MAY 2015 HEADLINES
FEATURED NEWS
Study Says Nonprofits Can't Meet Demand for Services
Website for Seniors May Be Scaled State-wide
Biomedical Research Funding Analyzed in Report
ESPN's New Corporate Citizenship Strategy to Highlight Sports
CT Community Gardens Supported by Healthy Food Fund
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION NEWS
Giving Days Raise $3M+ for Nonprofits in CT
Free & Reduced Fee Summer Programs Listed in Directory
Feral Animal Population Focus of Grant
LINKS TO MORE NEWS
EVENTS and OPPORTUNITIES
PEOPLE
ABOUT US
Demand for critical services from nonprofit organizations continues to climb despite indicators of economic recovery, finds Nonprofit Finance Fund's 2015 State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey. In this seventh annual survey, more than 5,400 respondents from nonprofits nationwide shared details of the financial challenges and opportunities that underpin their ability to create positive social change. The survey was supported by longtime partner the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Read more >>
This website illustrates perfectly the Foundation's purpose "to give motivated people the tools they need to help themselves." It was developed as a virtual place where seniors can find: resources; opportunities to get involved; events, classes and workshops of interest; and news regarding issues that affect their lives. It also provides families and caregivers with resources to locate the support they need and gives professionals links to the most recent research in the field of aging.
Both the Foundation and the Danbury Aging in Place Council are eager to scale this work state-wide. The website can be quickly replicated and easily adapted for use by other communities. Read more >>
New Haven's The Great Give Raises Nearly $1.3M in 36 Hours
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven has announced that $1,291,096 will be distributed to area nonprofits thanks to more than 7,000 donors who made more than 9,600 gifts during The Great Give ® 2015 on May 5-6. This outpouring of support far surpasses the amounts raised and the number of gifts made during The Great Give® in previous years. To encourage giving, $170,000 was provided in matching funds and prizes by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the Valley Community Foundation, Alexion Pharmaceuticals and Higher One CARES. Read more >>
Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills Raises Nearly $820,000 for Local Nonprofits
On May 5 and 6, the Connecticut Community Foundation hosted Give Local Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills, a 36-hour online giving challenge to inspire the community to show its collective support for local nonprofit organizations. More than 3,200 donors participated, contributing more than $660,000 to 157 participating nonprofits. In addition to those gifts, nonprofits will share in more than $100,000 in bonus funds that will be divided among organizations in proportion to the funds they raised during Give Local. Business supporters include Ion Bank Foundation, Crystal Rock, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Leever Foundation, and Southbury Community Trust Fund. Read more >>
The Valley Community Foundation (VCF) will distribute $225,000 to 36 area nonprofits in Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, Shelton and Oxford thanks to nearly 1,000 gifts made duringThe Great Give ® on May 5-6. "We are thrilled to see so many new and returning organizations participate in this online giving event, as well as the growing number of supporters," said Sharon Closius, president & CEO at VCF. "Those living and working in the Valley region have truly come together in The Great Give to collectively impact and invest in our community." Read more >>
Report Maps Pathway for Next Fairfield County Giving Day
Fairfield County's Giving Day on March 5, resulted in more than $1 million raised for nonprofits, and a new report by the Fairfield County's Community Foundation shows what happened with nonprofits and donors during the Giving Day. The report dives deep into the nonprofit experience including the use of technology and social media, and donor giving behavior. The most valuable detail outlines lessons learned and maps a pathway for how organizers and the nonprofits can better prepare in the coming year for Fairfield County's Giving Day on March 10, 2016. Read the report >>
MORE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION NEWS
Torrington-area Homeless Benefit from Draper Fund Grant
Greenwoods Gets Grant for Emergency Traumas
Sharon Audubon Center Gets Grant for Wildlife Rehabilitation
New Milford Scholarship Honors Farmland Preservation Activist
MORE FOUNDATION NEWS
Girls Learn Empowerment in 'Sisters in Science' Program
Industrial Museum Gets New Home
Bank of America
Bank of America and Susan G. Komen® Renew Long-standing Partnership
Cigna
United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut
Tarq Farid Foundation
New Haven Refugee Service Lands $100,000 Donation
United Bank Foundation
Foundation Announces Academic Scholarships and Vocational Awards
Foundation Shows its Support of Military Veterans in the Connecticut Job Market
EVENTS and OPPORTUNITIES
Wednesday, June 3, 5:30 - 7:30 pm, United Way of Greater Waterbury, Waterbury
American Savings Foundation invites you to meet their next president & CEO, Maria Falvo. The Foundation is an independent charitable foundation dedicated to strengthening the community by supporting education, human services, and the arts, with a special emphasis on the needs of children, youth and families, through grants to community organizations and college scholarships. To register >>
Sustaining Collective Impact: Finding Progress in Process
Wednesday, June 3, 8:30 am - 2:00 pm, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Cromwell
