• Abilities Without Boundaries (Cheshire): Sustainable Art Program – $5,000 to underwrite the annual cost for an outside instructor to teach Sustainable Art classes, expanding the menu of Day Support program offerings. 

• Afro-Caribbean Cultural Center (Waterbury): Waterbury Puerto Rican Parade & Festival – $10,000 to support a vibrant celebration of Puerto Rican culture, heritage, and pride. Held annually in Waterbury, the parade features colorful floats, traditional music, dance performances, and community leaders.  

• After School Arts Program / ASAP! (Washington): ASAP! Programs at Children’s Community School  – $12,000 to offer programs that blend the arts with nature studies, mindfulness, social justice, play, field trips, and professional development for pre-k through 8th graders and teachers at Children’s Community School. 

• Arts for Learning Connecticut: “Express Yourself”: After School Arts at Kingsbury  – $10,000 to continue a 10-week after school arts learning program, Express Yourself, for 40 elementary students at FJ Kingsbury in Waterbury, implemented by Teaching Artists. 

• Ball & Socket Arts (Cheshire): Ball & Socket Arts Free Outdoor 2025 Summer Concert Series: Live @ the Factory – $7,500 to support Ball & Socket Arts’ summer series, Live @ the Factory: 5 free outdoor public concerts from June-September, including Grammy Award winning Dan Pugach Big Band featuring Nicole Zuraitis.  

• Building Legacy & Community (fiscal sponsor: NEST) – 6th Annual Juneteenth Celebration – $10,000 to support the Annual Juneteenth Celebration of black artists, entertainers, businesses, and community members in the Waterbury area in honor of the oldest African American holiday in America.  

• cARTie (Shelton): Art Museum Enrichment in Waterbury & Naugatuck – $5,150 to provide critical art museum enrichment for young students who lack access to art and museums, as well as their educators and emerging student-artists.  This is possible through a mobile art museum bus. 

• City Youth Theater (Waterbury): Summer with CYT & Fall Class 2025 – $12,500 to provide a transformative arts experience for youth, featuring theater workshops, performances, and a trip to the Goodspeed Opera House for a behind-the-scenes tour to inspire arts appreciation.  

• Find Your Light Foundation (Fiscal Sponsor: NEST) : Find Your Light Dance & Black History – $12,000 to offer free, high-quality dance instruction with historical context for the youth of Waterbury.   

• (The) Gathering Festival, Inc. (Waterbury): The Gathering 2025 – $10,000 to support and expand the most culturally diverse festival in New England, held in Waterbury. In 2024 The Gathering had elements of 110 different cultures celebrating music, food and dance from around the world.  

• Mattatuck Museum (Waterbury): Children’s Community School Art Program – $15,520 to continue arts programming at Waterbury’s Children’s Community School (CCS) for more than 100 K-6th grade students. Classes in basic art skills, art journaling, and photography are led by museum staff and guest artists. 

• Newbury Musical Theatre Company (Southbury): The Sound of Music – $5,000 to support a production of Sound of Music .   

• Palace Theater Group (Waterbury): CommUNITY Series at the Palace Theater – $7,500 to offer three interactive events designed to gather diverse presenters and audiences, many of whom have not been involved in the theater’s prior activities, with the goal of fostering greater understanding and creating a stronger community.  

• Park Central (AKA Girls Inc., Waterbury): Works of Art – Take 2 Recycling – $5,000 to support Park Central’s growing creative arts programs, specifically focused on recycled art. These programs empower girls to use art as a form of self-expression and, by using recycled materials, they see the value in things that would otherwise be discarded. 

• Shakesperience Productions (Waterbury): Waterbury Interactive, Our City, Our Neighborhoods – $15,000 to support “Neighborhoods”: a year-round inter-generational humanities program encompassing history, the arts, and communication, and storytelling in the form of creative narratives from local young people, older adults, teachers, and more. 

• Waterbury Black Business Network (Fiscal Sponsor: NEST): Euphoria In Hues: A Black & Brown Creatives Weekend – $15,500 to offer a two-day educational event, including seminars on marketing and branding, alongside a vendor market. Seminars will feature guest speakers who are industry experts and successful artists. 

• Waterbury, City of: Make Music Day Waterbury 2025 – $5,000 to support Make Music Waterbury, which brings free, community-wide, outdoor musical performances to Waterbury. Make Music Waterbury will feature musicians of diverse abilities and genres. 

• Waterbury Symphony Orchestra (Waterbury): Musician Mentorship Program – $14,430 to allow professional WSO musicians collaborate with Waterbury Arts Magnet School (WAMS) band/orchestra teachers to mentor students, providing close guidance/instruction while preparing them for performances on a weekly basis throughout the school year.  

• Winning Ways Inc. (Branford): The Winning Circle Series™: Spit and Paint™ – $5,000 to offer an art program in Waterbury focusing on community engagement and team-morale through interdisciplinary art & empowerment discussions. Hosted at local venues, it offers a creative platform for expression and exploration of self and community. 

• 50CAN, Inc. (Hartford): Linguistic and Educational Equity In Greater Waterbury – $21,000 to build parent power in the Greater Waterbury region to (a) develop a unified, community-informed and community-led language access strategy and (b) advance educator diversity and improve the effectiveness of educators in our state.

• Abilities Without Boundaries (Cheshire):  Employment Support – Janitorial Services  – $5,000 to purchase new equipment for the Janitorial Services team, allowing for more paid employment opportunities for participants.  

• Advancing Connecticut Together (Hartford): Expanding the Returning Citizens Program in Greater Waterbury – $10,000 to provide free financial coaching, tax prep, and banking assistance to citizens returning to Greater Waterbury from incarceration.

