Connecticut Education Grants

The Public Art Learning Fund, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), is designed to fortify the public art landscape across New England by offering professional development opportunities directly to artists. NEFA's overarching mission, as reflected in this grant, is to cultivate more equitable, inclusive, and vibrant public spaces and public life throughout the region. This initiative aligns with NEFA's strategic goal of fostering a sustainable and equitable public art ecosystem by investing in the skills, resources, and connections of artists working in the public realm. The primary beneficiaries of this fund are artists residing full-time in one of the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) who are actively engaged in public artmaking or are in the process of expanding their practice into this domain. The fund aims to empower these artists, contributing to more just and inclusive public art. Expected outcomes include artists developing enhanced skills and resources, leading to the creation of more vibrant public spaces and a stronger regional community of practice. The Public Art Learning Fund prioritizes opportunities that specifically expand an artist's public art practice and contribute equitably to more just and inclusive public artmaking. NEFA seeks clarity on desired learnings and their application to the artist's practice. The fund welcomes artists at various stages of their public artmaking careers from urban, suburban, and rural communities, recognizing that diverse cultural and artistic expressions are crucial for equitable and vibrant public spaces. A key focus of this grant is equity. NEFA acknowledges that various barriers, including race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, class, age, and geography, can limit access to professional development. Therefore, the Public Art Learning Fund actively prioritizes equity in its funding decisions. This may include, but is not limited to, prioritizing artists who self-identify as Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and/or those who are rooted in rural communities, aligning with NEFA's theory of change that targeted support can address systemic inequities and build a more inclusive artistic landscape. Grants range from $500 to $3,000 and support opportunities taking place between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025. Eligible applicants must also have a Creative Ground profile, and the proposed professional development must directly relate to strengthening their public art practice and occur within the grant period. These measurable results, such as the number of artists served and the nature of their professional development, contribute to NEFA's broader strategic aim of fostering a more equitable and sustainable public art ecosystem in New England.

This program provides competitive funding for Connecticut nonprofit organizations to support capital projects or programs in sectors such as child care, education, healthcare, cultural institutions, and human services.

The Annual FirstClass Grant Program for Teachers is a grant opportunity for K-5 public school teachers in the towns of Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, Fairfield, New Canaan, Norwalk, Westport, and Bridgeport. The program aims to support creative educational programs that have a broad impact on an entire class or grade. Eligible programs include nature-based, astronomy, financial literacy, conservation, and environmentally focused initiatives. Requests for books, magazine subscriptions, school trips, and electronics are not eligible. The maximum grant amount is $1,000. Applications are accepted from September 1st to October 31st each year and require authorization from the school principal. For more information and to access the application form, please contact 203.462.4858 or email foundation@firstcountybank.com.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, and Plymouth/Terryville, Connecticut, that focus on promoting health, youth development, and financial stability for individuals and families.

The Catalyst Endowment Fund, managed by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, is offering a competitive funding opportunity centered on "Empowering Future Leaders and Community Builders through Youth Sports in Greater Hartford." This initiative aligns with the foundation's broader mission to foster well-being and development within the community. The program aims to leverage the positive effects of youth sports, such as developing teamwork, leadership, and promoting physical and mental health, to create resilient, confident, and empowered individuals. The fund's focus on bridging access gaps to youth sports directly supports the foundation's strategic priority of creating sustainable support systems for the region's youth. The primary beneficiaries of this grant program are youth in Greater Hartford, particularly those in underserved communities who face barriers to accessing sports programs. The overarching impact goal is to empower these young individuals, transforming them into future leaders and community builders. By focusing on sustainable support systems, the program seeks to create lasting positive change beyond the grant duration, addressing systemic inequalities in access to enriching activities. This aligns with a theory of change that posits that providing equitable opportunities in youth sports will lead to enhanced individual development and stronger, more engaged communities. The program's priorities and focus areas are clearly defined to achieve these goals. Infrastructure Development aims to improve existing sports facilities and equipment, ensuring long-term accessibility. Training and Capacity Building initiatives will equip coaches, volunteers, and staff with the skills to deliver high-quality programs, fostering a robust support network. Partnerships and Collaborations are encouraged to strengthen relationships with schools, community organizations, and local businesses, pooling resources and support. Finally, Health and Wellness Integration seeks to embed physical and mental health services within youth sports, promoting holistic well-being and sustained participation. Expected outcomes and measurable results include improved accessibility to youth sports in underserved communities, an increased number of trained coaches and volunteers, stronger community partnerships supporting youth sports, and enhanced physical and mental well-being among participants. The program anticipates fostering increased participation in youth sports, leading to the development of critical life skills such as leadership, teamwork, and resilience. Ultimately, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving expects these initiatives to contribute to a more equitable and vibrant Greater Hartford, producing a generation of empowered individuals who are prepared to lead and build their communities. The fund has $69,000 available to award, with one or more grants totaling this amount, contingent on the project's size, funding need, and the quality of the proposals submitted in response to the forthcoming Request for Proposal.

