Connecticut is the latest state participating in the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Working Cities Challenge competition, an economic development effort that builds cross-sector collaboration and leadership to solve challenges affecting urban communities.
The Connecticut Council for Philanthropy (CCP) has played a significant role as the catalyst and aggregator of matching funds from the private sector for the Working Cities Challenge.
The Connecticut Working Cities Challenge, a grant competition, was designed to support cross-sector, collaborative leadership and ambitious work to improve the lives of low-income people in small and mid-size cities in Connecticut.
First Year Anniversary Celebration for Five Connecticut City Projects
During the CT Working Cities Challenge meeting on May 15-16, 2019, funders, state leaders, and the five WCC teams from Danbury, East Hartford, Hartford, Middletown, and Waterbury, celebrated the first year anniversary of their CT Working Cities Challenge Projects. CCP is the fiscal sponsor for CT WCC and CCP President Karla Fortunato sits on the steering committee. In addition, many CCP members are part of the initiative as funding partners and/or as members of one of the working committees.
Connecticut Working Cities Challenge Launched
The Connecticut Working Cities Challenge was formally launched in Meriden on October 4, 2016. This initiative by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is in partnership with local and national funders, and the State of Connecticut.
The Connecticut Council for Philanthropy (CCP) is serving on the steering committee and is the fiduciary for matching support from local funders. So far, 20 members of CCP have joined the partnership, committing $1,078,000 towards the $1.2M match goal. A total of $3.25M for the initiative will include support from the State of Connecticut and grants from national foundations.
Funding partners to date include: AVANGRID Foundation; Bank of America; Barnes Group Foundation; Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation; Boehringer Ingleheim Cares Foundation; Charter Communications; The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven; The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut; Community Foundation of Greater New Britain; Connecticut Community Foundation; The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; Eversource; Fairfield County's Community Foundation; Hartford Foundation for Public Giving; Hartford Healthcare; Hoffman Auto Group; Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford; The Kresge Foundation; Liberty Bank Foundation; Living Cities; Main Street Community Foundation; NeighborWorks America; New Canaan Community Foundation; Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation; Stanley Black & Decker; The State of Connecticut; Thomaston Savings Bank; Travelers Companies; United Technologies Corporation; Webster Bank; and Valley Community Foundation. (bold-CCP Members)
Photo caption (l-r): Connecticut Working Cities Challenge launch event with Webster Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Smith; Kathy Luria, senior vice president, Webster Bank; Catherine Smith, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development; President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Eric S. Rosengren; Peter Mosbacher, senior vice president, community development at Webster Bank; President, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Linda Kelly; Lori-Anne Lawton, vice president, corporate CRA and fair lending officer at Webster; Tim Bergstrom, regional president for Greater Hartford at Webster Bank; Dawn Morris, executive vice president and CMO at Webster Bank; and Michael O’Connor, regional president for Greater Waterbury at Webster Bank.