• Best Buddies Connecticut (New Britain): Best Buddies in Connecticut Leadership Development and Transitions Programs – $5,000 to support programs that are vital to creating more inclusive opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), through pre-employment training Leadership Development opportunities. 

• Big Brothers Big Sisters CT (Hartford): Waterbury Community-Based Mentoring – $10,000 to connect youth (6-18) facing adversity with screened volunteer adult mentors. Pairs are together 6-10 hours monthly for at least a year, engaging in activities and supporting social-emotional & academic growth. 

• Boys and Girls Club of Greater Waterbury (Waterbury): Expanding STEM and Innovation for Middle School Members – $9,000 to expand and strengthen B&GC’s STEM education program for middle school youth. This project will build on existing programming by creating hands-on, engaging opportunities that prepare the youth for future academic and career pathways.

• Center for Children’s Advocacy (Hartford):  Waterbury Children & Youth Advocacy Project – $10,000 to promote equitable opportunity for low-income Black and Latinx students and low-income children with disabilities by deploying CCA’s legal services, provider advocacy training and systemic reform advocacy to reduce barriers to education and employability. 

• Children’s Law Center of Connecticut (Hartford): Legal Representation Program – $10,000 to provide high-quality legal advocacy to indigent children whose parents are embroiled in high-conflict family court disputes. These cases are among the most contentious the courts see. CLC provides a voice for children in a system in which they otherwise would not have one.

• CLICC (Connecting Through Literacy: Incarcerated Parents, Their Children, and Caregivers) (New Haven): Literacy & Mentoring Support for Children of Incarcerated Parents – $10,000 to help incarcerated parents support their children’s literacy through communication, child reading development, and CLICC mentoring groups for parents in prison.  

• Community Partners in Action (Hartford): Greater Waterbury Reentry Welcome Center – $12,000 to assist people returning to the Greater Waterbury area after prison and those living in the area who have a criminal history. The Center serves as a centralized hub, provides support services, and coordinates referrals to 30+ community partners. 

• Connecticut Democracy Center (Hartford): Amplifying Student Voices through Connecticut’s Kid Governor® – $5,000 to support an award-winning civics program that empowers 5th graders to change the world. This free program removes barriers to civic education and creates equitable opportunities for students in Waterbury and surrounding towns to build skills for lifetime civic participation. 

• Connecticut Fair Housing Center (Hartford): Connecticut Fair Housing Center Greater Waterbury Education & Outreach Initiative – $10,000 to deliver an education and outreach initiative ensuring that Greater Waterbury residents at risk for housing discrimination understand their fair housing rights, how to advocate for their rights, and how to seek help if they experience housing discrimination. 

• CT Institute for Refugees & Immigrants (Bridgeport):  Waterbury Immigration Legal Services – $25,000 to support family reunification, naturalization, adjustment of status, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals applications and renewals, visas for victims of domestic violence, asylum applications and appeals, and removal defense for immigrants living in greater Waterbury.

• Connecticut Voices for Children (New Haven): Expanding Affordable Housing Access & Income Supports – $15,000 to advocate for policies to eradicate child poverty and advance family economic security, such as increased access to affordable housing, increased renter protections and more money in the pockets of hardworking families because income is needed to pay for housing.

• Girl Scouts of Connecticut, Inc. (Hartford): Making Girl Scouting Accessible in Waterbury – $10,000 to develop staff-led Girl Scout Troops in Waterbury to ensure accessibility for every girl in the community interested in joining. This will be accomplished through partnerships with other youth-serving organizations in Waterbury. 

• Goodwill Of Western and Northern CT Inc (Bridgeport): Goodwill Career Services – $15,000 to prepare individuals for employment through workshops and training/certification initiatives, while supporting individuals to secure employment with job application assistance and other forms of interview prep.

• Hang Time Connecticut (Bridgeport): Hang/Her Time Waterbury – $5,000 for a grassroots social justice program supporting individuals returning from incarceration. Hang Time promotes reintegration, reduces recidivism, & enhances community safety via peer-led support, educational trips, & access to essential services, providing guidance for successful reentry. 

• Housatonic Habitat for Humanity (Danbury): Empowering Communities for Stability – $10,000 to support Housatonic Habitat for Humanity’s core programs – Homeownership and Financial Literacy – which work in tandem to provide a pathway to stable, affordable housing for low- to moderate-income families. This grant will support the construction expenses for two affordable homes in New Preston (Washington) as well as financial education initiatives. 

• Junior Achievement of Southwest New England, Inc. (Hartford): JASWNE Project Tomorrows – $12,000 to offer experiential financial literacy, work and readiness, and entrepreneurship programs to approximately 1,000 Waterbury Public Schools K-12 students during the 2025-26 school year, providing tools for students to strive for financial success and fulfilling careers. 

• Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury: LVGW Job Center – $10,000 to expand LVGW’s Job Center, which needs increased staffing as well as materials, computers, phones, interview clothing, etc.  The effort will include increased outreach to both current students and those who have recently graduated.  

• Literacy Volunteers on the Green (New Milford): Adult Literacy Programs Serving English Language learners and Underserved Adult Learners – $7,413 to support the literacy needs of adult learners in northwestern CT. Literacy programs include English language learning, reading, writing, US citizenship prep, and basic literacy skills to immigrants & undereducated adults.

• Naugatuck YMCA (Naugatuck): School’s Out – $15,000 to support the Naugatuck YMCA’s licensed afterschool enrichment program, helping to maintain high-quality services while keeping the program affordable for families. 

• Police Activity League of Waterbury Inc. (Waterbury): PAL Culinary Workforce Development Program – $10,000 to provide paid, hands-on culinary training for youth in Waterbury, equipping them with job skills, work experience, and pathways to livable wage careers. 

• Reach Out and Read Inc. (Boston): Greater Waterbury Rx for Success – $10,000 to provide an early literacy and early relational health intervention at 12 clinical locations across Greater Waterbury. 