The Washington Trust Charitable Foundation awards grants to 501(c)(3) organizations located within its market area, covering Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and southeastern Connecticut. The Foundation's grants support a wide array of initiatives including affordable housing, business and economic development, youth and family services, health and human service organizations, arts and cultural institutions, educational entities, environmental groups, and scholarship programs. Notably, the Foundation contributes to local education through scholarships at Providence College, Bryant University, and the University of Rhode Island, facilitating students' access to higher education. The Foundation is a strong supporter of the United Way, reflecting its commitment to community welfare through employee contributions and volunteerism. Grant renewed every year. Annual deadline: October 1st. Grant awarded in January

The Bradley Henry Barnes and Leila Upson Barnes Memorial Trust, through the Main Street Community Foundation, offers grants to enhance the health and well-being of Southington residents. This program aligns with the foundation's mission to support the community by addressing critical health and healthcare needs. The grants range from $25,000 to $100,000 and are distributed to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that serve the Southington community. The target beneficiaries of this grant program are the residents of Southington, Connecticut, with a particular focus on addressing the health and healthcare needs of an aging population, substance use and mental health challenges, and promoting healthy initiatives and lifestyles. The program aims to create a healthier community by supporting organizations that can demonstrate a direct impact on these areas. The priority areas for funding include COVID-19 related needs and recovery efforts, availability and access to healthy food, environmental protection and sustainability of natural resources, fitness and health, health equity, health literacy and education, and transportation and access to health services. These focuses reflect the foundation's strategic priorities to address multifaceted health determinants and promote holistic well-being within the community. Expected outcomes and measurable results include improved health outcomes for Southington residents, increased access to vital health and healthcare services, enhanced community resilience in the face of public health challenges, and greater equity in health opportunities. Applicants are required to demonstrate the number of Southington residents served, indicating a focus on quantifiable impact and accountability. The foundation's theory of change posits that by investing in key community health and healthcare priorities, it can foster a more robust and supportive environment for all Southington residents.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations in Fairfield County to help them address community needs and enhance their impact on local residents.

The Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids (CTG4CTK) Grant Program is designed to provide financial assistance to various educational and childcare entities within Connecticut to foster the development of farm-to-school programs. Administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, this grant aligns with a broader mission to enhance the state's economy, improve child health, and enrich the educational experiences of students through connections with local agriculture. The program's core objective is to build capacity for long-term Farm to School Programs, emphasizing the integration of local foods into child nutrition programs and promoting hands-on learning about nutrition and farm-to-school connections. The target beneficiaries of the CTG4CTK Grant include local or regional boards of education, regional educational service centers, cooperative arrangements, child care centers, group child care homes, family child care homes, and any organization or entity involved in developing farm-to-school programs, including Connecticut farmers. The impact goals are multi-faceted: increasing the availability of local foods in child nutrition programs, enabling educators to use experiential learning to teach about nutrition and agricultural connections, sustaining relationships with local farmers and producers, enriching students' educational experiences, improving the health of children in the state, and boosting the state's economy. The grant program prioritizes applicants located in alliance districts or those providing school readiness programs. Another key focus is to fund applicants who can demonstrate a broad commitment from various stakeholders, including school administrators, school nutrition professionals, educators, and community members. Applicants are specifically requested to detail the support for their projects and how input was gathered during the idea formulation. This emphasis ensures that funded programs have strong community backing and are well-conceived. The CTG4CTK Grant offers several tracks, including Farm to School (K-12) Local Procurement Assistance, Farm to School (K-12) Experiential Learning, Producer Capacity Building, Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE), and a one-time Shipping Container Growing Grant. While the general grant size ranges from $10,000 to $100,000, the maximum award for Tracks 1, 2, and 4 is $75,000, with a higher cap of $250,000 for the Shipping Container Growing grant. The project period for all grants is 24 months. The expected outcomes include a greater integration of local foods, enhanced nutritional education, strengthened local agricultural ties, and overall improvements in child well-being and the state's economic vitality.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations that improve the health and well-being of residents in Southington through various community health initiatives and services.

