You can find the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy (CCP) staff here at 221 Main Street in Hartford, but we work with members promoting effective philanthropy throughout the state, and with our colleagues nationally through the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, whose network represents more than 5,500 participating organizations and is the largest network in American philanthropy.
CCP members are proud to promote and support effective philanthropy for the public good. You'll find CCP's Proud Member Logo throughout this publication. Click on the logo and you will be directed to the CCP Member Directory listing additional news about the featured CCP member organization.
FEATURED PHILANTHROPY NEWS >>
$15M in State Grants to Enhance Nonprofit Provider Services >>
Study Finds Tax Incentives Influence Giving >>
JPMorgan Chase Invests in New Skills for Youth State Grant Opportunity >>
Health Equity Solutions Receives $300K for Policy Work >>
ALICE® Update Shows How Housing Costs Impacts Many CT Families >>
200 First-Generation Students to Receive College Support >>
Girls in STEM Conference Supported By Petit Family Foundation >>
New White Paper is a Nonprofit 101 >>
PHILANTHROPY NEWS LINKS >>
GRANTS & RFPS >>
EVENTS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES >>
PEOPLE >>
JOBS IN PHILANTHROPY >>
ABOUT CCP >>
FEATURED PHILANTHROPY NEWS |
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$15M in State Grants to Enhance Nonprofit Provider Services
Thirty-four nonprofit providers in 26 municipalities have been selected to receive a total of $15 million in grants as part of Connecticut's Nonprofit Grant Program.
Created by Governor Malloy in 2013, this third round of grants helps nonprofit providers that do business with the state invest in projects that will achieve new efficiencies so they can enhance the delivery of services.
"These organizations play an important role in our state, and we're proud to partner with and support them," Governor Malloy said. "It's our goal to help organizations focus on what they do best - getting services to those who need them most." Read more >>
Studies Find Tax Incentives Influence Giving
The Charities Aid Foundation's new study, Gross Domestic Philanthropy, an International Anbalysis of GDP, Tax and Giving, finds that tax incentives, not tax rate influence charitable giving.
According to the research, the amount that people give to charity is not related to whether they live in a country with a high rate of overall taxation or a low rate. The organization analyzed giving data and tax rates from 24 countries representing 75 percent of the global gross domestic product and found no correlation between the two metrics.
The foundation has determined other factors specific to each country play a part in influencing levels of giving. These factors included religion, the state of the individual countries’ charitable sectors, and specific incentives in the tax system for making donations. An earlier report from the foundation found that countries with larger tax incentives saw correspondingly greater levels of donations. Sources: Independent Sector, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Financial Times
JPMorgan Chase Invests in New Skills for Youth State Grant Opportunity
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has launched the New Skills for Youth, a new grant opportunity to help states pursue bold plans to redesign and advance career pathways for students across the country.
CCSSO is partnering with JPMorgan Chase and the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) to support states as they elevate career education by working with educators, business, higher education, and community members to align career pathways with high-skill, high-demand jobs.
"State education leaders have demonstrated a strong commitment to making sure all children are not only prepared for college but ready for careers once they graduate from high school. Through CCSSO's Career Readiness Initiative, states are creating bold plans to reinvent learning so every child has the opportunity to experience a meaningful career pathway that prepares them for the high-skill, high-demand needs of today's economy," said Chris Minnich, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers. "This historic investment from JPMorgan Chase will help states make this vision a reality in the next several years."
The New Skills for Youth state grant opportunity is one piece of JPMorgan Chase's $75 million, five-year initiative aimed at increasing economic opportunity for young people by strengthening career-focused education, starting in high school. JPMorgan Chase has set aside $35 million in grant funding for states. Read more >>
Health Equity Solutions Receives $300K for Policy Work
Health Equity Solutions (HES), a startup health equity policy advocacy organization, recently received a one year $300,000 grant from the Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) under the auspices of fiscal sponsor Connecticut Legal Services. The grant will enable Health Equity Solutions to build organizational infrastructure while developing and implementing its first policy agenda.
“It is the belief of HES that policy change is a powerful tool for ensuring all Connecticut residents have the opportunity to be their healthiest self, free from barriers in the health care system and in their communities,” said Tekisha Dawn Everette, PhD, HES’s executive director.
“CT Health recognized that while many stakeholders touch aspects of policy and advocacy related to health equity at points in time, there was a need for a lead organization dedicated to this purpose,” said Elizabeth Krause, vice president of policy and communications with the foundation. “Health Equity Solutions will be a game changer under the leadership of the organization’s outstanding board and Dr. Everette,” added Krause. Read more >>
ALICE® Update Shows How Housing Costs Impacts Many CT Families
The Connecticut United Ways' ALICE Update uses information in the Connecticut ALICE Report and data compiled by the Partnership for Strong Communities to explore some of the biggest housing challenges facing Connecticut ALICE Families: affordable options for ALICE families are limited; half of all renters and more than a third of all homeowners in Connecticut - many who are ALICE families - are burdened by their housing costs; when households are overburdened by housing costs, they are faced with making tough choices; the supply of affordable housing in Connecticut is growing, but the need is still great.