• RIBA Aspira Career Center (fiscal sponsor: Hispanic Coalition) (Waterbury): Programming Support for RIBA ASPIRA – $10,000 to continue delivering high-demand services (English as a second language, Childcare Provider Training, and Certified Nurse Aide Training) that provide opportunities for residents of Waterbury’s South End. 

• Save Girls On FYER (Waterbury): Leadership at The Center – $10,000 to sustain and expand the Leadership at the Center Initiative, which provides a holistic leadership development pipeline for girls of color aged 7-17 through a framework of education, liberation, and celebration. 

• St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury: Culinary Jobs Training Program – $10,000 to support the culinary job training program, designed for individuals facing high barriers to employment: an opportunity that will enhance their economic well-being.  

• UConn Foundation / UConn Waterbury: Hands-On STEM & Health for  Waterbury Students – $15,000 to support STEM / Health field trips with interactive learning activities for ~800+  7th/8th grade Waterbury public school students. 

• United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut (New Milford): Cora’s Kids Family Child Care (FCC) Network – Community Messenger Program – $15,000 to empower New Milford community members to connect low- to moderate-income families with essential resources and high-quality, licensed childcare, fostering a supportive and informed community and better long-term outcomes for children. 

• University of Bridgeport (Bridgeport): School STEM Program – $10,000 to offer mobile STEM education to K-12 students. The mobile lab engages children in hydrospace, aerospace, and life sciences, utilizing cutting-edge technology not found in most classrooms. 

• Urban Fresh Gardens (Waterbury): Learn to Earn – $10,000 to support a Climate Smart Project  that empowers youth to take part in climate-conscious agriculture initiatives. 

• Waterbury Promise (Waterbury): Expanding Waterbury Promise College Access and Success Program for Under-Resourced Waterbury Youth – $5,000 to scale up WP’s transformative college access & success program for under-resourced Waterbury students now that it is serving 875+ scholars at CT colleges.  Program will engage with 450+ Waterbury high school students & their families to put them on a path to upward mobility and financial independence.  

• Waterbury YMCA (Waterbury): Linking Academics to Life: $10,086 to offer a free, high impact, evidence based, college, career, and life readiness after- school program for Waterbury’s high school youth, the majority of whom are African American/Black and Hispanic/Latino and almost all are from low-income families. 

• Women’s Business Development Council Inc. (Stamford): Equitable Small Business Development: Waterbury Growth – $12,000 to utilize its Waterbury office location to expand entrepreneurial training, advising, and microgrants programs to women, BIPOC, and other historically marginalized entrepreneurs who encounter barriers to starting and growing small businesses. 

• R.A.C.C.E. (Waterbury): Community Letter Writing Program – $7,000 to support a project in Waterbury that organizes monthly letter-writing sessions where 25 to 40 youth, families, and community members come together to send handwritten letters of hope to over 120 young people incarcerated in Connecticut’s juvenile detention centers, most of whom are from Waterbury. These letters offer encouragement and remind incarcerated youth that they are not alone. The program also features facilitated conversation around juvenile justice and guest speakers.

• Ann’s Place (Danbury): Filling the Gap: Free non-medical support services for cancer patients and families: $10,000 to support cancer patients living in the Greater Waterbury region, increasing mental health and cancer support services for people of color, individuals facing financial instability, and those who identify LGBTQ+. 

• Brian Gibbons Homeless Outreach Inc. (Naugatuck): Greater Waterbury Homeless Outreach Services: $20,000 to support program outreach and efforts including supplies, clinical support services, and intensive case management to ensure the successful operation of the program in support individuals of Greater Waterbury facing homelessness. 

• Built 4 Success (Waterbury): Kids RISE Up Community Program: $7,000 to continue supporting an after-school program where Waterbury students participate in yoga, art, and mindfulness activities that help build resilience and social emotional learning, addressing mental health and toxic stress.  

• Center for Human Development (Waterbury): CHD Community Health Workers: $10,000 to support the training of existing case managers as Community Health Workers to help reduce health care disparities and increase healthcare access for homeless individuals and support the implementation of chronic disease self-management programming for clients. 

• Chrysalis Center, Inc. (Hartford): Advancing Housing Stability in Waterbury Communities: $10,500 to support housing stability in the Greater Waterbury area by providing basic needs and household items to help formerly homeless families, and partial rental subsidies to reentry individuals to support their financial independence. 

• Circle of Care for Families with Cancer (Wilton): Lifeline Emergency Fund: $7,500 to support the Lifeline Emergency Fund, which provides emergency financial assistance to families of children, adolescents, and young adults who are in financial crisis, reducing barriers to treatment by supporting basic needs (food, transportation, and shelter expenses). 

• Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (Hartford): Advocacy for Cold and Extreme Weather Emergency Shelter: $8,000 to support advocacy efforts for the preservation of funds and provider coordination across the state, ensuring that homeless individuals will have access to shelter during the cold winter months. 

• Connecticut Land Conservation Council (Middletown): Waterbury Region Bike and Hike Series: $10,154 to support a collaborative project with Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust, “Bird & Hike”, which offers Waterbury residents an opportunity to access nature, foster belonging and community wellbeing, and build lasting connections to conserved lands. 

• Covenant to Care for Children (Hartford): Basic Essential Goods for Children $10,000 to continue supporting families in the Foundation’s 21-town region with basic needs access, helping to prevent child removal from homes and support the reunification of families when basic needs is the barrier for families to remain intact.  

• Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust (Woodbury): Research, Planning, Curriculum Development of “Flanders Climate Champions” program for Middle and High School: $9,475 to support a future-oriented program at Flanders where students can gain knowledge and skills that can empower them to act and provide them with mentorship to tackle the climate problem affecting their world.