This funding opportunity supports organizations working to improve the environmental quality of the Quinnipiac River and its watershed through initiatives like pollution reduction, habitat restoration, and public education.

This grant provides funding to distressed municipalities and registered non-profits in Connecticut to develop or improve urban green spaces and community gardens for public enjoyment and environmental education.

This program provides training, mentorship, and resources to support early-stage food entrepreneurs in Connecticut, particularly those from communities of color and immigrant backgrounds, helping them launch and grow their food businesses.

The Jewett City Savings Bank Foundation is currently accepting grant applications from local 501(c)(3), 170(c)(1), and other qualified non-profit organizations operating in the communities served by Jewett City Savings Bank. Established in 2004, the Foundation's core mission is to support and benefit community, charitable, educational, and other benevolent purposes. This grant program is aligned with the Foundation's strategic objective to invest in the well-being and development of its service areas, fostering a stronger community fabric. The target beneficiaries for these grants are non-profit organizations that deliver essential services within the Jewett City Savings Bank's service footprint. The Foundation's impact goals are focused on addressing critical community needs, as evidenced by its 2023 giving, which prioritized health, social, and emergency services, as well as support for food pantries, libraries, and arts and culture. The Foundation aims to empower these organizations to continue their vital work and expand their reach. The Foundation's priorities and focuses are clearly demonstrated by its past funding patterns. It actively seeks to support initiatives that provide direct community benefits in areas such as health, social welfare, emergency relief, education (through libraries), and cultural enrichment. These areas reflect the Foundation's commitment to a holistic approach to community development, ensuring a broad range of needs are met. While specific expected outcomes and measurable results for individual grants are not detailed in the provided description, the Foundation's overall track record suggests a commitment to tangible impact. In 2023, it provided over 70 grants totaling $96,211, demonstrating a significant investment in local non-profits. Since its inception, the Foundation has donated over $1.2 million, indicating a sustained and substantial commitment to its philanthropic goals. Applicants would likely be expected to articulate their own measurable outcomes in their proposals. The Jewett City Savings Bank Foundation's strategic priorities are centered on community support and benefit, utilizing a theory of change that posits direct financial assistance to established non-profits will result in improved services and a higher quality of life for residents in its service communities. By supporting a diverse range of organizations, from those providing basic necessities like food to those enriching lives through arts and culture, the Foundation aims to contribute to a resilient and thriving local environment.

This funding opportunity is designed to support new nonprofit organizations in Middlesex County that are working on initiatives related to racial equity, education, financial stability, housing, wellness, and youth development.

The Northeast SARE Professional Development Grant program aims to advance sustainable agriculture practices by enhancing the knowledge, awareness, skills, and attitudes of agricultural and other service providers. This directly aligns with the foundation's mission to support sustainable agriculture through education and professional development. The grant focuses on empowering professionals who work with farmers, enabling them to teach, advise, or assist in the adoption of sustainable methods. The program seeks to create a ripple effect, where trained service providers then apply their learned expertise to help farmers improve their agricultural practices, fostering a more sustainable food system within the Northeast region. The primary beneficiaries of this program are agricultural service providers, including those in non-profit organizations, colleges, universities, Cooperative Extension, and other entities that serve the farming community. Additionally, the program extends its reach to other service providers such as real estate agents, bankers, and attorneys, who can indirectly influence farmers. The overarching impact goal is to cultivate a more resilient and sustainable agricultural landscape in the Northeast by equipping these professionals with the necessary tools and knowledge. Expected outcomes include increased adoption of sustainable and climate-smart agricultural practices by farmers, improved ecological and economic resilience to climate change, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The program prioritizes a wide array of topics, encompassing marketing and business, crop production, raising livestock, aquaculture, social sustainability, urban and Indigenous agriculture, and traditional ecological knowledge. A significant focus is placed on climate-smart agriculture practices, which are intended to improve ecological, social, and economic resilience to climate change. This includes practices such as reduced and no-till farming, cover cropping, prescribed grazing, ruminant feed management, manure management, fertilizer management, and on-farm energy efficiency. The program's strategic priorities are clearly aligned with addressing contemporary agricultural challenges through education and practical application. Northeast SARE actively encourages projects from, or in collaboration with, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Furthermore, it encourages proposals from Minority Serving Institutions and other organizations in the Northeast that work with historically underserved communities, demonstrating a commitment to equity and inclusivity in agricultural development. The theory of change behind these priorities is that by supporting a diverse range of voices and institutions, the program can foster more innovative and equitable solutions for sustainable agriculture, leading to broader and more effective adoption of sustainable practices across the region. The expected measurable results include an increase in the number of service providers trained in sustainable agriculture, a documented increase in farmers adopting climate-smart practices, and the successful implementation of projects that demonstrate improved ecological, social, and economic resilience. Awards typically range from $30,000 to $150,000, with project lengths usually spanning 2 to 3 years, and a maximum allowed duration of 3.5 years. The program's geographical focus is exclusively on the Northeast region, which includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., ensuring targeted and localized impact within this specific area.