In Connecticut, 1-in-4 households have earnings that exceed the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) but fall short of a basic cost of living threshold. The United Way calls these households ALICE® - an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, and together with the 10% of Connecticut households in poverty, more than one-third of Connecticut households (35%) are struggling to make ends meet.
In the Connecticut ALICE Report, the estimated cost of housing for a family of four in the Household Survival Budget is $1,143 per month, which is based on the statewide average HUD fair market rent for a 2 bedroom apartment. Housing comprises 21% of expenses in the household survival budget. Read more >>
200 First-Generation Students to Receive College Support
More than 200 first-generation students from Hartford, Bloomfield and East Hartford will receive support to get them accepted into college and graduate. This is made possible through a three-year, $165,000 grant from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving to the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education for its Career Beginnings Bridge program.
“We began the bridge and persistence program when we started to notice how many Career Beginnings students came back to us after high school graduation with many questions about getting to college,” said Martin Estey, executive director of the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education. “A little research informed us that as many as 20 percent of college accepted students in Hartford DO NOT make it to college in the fall. We needed to do something and the Hartford Foundation has helped us address this need since 2012."
The grant is an extension of a previous Hartford Foundation grant, which supported the Bridge program in reducing the occurrence of “summer melt,” where students accepted into college fail to enroll after the summer following their high school graduation. The focus of the current grant is on helping students persist beyond initial enrollment. By extending the project for three more years through this grant, Career Beginnings Bridge will be able to measure graduation rates and the Bridge program’s influence on them. Read more >>
Girls in STEM Conference Supported By Petit Family Foundation
The Petit Family Foundation, dedicated to promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers for young women, is helping eighth-grade girls learn from role models, including top female UConn Engineering students and practicing engineers.
Its $11,000 gift brings together girls with an interest in the STEM fields, with women who can help them accomplish their goals. In regular one-day conferences the eighth-graders work side-by-side with female undergraduate engineering students, who had the same questions just a few years ago, and accomplished female engineers.
The program, called Multiply Your Options, is held on UConn’s Storrs campus and brings together up to 250 girls from middle schools throughout the region. Students participate in hands on learning activities and thought exercises designed to expose them to a variety of STEM careers.
“The Petit Family Foundation’s mission of fostering the education of young people, especially girls and women in the sciences, is a perfect fit with the Multiply Your Options program,” said Dr. Bill Petit, president of the Foundation.” Read more >>
New White Paper is a Nonprofit 101
GuideStar, a national provider of nonprofit information, has released a new white paper, Nine Things You Might Not Know About U.S. Nonprofits. The free report, a "nonprofit 101," is an introduction to the vast, complex system that is the nonprofit sector. The white paper includes answers to questions, such as: How many nonprofits are registered with the IRS? What is the nonprofits' role in the U.S. economy?
PHILANTHROPY NEWS Links |
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CCP Member News Links
Bank of America
Bank of America and (RED)® Extend Partnership to Support the Global Fight Against AIDS >>
Comcast
Comcast NBCUniversal to be Recognized for Support of National Service >>
Eversource
Eversource to Continue Title Sponsorship of Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon >>
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation
Foundation Awards Nearly $2.3M to More Than 700 Organizations in 2015 >>
Lincoln Financial Group; United Ways
United Way Receives More Than $1 Million from Lincoln Financial Group Employees >>
Petit Family Foundation
Grant Provides 3-D Printers for Memorial School >>
The Tow Foundation
Largest Gifts in Barnard History to Support New Teaching and Learning Center >>
Travelers & the Travelers Foundation
Travelers Championship Names ALS Clinic Primary Beneficiary in 2016 >>
United Way of Coastal Fairfield County
United Way and Pepperidge Farm Support Fit Kids Program >>
Non-Member News Links
Berkshire Bank Foundation
Berkshire Bank Announces Over $2M in Community Support >>
Bruce Maneeley
Goodwin College Celebrates a Gift From Local Businessman >>
Gowrie Group
Gowrie Group Leads the Way to Raise $1M Over 12 Years for Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries >>
KBE Building Corporation
Making a Difference in CT and MD: KBE Donates $1.7M & 11,474 Volunteer Hours >>
Prudential Foundation
The Prudential Foundation Invests in Innovative High School for Students in Hartford >>
The Entrepreneurial Center Receives Renewed $75M Grant from Prudential Foundation >>
Santander Bank
Santander Provides $2.3M in New Grants to Support New England Community Organizations >>
Soroya Amy Jackson Foundation
Foundation Offers 10 Scholarships to Students >>
Tariq Farid Foundation
Connecticut Food Bank Gets Generous Donation to Help Feed Kids on the Weekends >>
Yelp Foundation
Yelp Means Help for Three Hartford-Area Nonprofits >>
GRANTS & RFPS |
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Donaghue Foundation