• Family & Children’s Aid, Inc. (Waterbury): Providing Access to Quality Behavioral Healthcare: $9,000 to support Waterbury’s Behavioral Health Center, providing access to affordable, quality therapeutic care and culturally informed services for children, adolescents, and families. 

• Food Rescue US, Inc. (Stamford): Food Rescue US-Northwest CT: $15,000 to support the expansion of food recovery work in the Foundation’s 21-town region, and to increase the number of meals provided to communities in the Foundation’s region. 

• Gaylord Hospital, Inc. (Wallingford): Music Therapy Program: $7,500 to support the continuation of the Music Therapy Program for patients from the Foundation’s service area, offering healing and soothing therapeutic effects of music for patients requiring long-term intensive rehabilitation. 

• Girl Scouts of Connecticut Inc. (Hartford): Equity in Care: First Aid for Camp An-Se-Ox: $4,740 to support the purchase of a comprehensive first aid kit, provide First Aid/CPR training for 6 counselors, and hire a qualified First Aider to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants.  

• Greenwoods Counseling Referrals Inc. (Litchfield): Mental Health Clinician to serve Spanish-Speaking and Undocumented Residents of Litchfield County: $10,000 to support high-quality clinical mental healthcare for undocumented residents of Litchfield County who are unable to pay for mental health services.

• Healing Meals Foundation Corporation (Bloomfield): Healthy Meals, Healthy Futures: $15,047 to support the healing and recovery of individuals and families in the Foundation’s service region, who are facing health and financial challenges, by providing nutrient-dense, organic, and home-delivered meals for 12-24 weeks. 

• Love146 (New Haven): Connecticut Survivor Care Program: $15,000 to support the Survivor Care Program, which provides rapid responses and long-term services to youth who’ve experienced human trafficking victimizations, increasing access to health care and support for basic needs to improve overall health and wellbeing. 

• McCall Behavior Health Network (Torrington): Interpretation Services for Non-English-Speaking Patients: $9,560 to enable McCall to provide video and over the phone interpretation services for individuals in Greater Waterbury who do not speak English.  

• Mental Health Connecticut (Waterbury): 2026 Waterbury Nutrition Education & Food Program: $12,500 to support the IC Kitchen, where essential cooking skills training, maintain a stocked food pantry, and nutritious meals are provided to individuals experiencing mental health challenges and/or homelessness in Waterbury and surrounding towns. 

• Nest, Inc. (Waterbury): Community Building & Empowerment: $20,000 to continue supporting the CBE program, strengthening health and environmental justice in Waterbury’s North End neighborhood by fostering resident leadership, expanding food access through the Love and Care Community Garden, and cultivating community partnerships to build resilient communities. 

• Northwest Conservation District (Torrington): Expanding Youth Environmental Education and Food System Literacy in New Milford: $5,000 to support two environmental education programs at the New Milford Public Library, connecting children and teens to their food system and natural world, which will include 6 weekly hour-long sessions and provide at-home garden kits. 

• Park Central, Inc. (Waterbury): Park Central Community Garden Club: $9,500 to support the establishment of a Garden Club, building a garden and providing opportunities for young girls to work with mentors and grow vegetables for a cooking program, supporting learning opportunities in topics like healthy eating and sustainability efforts. 

• Saint Mary’s Hospital (Waterbury): Culturally Competent Care Training to improve Black and Latine Maternal Health Outcomes: $13,600 to train hospital leadership and clinicians in culturally competent care by creating a better understanding of systemic racism, and to improve Black and Latine maternal health outcomes. 

• The Salvation Army (Waterbury): Rehousing Supports for Homeless Families: $13,750 to support families in the Foundation’s service region who are experiencing homelessness as they transition to permanent housing by covering security deposits for apartment rentals and basic supplies to establish a new home after a shelter stay at the Family Emergency Shelter. 

• Soul Friends, Inc. (Wallingford): The Horses Inspire Program for Women with Post-Acute Covid Syndrome: Investigating the Impact on Pain and QOL: $5,000 to support the “Horses Inspire Program”, providing comfort and increased knowledge and self-advocacy skills for women with Long Covid (post-acute Covid Syndrome). 

• Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA (Cheshire): Fit & Fun Nutrition Program: $4,630 to support a 10-week nutrition and hands-on cooking education program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, promoting healthy eating, daily movement, and independent life skills. 

• Staywell Healthcare, Inc. (Waterbury): Waterbury Community Care Team: $20,000 to support the continuation of the Waterbury Health Access Program and Community Care Team, which respond to the growing need for coordinated, cross-sector bilingual case management and crisis response, and links residents with insurance coverage, medical, home, and critical supports that address the social drivers of health. 

• Sustainable CT, Inc. (Bozrah): 2025 Sustainable CT Fellow Program: $10,000 to partially support two SCT Fellows serving municipalities in the Foundation’s 21-town region who will complete and document sustainability actions and connect the municipality with no-cost assistance, resources, and funding opportunities.  

• The UConn Foundation Inc. (Storrs): UConn Waterbury Husky Harvest Addressing Food Insecurity: $10,000 to support the Husky Harvest on-campus food bank, which supports nearly 1/3 of UConn Waterbury students facing food insecurity, and to extend the food bank hours so students taking night classes can access resources. 

• Waterbury Black Business Network (Waterbury): Black Health and Wellness Providers Fair: $8,000 to support the Black Health and Wellness Providers Fair, which connects Black health professionals with the Greater Waterbury community and offers health screenings, educational workshops, and resources to address healthcare disparities and empower attendees.  

• Waterbury Bridge to Success Partnership, Inc. (Waterbury): Prenatal Sparkler – continuation request for expanded outreach and engagement for improve perinatal health outcomes: $20,000 to support maternal health outcomes with the continuation of increased outreach, engagement, and expanded implementation of the prenatal sparkler app to the local W.I.C. office, two hospitals, and two FQHC’s, including all health education staff and community health navigators. Note: Healthbridge Foundation of Greater Waterbury also awarded this project $19,633.  