Under the broader Program Enhancement Projects for Adult Education, Section 225 targets corrections education and education for other institutionalized individuals in Connecticut. This initiative seeks to provide educational services to those likely to leave correctional institutions within five years, aiming to enhance their literacy, employment, and reintegration prospects. It emphasizes the importance of basic skills and literacy for effective societal participation. Funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the project promotes collaboration to meet the educational needs of this specific population, with a commitment to multi-year funding that spans from fiscal year 2025 to 2028. Grant renewed every year. It will be a 4-year program ( last application probably around May 2027)

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is offering a competitive grant opportunity aimed at increasing local civic participation and supporting community-wide social change for the benefit of residents in Greater Hartford. This initiative aligns with the Foundation's broader mission to foster a more engaged and equitable community by empowering residents and community groups. The grant seeks to fund efforts that can enhance civic trust, raise awareness of social issues, and promote allyship with marginalized communities, contributing to the Foundation's strategic goal of strengthening civic infrastructure and promoting social justice. Target beneficiaries for this grant include residents of Greater Hartford, particularly those in marginalized or underrepresented communities. The program specifically encourages efforts that lead to increased resident leadership on racial/social justice issues and greater civic education and issue awareness. The impact goals are centered around fostering a more civically engaged populace, leading to improved community well-being and addressing systemic issues such as housing, education, healthcare, the concerns of returning citizens, and issues affecting LGBTQIA+ persons. The priorities and focuses of this grant opportunity are multifaceted. It supports local civic participation efforts through activities like community meetings, forums, workshops, informational outreach campaigns, and volunteerism projects. It also complements the Community Organizing RFP by specifically looking to support change efforts led by people of color and/or individuals representing traditionally marginalized communities. This dual focus ensures that both broad civic engagement and targeted support for specific communities are addressed. Expected outcomes and measurable results include an increase in civic participation, heightened awareness of social justice issues, and stronger allyship with marginalized communities. While specific metrics are not detailed in the provided text, the emphasis on "potential to increase civic trust, increase social issue awareness and promote allyship" suggests that successful projects will demonstrate progress in these areas. The Foundation's theory of change appears to be rooted in the belief that by empowering residents and community groups, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, lasting positive social change can be achieved, leading to a more inclusive and just Greater Hartford.

This program provides financial assistance to licensed child care providers in Connecticut for urgent repairs needed to ensure safe operations.

The Harold & Rebecca H. Gross Foundation is dedicated to supporting and promoting charitable organizations that primarily assist individuals with physical disabilities in adapting to their environments. This mission aligns directly with the grant program's focus on improving the lives of physically disabled people by fostering better adjustment to their surroundings. The foundation's strategic priority is to fund organizations that provide direct services, ensuring that grants have a tangible and immediate impact on the target beneficiary group. The target beneficiaries of this grant program are persons with physical disabilities. The primary impact goal is to enhance their ability to integrate and function within their environments. This is achieved by supporting programs under broad categories such as Education, Health, and Human Services. The foundation prioritizes organizations that offer direct services, ensuring that the funding directly benefits those in need rather than being allocated to administrative overhead. Expected outcomes include improved educational opportunities, better health outcomes, and enhanced access to human services for individuals with physical disabilities. Measurable results could include increased participation in educational programs, improved physical well-being as reported by beneficiaries, and a greater number of individuals receiving essential human services. The foundation's theory of change posits that by directly funding service-oriented organizations, it can create a positive and lasting impact on the independence and quality of life for physically disabled individuals. Grants from the Gross Foundation typically range from $10,000 to $60,000, with a duration of one year. While the listed size of the grant in the description is $10,000 to $100,000, the funding information specifies grants range from $10,000 to $60,000. This indicates a focused approach to funding that allows the foundation to support a significant number of impactful projects within its financial capacity. The grant deadline is 07/01/2024, emphasizing a structured timeline for applications and reviews.