Monday, February 29: Letter of intent deadline - Another Look: Better Health for Elders in Care Facilities >>
Tuesday, May 17: Letter of intent deadline - Greater Value Portfolio Grants >>
Community Foundation of Greater New Britain
March 1 - 31: Application deadlines vary - Scholarships >>
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
Tuesday, March 1: Application deadline - Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management >>
Tuesday, March 1: Application deadline - The Green Pastures Fund >>
Valley Community Foundation
Friday, March 4: Application deadline - Community Grants >>
Thursday, March 31: Application deadline - Responsive Grants >>
Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut
Sunday, April 10: Application deadline - Scholarships >>
Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut
Monday, March 14: Application deadline - Women & Girls Fund >>
Thursday, April 30 - Proposal deadline - General Grant Cycle >>
Main Street Community Foundation
Tuesday, March 15: Proposal deadline - Plainville Community Fund >>
Nellie Mae Education Foundation
Tuesday, March 15: Letter of interest deadline - Engagement Grant Opportunity for New England School Districts >>
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Thursday, March 31: Application deadline - Responsive Grants >>
EVENTS & OTHER OPPORTUNITIES |
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Fairfield County's Giving Day >>
February 18 - Registration deadline
Thursday, March 10 - Fairfield County's Giving Day
Fairfield County's Giving Day, powered by Fairfield County's Community Foundation, and Bank of America, is a 24-hour online fundraising competition that unites community around local causes. Last year, $1,066,091 was donated by 13,161 individuals for 386 nonprofits that serve Fairfield County.
Nonprofit Resource Center's Spring 2016 Workshop Series >>
Monday, February 29 - How to Build the Perfect Donor Newsletter, Print and Digital
Thursday, March 17 - ABCs of Nonprofit Law
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut is pleased to join the Public Library of New London, a Foundation Center Network Partner, in sponsoring the Spring 2016 Workshop Series for Nonprofits.
Give Local Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills >>
Tuesday, March 1 - Application for eligibility
Thursday, March 30 - Registration deadline
Tuesday, May 3 - Wednesday, May 4 - Give Local Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills
Connecticut Community Foundation will host its fourth annual online community giving challenge, Give Local Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills, from 7 am on May 3 to 7 pm on May 4. Since the first event in 2013, Give Local has infused the nonprofit community with nearly $2 million in unrestricted funding. Ion Bank Foundation is the presenting sponsor of the event.
Tuesday, March 1 - Thursday, March 31 - various dates and locations
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and WNPR have announced plans to offer another opportunity for people to share their stories of how an act of kindness made a positive impact on their lives or the lives of others. Anyone with a story to share is invited to sign up at WordsToGiveBy.org to be interviewed at one of five locations in the Greater Hartford area throughout the month of March.
Moving the Arts Needle from Nice to Necessary - Connecticut Arts Day 2016>>
Wednesday, March 2, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, State Capitol, Hartford
The Connecticut Office of the Arts in partnership with nine Designated Regional Service Organizations, The Culture and Tourism Advisory Committee, The Connecticut Arts Council and the Connecticut Arts Alliance is organizing the first State hosted Arts Day in over a decade. Connecticut Arts Day, “Moving the Arts from Nice to Necessary” will bring together a broad cross section of policy makers, arts, cultural and creative industry organizations and individuals from across Connecticut to the State Capitol to celebrate the significant role that the arts have and continue to play in our state.
LGBTQ Youth Issues and the Law >>
Friday, March 4, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm, University of Connecticut School of Law, Hartford
Join the Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal and the Connecticut Bar Foundation for a symposium exploring the diverse experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) youth. Our distinguished speakers will highlight current legal issues affecting LGBTQ youth from the perspectives of practicing attorneys, community advocates, educators, and more.
2016 HUD Secretary's Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships >>
Monday, March 7: Application deadline
The Council on Foundations is pleased to partner with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on the Secretary's Award for Public-Philanthropic Partnerships. Now in its fourth year, this award recognizes excellence in partnerships that have transformed communities through collaborations between foundations and government entities. The goal is to highlight the value of public-philanthropic partnerships that positively impact the quality of life for low and moderate income communities — urban, suburban, and rural.
Friday March 11 - Application deadline
The Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy works to engage emerging and established members of the philanthropic community to drive social justice work forward. Generous U is a contest which helps promote that goal. Generous U awards a $10,000 Prize (and a runner up prize) to college students who propose ways of increasing philanthropy on their campus. The Generous U contest spotlights student giving and its positive impact. Spread the word to undergraduate and graduate students to submit their Intent to Apply and then their applications (a proposal and a video) demonstrating how their project will increase philanthropy and/or philanthropic values on campus.
