As defined by The Foundation Center, a public foundation or grantmaking public charity is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization that

• receives funding from numerous sources and must continue to seek money from diverse sources in order to retain its public charity status;

• is managed by its own trustees and directors;

• operates grants programs benefiting unrelated organizations or individuals as one of its primary purposes'

• makes grants, primarily to nonprofit organizations; and

• is required to file a 990 form with the IRS.

There are several types of public foundations:

Community foundations seek support from the public, and like private foundations, provide grants. Their grants primarily support the needs of a defined geographic community or region. Due to their broad public support, they are not considered to be private foundations.

Many women's funds are public foundations that create permanent endowments dedicated to programs that serve women and girls. They empower women to become philanthropists and participate in shaping the future of their communities. The Aurora Women and Girls Foundation is one example of such a fund.

Other public foundations include funds serving other population groups and field-specific funds such as health funding foundations set up with proceeds from health care conversions. Examples include the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford and the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut.

Click on the link to see the most recent survey of assets and grants for Community Foundations in Connecticut.

Community Foundation of the Tri-County Area
676 Main Street, 4th floor, Willimantic, CT 06226
Tel: (860) 423-4373
E-mail: tricounty@yahoo.com

Web: www.tricountyfoundation.org

Ashford, Bozrah, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Colchester, Columbia, Coventry, Eastford, Franklin, Griswold, Hampton, Killingly, Lebanon, Lisbon, Mansfield, Norwich, Plainfield, Pomfret, Preston, Putnam, Scotland, Sprague, Stafford, Sterling, Thompson, Union, Voluntown, Willington, Windham, Woodstock

Community Foundation of Southeastern Connecticut
147 State Street, PO Box 769, New London, CT 06320
Tel: (860) 442-3572   Fax: (860) 442-0584
E-mail:  jessica@cfsect.org

Web:  www.cfsect.org

East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, Lyme, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Old Lyme, Salem, Stonington, Waterford

Fairfield County Community Foundation
383 Main Avenue, Norwalk, CT  06851
Tel: (203) 750-3200   Fax: (203) 750-3232
E-mail: info@fccfoundation.org

Web: www.fccfoundation.org

Bethel, Bridgeport, Brookfield, Danbury, Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Milford, Monroe, New Canaan, New Fairfield, Newtown, Norwalk, Redding, Ridgefield, Shelton, Sherman, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull,  Weston, Westport, Wilton

Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation has merged with Fairfield County Community Foundation. Please see listing below.

Web Site:  www.hfpg.org

Andover, Avon, Bloomfield, Bolton,  Canton, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Hartford, Hebron, Manchester, Marlborough, Newington, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Suffield, Tolland, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor, Windsor Locks

Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford
333 Bloomfield Avenue
West Hartford, CT  06117
Tel: (860) 523-7640   Fax: (860) 231-0576
E-mail: info@jcfhartford.org

Web Site: www.jcfhartford.org

Serves the Greater Hartford Jewish community and its agencies in the following 34 towns: Avon, Berlin, Bloomfield, Canton, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Hartford, Manchester, Meriden, Middletown, New Britain, Newington, Plainville, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Somers, Meriden, New Britain, Southington, South Windsor, Stafford Springs, Suffield, Tolland, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor, Windsor Locks

Main Street Community Foundation
P. O. Box 2702, Bristol, CT 06011-2702
Tel: (860) 583-6363   Fax: (860) 589-1252
Email: susan@mainstreetfoundation.org

Website: www.mainstreetfoundation.org

Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth/Terryville, Southington, Wolcott

Middlesex County Community Foundation
P. O. Box 25, 211 South Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457
Tel: (860) 347-0025   Fax: (860) 347-0029
E-Mail:  info@middlesexcountycf.org

Web Site: www.middlesexcountycf.org

Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Middlefield, Middletown, Old Saybrook, Portland, Westbrook

Web Site: www.americantowns.com/ct/newcanaan/organization/new_canaan_community_foundation

New Canaan

Web Site: www.valleyfoundation.org

Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, Shelton