• Woman’s Choice Charitable Association (Prospect): Prenatal Education & Postpartum Support $10,000 to support Prenatal Education and Postpartum Support programs that will prepare and uplift families during both periods and focus on Black and Brown families in Waterbury.  

• YMCA Camp Mohawk, Inc. (Litchfield): Menstrual Health Initiative: $2,500 to support the installation of free menstrual product dispensers at YMCA Camp Mohawk, an all-girls camp, helping to ensure that all campers have access to essential menstrual products. 

• Special Olympics Connecticut (Hamden): Special Olympics Connecticut’s “Opening Eyes” program: $5,000 to support the “Opening Eyes Program”, which improves the quality of life of athletes by optimizing their vision, eye health, and visual skills through quality eye care. 
• UR Community Cares (Manchester): Waterbury Eye Health Fair: $5,000 to support an Eye Health Fair and educational events in partnership with Waterbury Senior Center, expanding access and information about assistive technology for blind, older adults, individuals with disabilities, and residents with visual impairments, supporting independence and community eye health. 

• Love146 (New Haven): CT Survivor Cares Program: $10,000 to fund short-term and rapid response services to children and families who have been impacted by trafficking. 

• Safe Haven (Waterbury): Safer Communities – Greater Waterbury: $10,000 to fund comprehensive support and crises services to those who are or have experienced domestic or sexual violence.  

• Soul Friends (Bethlehem): Horse Program for Teen Girls: $5,314 to fund an equine-therapy program for teen girls focused on self-empowerment, resilience-building and social-emotional skill development. 

• Susan B. Anthony Project (Torrington): Rebuilding Lives Program: $10,000 to fund free, confidential crisis and support services to domestic and sexual violence victims living in northwest Connecticut, including emergency shelter, transitional living, a 24-hour crisis hotline, one-to-one counseling, court and medical advocacy, and support groups. 

• St. Vincent DePaul (Waterbury): Woman’s Day Program: $10,000 to fund Women’s Day Program services which provides a safe, structured daytime environment for single female shelter residents from October 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026.  

• YMCA/Waterbury Youth Services (Waterbury): Child Advocacy Center – Bridging Component: $10,000 to fund trauma-focused therapeutic interventions to children who are victims of abuse or neglect. The program offers short-term therapy, safety planning, case management, and caregiver support. Children are referred by community partners and are engaged within 72 hours and the program is offered free of charge. 

• Brass City Harvest (Waterbury): Brass City Cooks: $15,000 to continue providing cooking classes and nutrition education to older adults with a focus on chronic disease management and provide cooking demonstrations and education in conjunction with the Farmer’s Market on the Waterbury Green.  

• Brooker Memorial (Torrington): Relatives as Parents Program at Brooker Memorial for Grandparents Raising Children: $2,500 to support the “Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP)” which offers monthly support groups, speakers, offsite family activities and access to a clinical psychologist.  

• Cape Verdean Social Club (Waterbury): Senior Fitness and Engagement Program: $8,000 to support monthly activities for older adults, including 1-hour exercise classes led by a professional trainer to help improve the physical health of older adults, paint classes, gardening classes, and other activities that encourage connections and social engagement.  

• Danbury Hospital and New Milford Hospital Foundation, Inc. (New Milford): Senior Supper Program at New Milford Hospital: $7,678 to support the “Senior Suppers Program” which provides affordable, nutritious meals and educational gatherings for older adults, reducing food insecurity and social isolation.  

• Grace Baptist Church of Waterbury (Waterbury): Grace Baptist Senior Center (BRASS): $7,200 to provide a broad range of group and individual activities and services that respond to the needs and interests of BRASS members/older adults, families, and caregivers in the Waterbury community. 

• Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury (Waterbury): La Casa Bienvenida Senior Center (BRASS): $7,200 to provide a safe and welcoming space where older adults can access programs that promote social interaction, educational awareness, and healthy living habits, while also promoting independence, dignity and advocating for and protecting their rights. 

• Landmark Community Theater (Thomaston): Performing Arts Activities for Older Adults: $3,000 to allow older adults to participate in classes such as beginners and advanced ukelele, comedy workshops, reader’s theatre, and theatre improvisation. 

• Mattatuck Museum (Waterbury): Seniors at the Matt: $12,000 to support the offering of interactive activities and programs for older adults, including Matt on the Go, trivia-based BRASS Bingo, expanded chess lessons, and Senior Mornings.  

• McCall Behavioral Health Network (Torrington): Supporting Basic Needs for Vulnerable Older Adults in Greater Waterbury $7,500 to support older adults in Greater Waterbury with direct, on the spot assistance for essentials (meals, personal care items, paperwork for employment, clothing) ensuring everyone can access needed resources and age with dignity. 

• Mount Olive A.M.E. Zion Senior Citizens Center, Inc. (Waterbury): Mt. Olive Senior Center (BRASS): $7,200 to support older adult BRASS members in free social, educational, and wellness programs that promote active, healthy, and thriving aging within the community, reducing social isolation by promoting emotional wellbeing through social interaction and lifelong learning. 

• Naugatuck YMCA (Naugatuck): Older Adult Wellbeing: $15,000 to support the aging population in the Foundation’s service area and surrounding towns by providing programs that offer social interaction, chronic illness prevention opportunities, exercise and fitness opportunities, and evidence-based programs.  

• New Opportunities Inc. (Waterbury): Conexion: $3,000 to provide nutritious meals and transportation to older adults participating in the Conexion Program, ensuring access to balanced meals that meet dietary guidelines, and to culturally relevant activities that support older adult wellbeing. 

