inc. - $50,000
Westville Village Renaissance Alliance - $35,000
Women & Family Life Center - $65,000
WPKN-FM,89.5 - $45,000
YMCA of Wallingford, Inc.- $55,000