Liberty Bank Foundation's forum for nonprofits and funders, Sustaining Collective Impact: Finding Progress in Process, features Greg Hills and Melissa Oomer of FSG social impact consultants. The forum will explore the key question: How can you keep stakeholders engaged and energized in a collective impact process over the long haul? To register >>
Immigrant and Reentry Grant Opportunities
Application deadline: Monday, June 8
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is pleased to announce two special grant opportunities for organizations working with immigrants or formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. Organizations providing services or programs that provide direct service, advocacy, collaborative efforts, capacity building, public education and leadership development in alignment with the goals of The Foundation's immigrant integration or incarceration and reentry strategies are encouraged to apply. For more information and to apply >>
Power of the Purse Luncheon
Wednesday, June 10, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm, Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford
United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut's Women's Leadership Council presents their Power of the Purse Luncheon and Silent Auction. Two hundred designer handbags, related accessories, gift certificates, and more will be available for bid in the silent auction, followed by a networking luncheon with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, and husband and wife team Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, authors of Half the Skyand the newly released A Path Appears. Proceeds benefit local women and families on the road to financial security. For more information and to register >>
2015 Catalyst Fund Kick-off Meeting
Thursday, June 11, 5:30 - 7:30 pm, Hospital of Central Connecticut, New Britain
The Community Foundation of Greater New Britain's Catalyst Fund is calling for caring citizens who want to make a difference in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington. The Catalyst Fund's 2015 Kick-Off Meeting will feature the member-chosen topic Capacity Building for Non-Profits. Guest speakers, Annmarie Riemer, director of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving's Non-Profit Support Program, and Patrick McKenna, training and membership services coordinator at the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits, will discuss how many resource-challenged non-profits struggle to build the internal capacity for such activities as preparing strategic plans for long-term sustainability, raising funds, writing grants and training board and staff members. To register >>
Leadership Development Roundtable
Application deadline: Wednesday, July 13
Following the success of last year's program, the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut is again offering Danosky & Associates, LLC's Leadership Enrichment for Advancing Professionals (LEAP) for nonprofit leaders in the Northwest CT region. The eight-week program is designed to strengthen nonprofit leadership and internal systems. Matching grants for eligible participants are available by request. For more information and to register >>
Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) has announced thatJeanette W. Weldon will become its next executive director on July 1, 2015, following the retirement of Jeffrey A. Asher, whose career at CHEFA spans 26 years, including six as its chief executive.
Ms. Weldon joined CHEFA six years ago as managing director and has prior experience as a financial advisor, investment banker, and rating agency analyst. In addition to serving as executive director of CHEFA, Ms. Weldon will continue to serve as the executive director of CHEFA's two subsidiaries, the Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority and the Connecticut Student Loan Foundation. Read more >>.
Greg Toczydlowski, president of personal insurance at Travelers, was recently elected chair of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut's (UWCNCT) board of directors.
Toczydlowski, a North Granby resident, previously served as vice president and treasurer of UWCNCT's board. He will serve a two-year term as chair.
"Having been affiliated with United Way for a number of years and seeing the value the organization provides to our communities, I am honored and eager to step into this leadership role," Toczydlowski said upon his appointment. "There is great work currently underway, and we will continue to challenge ourselves to positively impact and improve the lives of children and families in our communities." Read more >>
In anticipation of her new complex role as the director of the North Hartford Promise Zone, Thea Montanez has made a decision to resign from the Board of Directors of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. The Promise Zone designation was given to North Hartford neighborhoods and gives them "priority consideration" for federal funding, as well as a close partnership with the federal government to help navigate available resources. Read more >>
ABOUT US
The Connecticut Council for Philanthropy is an association of grantmakers committed to promoting and supporting effective philanthropy for the public good.
Council membership is open to foundations (private, corporate, community), business and corporate giving programs, public charity grantmakers, bank trusts, donor-advised funds and individual philanthropists. Associate and Professional Membership in the Council is open to professionals and organizations serving the philanthropic sector. The Council benefits the larger grantmaking community, the nonprofit sector and the public in Connecticut.
For more news about philanthropy in Connecticut, go to theCouncil's News Room, Connecticut Philanthropy Digest archives and our blog, CTPhilanthropyNotes.org.
News about Connecticut funders may be submitted to the Council for consideration. The Connecticut Philanthropy Digest is brought to you by the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy. Edited by Laurie Allen, Manager of Communications.