• Park Central (Waterbury): Park Central-Intergenerational Programs: $7,000 to partner with local older adult serving organizations and offer programming opportunities where older adults can connect with girls and engage in specific projects, activities, and events.  

• Roxbury Senior Center Fitness Program (Roxbury): Roxbury Senior Center Fitness Program: $3,500 to support older adult fitness programs and assist older adults on fixed incomes to engage in programs at an affordable cost. 

• St. Margaret Willow Plaza NRZ (Waterbury): Willow Plaza Senior Center (BRASS) $7,200 to promote social connections, health and wellness, and lifelong learning, providing opportunities for socializing through group activities, fitness classes and educational events, reducing isolation and strengthening community ties for BRASS members. 

• Village Center for the Arts (New Milford): Senior Clay Hand-Building Class: $7,400 to support offering an art program where older adults work with clay, promoting learning and development of new skills. 

• Town of Warren Social Services (Warren): Paint and Social for Older Adults: $1,115 to support the “Paint and Social” event, allowing a group of older adult residents to be led by an artist and paint their own product while socializing with friends and neighbors. 

• Waterbury Senior Center (Waterbury): Waterbury Senior Center (BRASS): $7,200 to continue expanding BRASS senior center programming to increase socialization, learning and volunteer opportunities including our workshops, classes and other education, health, and fitness activities with a culturally competent lens while remaining diligent in communication with members. 

• Woodbury Senior Center (Woodbury): Chef on Site Congregate Lunch Support: $9,000 to support the Chef on Site program, which provides hot and nutritious meals twice a week, as well as social connections and access to resources for older adults.  

• Connecticut Partnership for Children, Inc. (Naugatuck): Case Management/Support of Basic Needs for Naugatuck Families: $32,595 to support strengthening families by fostering child development and building engaged communities in Naugatuck, providing food, diapers, clothing, warmth, case management, and social services that can help families navigate challenges.  

• Human Resources Development Agency (Naugatuck): Medical Transportation Socialization: $31,747to serve Naugatuck’s elderly and disabled community with transportation from their homes to doctor appointments, physical therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, dialysis, chemotherapy/radiation, blood work, prescription pick up, shopping, and community social events.  

• Naugatuck Valley Soup Kitchen (Naugatuck): Free Meal Delivery Program: $12,000 to support a healthy meal program that benefits Naugatuck residents in need, providing free delivered meals three days a week.  

• Naugatuck YMCA (Naugatuck): Livestrong: $10,000 to support the continued implementation of “Livestrong”, a free evidence-based program that helps cancer survivors reclaim their health and wellbeing following a cancer diagnosis. 

• Arts For Learning CT (Hamden): “Tell Your Story”: Expanded Social and Emotional Learning through the arts in Southbury – $14,000 to deliver creative arts workshops and cultural performances at both Pomperaug and Gainfield Elementary Schools in 2025–26, engaging all students and educators through Teaching Artist–led programs that foster learning, connection, and enrichment. 

• Connecticut Community Foundation: Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills 2026  – $20,000 for support of a 36-hour online giving event that encourages community giving; SCTF support will benefit Southbury nonprofits. 

• Make a Home Foundation (Middlebury): Seniors Making a Home for Many  – $2,500 to help elderly residents, primarily in Heritage Village, to transition to higher level of care, helping downsize and donating their furniture when needed.  

• PHS Gradnite Inc. (Southbury): PHS Gradnite 2025 – $5,000 to provide an overnight celebration on Pomperaug High School’s graduation night to keep students safe and away from alcohol and drugs. 

• Quilts that Care Inc. (Watertown): Quilting Supplies – $1,514 to purchase quilting supplies used to make quilts to be distributed to cancer patients treated at Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center, Danbury Hospital, The Diebold Family Cancer Center at New Milford Hospital and the New Milford Hospital Hospice. 

• Rochambeau Rebels (Southbury): Uniform Purchase – $5,000 to support a new Southbury-based cheerleading program which provides inclusive, affordable opportunities for youth in grades K-8, ensuring that no child is excluded due to cost or ability. Grant would help with the purchase of uniforms so every child can fully take part and feel proud representing their team. 

• SMART Inc. (Southbury/Middlebury): Outreach & Educational Program Initiatives – $15,000 to create/implement community needs-assessment survey and crucial mental health, suicide prevention, & substance use prevention community groups based on results. They will collaborate with partners to use resources to improve mental health, increase protective factors, and support safety & wellness across life domains.   

• Southbury Junior Women’s Club: SWC Operation Backpack  – $2,500 to raise funds through grants and community donations to purchase backpacks and school supplies for needy families in Southbury.  

• Southbury Land Trust (Southbury): Spring Hill Farm Preserve Boardwalk Trail – $5,000 to create an interpretive woodland boardwalk trail connecting to a Wildlife Viewing Platform on the shoreline of the Preserve’s rare pond habitat. 

• Sustainable Southbury (Southbury): Food Waste Reduction Through a Social Marketing Campaign – $5,500 to reduce the amount of wasted food in Southbury via a Social Marketing campaign. The approach requires a sophisticated approach and extensive research and planning, which has been completed and now needs implementation funds.

• Waterbury YMCA – YMCA Camp Oakasha Scholarship – $5,000 to provide financial assistance to families in need through scholarships for youth to attend YMCA Camp Oakasha.   

• Whiskers Pet Rescue (Southbury): Senior to Senior Forever Foster Program – $5,000 to support a program that provides joins senior cats (over age 12) with senior citizens (over age 65) in the local community. Whiskers covers all medical expenses and food/litter for the life of the cat.

• Abilities Without Boundaries (Cheshire): Management Training – $10,000 to fund training for Abilities management team. Sessions will provide staff with the tools and techniques to empower direct support professionals.  