Hackathon – Coding for a Cause >>
Saturday, March 12, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm, Warner Theatre, Torrington
The Women & Girls Fund of the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut, in collaboration with Random Hacks of Kindness Jr, is hosting a “hackathon” for social good for girls in grades four through eight. The special, one-day “hackathon” is being organized as a community event to introduce students to technology and to show how it can be used to create solutions that benefit nonprofit organizations.
Wednesday, March 30 - Aqua Turf Club, Southington
Main Street Community Foundation will present its 15th annual Wonder of Women (WOW) event with guest speaker Kara Sundlun, WFSB Emmy Award Winning Television Personality and Author of the book, Finding Dad: From "Love Child" to Daughter.
Fund for Women and Girls Annual Luncheon >>
Thursday, April 7 - Greenwich Hyatt, Greenwich
Fairfield County's Community Foundation's Fund for Women and Girls Annual Luncheon will feature Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach, U.S. Women's National Soccer Team phenoms as keynote speakers.
Friday, April 15 - Nonprofit registration deadline
Tuesday, May 3 - Wednesday, May 4 - The Great Give®
The Great Give® 2016 is a 36-hr online giving event starting 8:00 am on May 3rd. Every gift will be amplified with matching dollars provided by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, its affiliate the Valley Community Foundation and other generous community sponsors. Last year, the community responded with unprecedented giving with more than $1.2 Million raised to benefit nonprofits that serve the Greater New Haven region.
PEOPLE |
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According to the New Haven Register, Jack Healy, after 20 years at the United Way of Greater New Haven, will retire at the end of June, turning over the influential community organization to Executive Vice President Jennifer Heath. Promoted to president and CEO 10 years ago, Healy oversaw a major shift in how the United Way went beyond just fundraising for nonprofits to becoming a major force in bringing community leaders together to collectively tackle the big issues of income inequality, homelessness and early childhood education. Heath has been in the nonprofit field for more than 20 years. She has worked for the state of Connecticut and authored strategic plans and grants in a capacity as a consultant. Heath, after working as a managing consultant on a major United Way needs assessment in 2003, was tapped in 2006 to help implement its new strategy. Read @ New Haven Register >>
Long-time West Hartford resident Kathleen Costello has been named chair of the steering committee for the Catalyst Endowment Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. Costello is a social worker and serves as an adjunct professor at Goodwin College.
“I first became a member of the Catalyst Endowment Fund because it offered a unique opportunity for me to see how our giving can be put into action,” said Costello. “By exploring the needs of the Greater Hartford region, we are able to engage with nonprofits whose mission it is to affect change in our own community. We become familiar with the key stakeholders for our chosen topic and the best practices they employ, we gain a greater understanding of our neighbors and neighborhoods, and we are guided by the expertise of the Foundation staff to maximize our giving. In a phrase, it's hands-on philanthropy." Read @ Hartford Foundation for Public Giving >>
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven's Progreso Latino Fund has featured Raquel Santiago-Martinez in their Celebrating Latino Leaders series. Raquel Santiago-Martinez is a founding member of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs and the Connecticut chapter. She has volunteered on numerous nonprofit boards of directors and was the PTO President of Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School, a Hamden Inland Wetlands Commissioner, and a member of the Town of Hamden’s mayoral transition team. She currently serves on the boards of the New Haven Scholarship Fund, Liberty Community Services, Fellowship Place and the Progreso Latino Fund. Read @ The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven >>
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has announced the founding members of the Black Giving Circle Fund created to support the needs of Greater Hartford’s Black community. The new fund was the result of a year-long process of meetings with members of the community who shared an interest in the topic of Black philanthropy. There are 69 founding members representing the diversity within the region. The mission of the Black Giving Circle Fund is “to create sustainable change in the Black community by leveraging the philanthropic efforts of donors and celebrating Black philanthropy.” Donations from members (at least $365 annually per membership) are pooled together in a dedicated endowed fund at the Hartford Foundation. Read @ Hartford Foundation for Public Giving >>
ABOUT CCP |
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Connecticut Council for Philanthropy (CCP) is an association of grantmakers committed to promoting and supporting effective philanthropy for the public good.
CCP's members are foundations (private, corporate, community), business and corporate giving programs, bank trusts, donor-advised funds, individual philanthropists, and those serving the philanthropic sector. CCP members granted more than $720 million in 2013 from assets of more than $6.3 billion.
News about Connecticut funders may be submitted to CCP for consideration. The Connecticut Philanthropy Digest is brought to you by the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy. Edited by Laurie Allen, Communications Manager.