NEW BRITAIN, CT – Liberty Bank Foundation is partnering with the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain (CFGNB) in a program designed to build the capacity of nonprofits in the Community Foundation’s service area of Berlin, New Britain, Plainville, and Southington.
A $3,500 grant from Liberty will underwrite a subscription to the Foundation Center database, an online resource that provides information on thousands of foundations, corporate giving programs, and other philanthropic funders. It enables nonprofits to search for funding sources whose interests align with a nonprofit’s focal areas in terms of program type, geography, and target population.
The database is just one of many resources offered by CFGNB’s Capacity Building Initiative, which was started in 2018. The Nonprofit Lending Library and Resource Center, located at CFGNB’s headquarters in New Britain, offers other online resources and a selection of current nonprofit reference books.
“Many non-profit organizations are finding value in the funding resources they can research using the Foundation Center database. Several have found new sources of potential funding they didn’t know about. We are grateful to Liberty Bank Foundation for making this valuable tool available to local organizations” says David Obedzinski, President of the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain.
Another aspect of the Capacity Building Initiative is a series of in-depth, hands-on workshops focused on issues including fundraising, succession planning, marketing, and board engagement. In addition, the Initiative convenes an Executive Director Forum where nonprofit leaders can network, exchange ideas, learn, share best practices, and collaborate. To date, more than 40 local nonprofits have taken advantage of the Initiative’s various offerings.
“Nonprofits are facing a challenging environment today, with government funding continuing to shrink, while demand for services continues to rise,” said Sue Murphy, executive director of the Liberty Bank Foundation. “Their budgets are often stretched too thin to allow them to invest in professional and organizational development, or in tools and resources to help them access more funding sources. That’s why it makes sense for us funders to collaborate to offer them access to resources and opportunities that strengthen nonprofits and enable them to become more effective and efficient. At the end of the day, the real beneficiaries of the Initiative will be the communities that we are all trying to serve.”
If you are interested in using the Foundation Center database at the Community Foundation, please contact Joeline Wruck at jwruck@cfgnb.org or 860.229.6018 ex. 307. Visitors are welcome by appointment between 8:30 and 5:00 Monday through Friday.
Established in 1941, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain is “Where Good Begins” in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington. The Foundation works to inspire philanthropy, responsibly manage permanent charitable assets effectively, and partner to address key community issues through strategic leadership. For more information or to support CFGNB’s work, visit www.cfgnb.org.
Since its inception in 1997, the Liberty Bank Foundation has awarded over $12 million in grants to nonprofit organizations within Liberty Bank’s market area. The foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for people of low or moderate income by investing in three areas: education to promote economic success for children and families; affordable housing and ending homelessness; and nonprofit capacity building. Along with its grantmaking, the foundation strives to foster the convening and collaboration of nonprofits, funders, business, and government to address community issues.
Photo: David Obedzinski accepts a grant check for $3,500 from Sue Murphy, Executive Director of the Liberty Bank Foundation.
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Contact:
Kimberly Duncan
Communications & Donor Relations Manager
Community Foundation of Greater New Britain
860-229-6018 ex. 302
kduncan@cfgnb.org
Website: www.cfgnb.org