• Bantam Cinema & Arts Center (Litchfield): Board Training – $2,000 to fund work with a consultant for training on board fundamentals, including roles & responsibilities, governance basics, financial management, recruitment and structure, fundraising and assessment and evaluation. 

• Boys and Girls Club of Greater Waterbury (Waterbury): Board Retreat – $5,000 to fund the planning and facilitation of a board retreat with a consultant with the goal of setting expectations, developing board culture and increasing engagement. 

• Community Mental Health Affiliates (New Britain): Expanding Access to Evidence-Based Trauma Treatment and Building DBT Capacity at CMHA – $10,000 to fund training for six of CMHA’s Waterbury clinic and school-based clinicians in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), an evidence-based intervention for individuals affected by trauma.    

• Girl Scouts of CT (Hartford): Camp Technology Upgrades – $5,445 to fund technology upgrades at Camp An-Se-Ox in Oxford. 

• Greenwoods Counseling Referrals, Inc. (Litchfield): Website Upgrade and Optimization – $9,890 to support an 8-week website redesign and optimization project to support the expansion of Greenwoods’ high quality, accessible mental health services in the 2025-2026 program year. Greenwoods anticipates that the new site will help increase traffic, allow for mobile compatibility, boost service rates, and bring in new partners. 

• Hoops4life, Inc. (Waterbury): Young Creatives Program – $5,000 to fund the organization’s graphic design program for middle school students. The program is part of the educational offerings Hoops4Life offers beyond basketball. 

• Naugatuck Valley Project (Waterbury): Building Web & Data Infrastructure to Elevate Fundraising Capacity – $10,000 to contract with a fundraising consultant who specializes in strategic and donor-centered communications. The consultant will focus on developing and telling stories of NVP’s impact through the voices of the people that NVP serves & organizes, as well as communicating NVP’s 40-year history of impact.  

• Park Central (Waterbury): Technology Upgrades – $5,000 to fund the purchase of new laptops for the organization to be used both operationally and programmatically. 

• Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition Inc. (Woodbury): Upgraded Technology and Data Systems – $4,840 to optimize organizational effectiveness by re-centralizing its IT systems. 

• Robotics and Beyond (New Milford): Video Production and Marketing Materials – $4,200 to contract with a consultant for video production to be used for both marketing and development efforts.

• Save Girls on FYRE (Waterbury): Executive Coaching and Strategy Development – $12,000 to fund work executive coaching with an organizational consultant.  

• St. Margaret Willow Street Plaza NRZ (Waterbury): Technology Upgrades – $10,000 to replace outdated and slow computers, strengthening the organization’s technology infrastructure and improving workflows and communications. This investment will enhance the organization’s capacity to deliver critical services to seniors and youth programs in the Waterbury community. 

• Susan B. Anthony Project (Torrington): Professional Development for Management – $8,000 to fund on-site leadership training for SBAP’s management team focused on essential leadership skills in the areas of communication, expectation setting, accountability, and organizational efficiency. 

• TheaterWorks of New Milford (New Milford): Strategic Planning – $5,000 to fund work with a consultant on the development of a new strategic plan to help align goals and strategies. 

• Waterbury Black Business Network (Waterbury): Board Training and Strategic Planning – $7,500 to fund work with a consultant for strategic planning services and board governance training tailored specifically to the organization’s Board of Directors.  

•  Waterbury Promise (Waterbury): Fundraising Consultant: $10,000 to support continued work with a fund development consultant for the organization.

• Waterbury Symphony Orchestra Inc. (Waterbury): Archival Project – $10,400 to work with a contractor to organize and centralize the WSO’s musical archive, which ultimately will save the organization an estimated $5,000 per year which is currently being spent on additional music sheets for the orchestra.  

• Black Boarders of Connecticut: Mom’s on the Mountain – $5,000 in support of engaging female guardians in joining youth participants to foster physical wellness, family bonding, and increased representation on the slopes.

• Lady of Love – $5,000 for daily living essentials for families in need, such as hygiene products, seasonal clothing, and other personal care items.

• North End Co-operative Market: Fall Harvest – $3,500 in support of increasing awareness of local farmers and expand access to fresh, local food for residents.

• Ungroup Society: Music in We: Sunday Weekend Wind Downs – $1,500 to support this program which showcases original music created by Waterbury youth.

• In Search of Excellence Scholarship Fund – $2,600 for college tuition assistance to the top five African American Waterbury Public High School graduates of 2025.

• Best Buddies CT (Middletown): Best Buddies Leadership Conference Project – $5,000 to provide funding for four student officers from Crosby High School to attend the Best Buddies Leadership Conference, a global gathering focused on disability rights and inclusion, at the University of Indiana. The trip will focus on leadership development, peer networking and disability rights and advocacy.  

• Black Boarders CT (Waterbury): Colorado Bound – $5,000 to provide funding for 5 youth from Greater Waterbury to attend SnowMass in Aspen Colorado. The trip will allow participants to experience a once in a lifetime trip that will combine outdoor sports with mentorship, leadership development and resilience and reflection for program participants.  

• BLAC (Waterbury): Power of the BLAC Vote – $3,000 to take 10 youth participants on a trip to Washington DC that will serve as both an educational and bonding experience, combining retreat-style team building with hands-on exploration of historic and cultural landmarks. The program aims to increase civic engagement and ensure students understand the history of the Black vote, the civil rights movement and the structure of local, state and federal government. 

• Cape Verdean Social Club (Waterbury): UMASS Trip – $5,000 to provide funding for four 12 students to visit UMass Amherst in collaboration with the college’s Cape Verdean Student Alliance. Waterbury students will spend three days on campus touring the facilities, connecting with students from the UMass Cape Verdean Student Alliance, including for a workshop and dining with alumni (students and alum will be matched based on major and the high schoolers area of interest). This experience is designed to inspire, inform, and connect students with both their cultural heritage and future academic opportunities. 

