TORRINGTON, CT -- The Draper Foundation Fund, a fund of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, recently awarded area nonprofits $664,800. The Fund awarded $535,500 to 19 designated nonprofits and $129,300 in donor-advised grants to nonprofits that provide essential programs and services for residents of Northwest Connecticut.
Noteworthy donor-advised grants include:
- $4,000 to Mental Health Connecticut, to support the purchase of 250 training manuals for the Mental Health First Aid Program for Litchfield County.
“Mental Health First Aid training in Litchfield County is critical to improving the health and wellness of the area’s youth and young adults,” according to Suzi Craig, senior director of strategic partnerships. “In addition to engaging transition-aged youth in services and supports that promote recovery, First Aiders can be critical in helping Litchfield County communities minimize the likelihood of young adults from spiraling into more challenging situations such as homelessness, the criminal justice system, decreased loss of health and wellness, institutional care, or attempting suicide.”
- $32,000 to Winchester Public Schools, to support the installation of a Community Playground at Pearson School
“The goal of this project is to develop a community playground that will not only serve the school, but the greater community,” said Melony M. Brady-Shanley, Superintendent of Schools.
The following is a complete list of nonprofit organizations that received donor-advised grants from The Draper Foundation Fund:
Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities $50,000 to support the capital campaign to increase the size of the facility
McCall Center for Behavioral Health $35,000 to support repairs to the ADA sidewalk/parking area adjacent to the Wellness Center building, and renovation of an office into a medical exam room for the Medication Assisted Treatment Program
Mental Health Connecticut $4,000 to support the purchase of 250 training manuals for the Mental Health First Aid Program for Litchfield County
Torrington Winsted Area Rotary Club $4,000 to support the 2018 Pet Parade
Winchester Public Schools $32,000 to support the installation of a Community Playground at Pearson School
Winchester Youth Service Bureau $4,300 to support the cost of a new cargo trailer to securely store and transport equipment and supplies for Rising Star Camp
The following nonprofits designated by the Draper Foundation Fund receive awards twice annually:
Beardsley & Memorial Library
Colebrook Associates, Inc.
Colebrook Congregational Church
Colebrook Historical Society, Inc.
Cornell University for the Cornell Feline Health Center College of Veterinary Medicine
W. L. Gilbert Trust Corporation
Greenwoods Scholarship Foundation, Inc.
Little Guild of St. Francis
Northwestern Connecticut Community College
Northwest CT YMCA
The Salvation Army
Tufts University, School of Veterinarian Medicine
The University of CT Foundation, Inc.
Vivisection Investigation League, a/k/a The Last Post
We Adopt Greyhounds, Inc.
Winchester Youth Service Bureau
Winsted Area Child Care Center, Inc.
Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue, Inc.
A $30‐million endowment from the estate of Jim and Shirley Draper of Colebrook, The Draper Foundation Fund represents the largest single gift in the Community Foundation’s history and one of the largest single gifts on record to a community foundation in the state of Connecticut. The Fund, which has grown to $35 million benefits mainly local charitable organizations by making yearly awards to nonprofits designated by the Drapers, as well as through annual donor‐advised grants, such as those listed above.
Established in 1969, the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation serves 20 towns in Northwest Connecticut. Its total endowment, comprised of more than 280 funds, has grown from initial assets of $15,000 to more than $110 million. Last year, combined grants and scholarships totaled more than $3 million.
###
Contacts:
Nicole Carlson Easley
Communications Director
Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation
860-626-1245
neasley@northwestcf.org
Christina Tranquillo
Program and Communications Associate
Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation
860-626-1245
ctranquillo@northwestcf.org
Website: www.northwestcf.org