Recent News

WESTPORT, CT -- Newman’s Own, the Westport food company founded by Paul Newman, faces a crippling tax penalty that threatens the iconic Connecticut’s company’s philanthropic mission.  Newman’s Own Foundation owns 100 percent of Newman’s Own food company. The IRS gave the foundation five years to divest from the company. In 2013, it was granted another five-year waiver, which is set to expire in November. When it does, the IRS will levy a 200 percent tax on the foundation’s assets.  There are about 25 other charities based on the Newman's Own model, with a for-profit company on one side and a foundation funneling those profits into philanthropy on the other, Forrester said. He plans to return to Washington and redouble his push for a legislative solution. “We’re committed to this, and we’re going to fight for this,” he said. “I think these next six weeks are going to decide things.”

GREATER NEW HAVEN and FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CT -- Sustainable CT, a new statewide initiative to support Connecticut’s cities and towns, will have its regional launch at two events in the Fairfield and New Haven areas on January 9th, one at the Comstock Community Center, in collaboration with the Western Council of Governments, at 1:00 p.m., and the other in Bowers Auditorium at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at 6:30 p.m.  The initiative was developed under the leadership of the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University in partnership with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. Three Connecticut philanthropies – the New Haven-based Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, the Hampshire Foundation, and the Common Sense Fund – have supported the program's development and launch.

BERLIN, CT -- For 10 years now, Comcast employees based in the Western New England headquarters in Connecticut, along with their friends and family, have knitted and crocheted for a cause. This year the group handmade over 260 hats and scarves, most of which were donated to Operation Gratitude, a non-profit organization that distributes care packages to active-duty troops, as well as veterans, wounded heroes and emergency first-responders. Over 2,000 pieces have been made and donated since the campaign began.

NORWICH, CT -- Recent studies show that up to half of community college students are housing insecure and 14 percent are homeless, so securing resources to assist its students is a priority at Three Rivers Community College. The College has been awarded a $7,000 grant by the Melville Charitable Trust to fund expenses related to the educational and employment goals of homeless students. In addition to the grant funding, Three Rivers is participating in the Youth Count Survey as part of the 2018 CT Coalition to End Homelessness and has named a point person for homelessness on campus.