• JFK Marching Band Booster Club (Waterbury): Marching Eagles Travel to Hawaii– $3,000 to support travel and accommodations. The Kenndey High Marching Eagles were chosen by the National Vietnam Veterans Day Memorial Parade committee to perform at the annual event in Hawaii in March 2026. Beyond the performance itself, students will learn about the history and culture of the islands. Students will visit Pearl Harbor, have the chance to speak with veterans, and tour the Polynesian Cultural Center. 

• Madre Latina (Waterbury): Latina Experience 2025 – $5,000 to provide funding for 12 youth participants to attend the 2025 Renew Experience leadership and career development conference in Florida. Participants will engage in workshops, mentorship, and network with multicultural leaders. The program includes pre-trip preparation, mentorship from college students and an opportunity to share and process learnings after the trip.

• New Opportunities (Waterbury): Pathway to Success: $5,000 to fund a job readiness and self-care seminar series for low-income women ages 18–26 in the Waterbury area.  

• Save Girls on FYRE (Waterbury): Leadership Academy: $23,068 to fund the organization’s Leadership Academy, which is aimed at girls aged 7-19 and focuses on equipping participants with confidence and leadership skills through a selection of different tracts, ranging from environmental research, technology, theater and STEAM.  

• Woman’s Choice Charitable Association (Waterbury): Prenatal Education and Postpartum Support: 10,000 to fund free and low-cost pregnancy support services for Black mothers who live in Waterbury, including childbirth and breastfeeding classes and one-on-one doula support. 

• Brian Gibbons Homeless Outreach was awarded a $5,000 grant to support its emergency services and outreach support for women in need who are at risk of being unhoused or are currently unhoused. 
• Hang Time Connecticut was awarded a $5,000 grant for peer-led support for formerly incarcerated women, including housing, employment, and recovery. 
• McCall Behavioral Health Network was awarded a $5,000 grant for a peer-led support group for adolescent girls that promotes voice, agency, and self-awareness in girls and gender-expansive youth. 
• Naugatuck Valley Soup Kitchen was awarded a $5,000 grant to support its free meal delivery program of fresh, nutritious food for vulnerable residents of Naugatuck. 
• New Milford Affordable Housing was awarded a $5,000 grant to support its Brookside Commons Basic Needs program, which provides shelter, food, healthcare, education, and safety for up to 99 women and children who were previously unhoused.
•  YMCA of Greater Waterbury Youth Services was awarded a $5,000 grant to support youth and family emergency services, which includes crisis support, family counseling, and housing assistance. 

• Greater Waterbury LGBTQIA Coalition (fiscal sponsor: The People’s Place, Waterbury): 2025 Greater Waterbury Pride Festival – $1,350 to support expenses of the 2025 Greater Waterbury Pride Festival, to be held June 14th, 2025.

• Greenwoods Counseling (Litchfield): Queer Outreach Worker to Support Litchfield County LGBTQIA+ Community – $5,000 to sustain the Queer Outreach Worker role launched in 2024. This innovative mental health and substance use outreach role provides essential support to high-risk LGBTQIA+ residents across Litchfield County, especially as threats to their livelihood reach crisis levels.

• Health Collective, The (Hartford): 2026 True Colors Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Conference (SOGIEcon) – $5,000 to provide 150 registration scholarships for LGBTQIA+ youth from Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills to attend SOGIEcon 2026, a statewide conference fostering connection, resilience, and affirming spaces.
• Naugatuck YMCA (Naugatuck): R.I.S.M. – $5,000 to support P.R.I.S.M. (Pride and Respect for Identity and Sexuality Mission): a youth-focused LGBTQ+ support and advocacy group offering peer support, guest speakers, and planning initiatives, including hosting Naugatuck’s annual Pride event, the Festival of Rainbows.

• New Milford Youth Agency (New Milford): LGBTQIA + Allies – $5,000 to continue providing a safe haven for youth to come, free of judgment, and share their lives with one another. NMYA will host its 4th annual Pride Prom, design a billboard for Pride Month in June, and offer a social-emotional LGBTQIA support group.

Impact NOW is the Foundation’s fund for urgent response. 

• Caring For Bethlehem (Bethlehem): The Bare Necessities – $5,000 to provide necessities including food and basic hygiene products to financially insecure households in the Bethlehem community, encouraging people in need to spend their limited funds on the other costs of living in Litchfield County. 
• Community Solutions, Inc. (Hartford): Basic Needs for Returning Citizens at Chase Center – $8,000 to purchase clothing and other basic needs for residents of the Chase Center in Waterbury, which serves individuals re-integrating into the community.
• Connecticut Foodshare (Wallingford): Equitable Hunger Solutions – $15,000 to provide access to nutritious food for CT’s most vulnerable populations. Grant funding will support this program specifically in the Connecticut Community Foundation’s 21-town service region.
• Ecumenical Food Bank of Naugatuck (Naugatuck): Rapid Response – $10,000 for food pantry needs, supported by Ion Bank Foundation.
• Generation Power CT (Hartford): Emergency Energy Assistance for Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills – $10,000 to provide emergency energy assistance support to limited-income households living in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills.
• Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries (Waterbury): GWIM Feeding Programs  – $16,000 to support feeding programs in Waterbury to address hunger.
• Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries (Waterbury): Rapid Response – $10,000 for food pantry needs, supported by Ion Bank Foundation.
• St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury Inc. (Waterbury): Rapid Response – $10,000 for food pantry needs, supported by Ion Bank Foundation.
• Waterbury Opportunities Industrialization Center (Waterbury): Basic Needs Bank – $5,000 to provide hygiene kits, clothing for interviews, and other basic clothing needs, including shoes.