The Women’s Giving Circle’s 2025 grant recipients include $30,000 in awards to the following organizations:

• Greenwoods Counseling Referrals in Litchfield was awarded a $5,000 grant to support its affordable mental healthcare and addiction treatment for Women & Girls in Litchfield County.
• 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. 

Over the last eight years, the Circle has awarded over $250,000 in grants to organizations advancing opportunities for women and girls in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills.

What Membership Means

Members of the Women’s Giving Circle:

• Collaborate and network with a diverse group of generous people who value improving opportunities for women and girls in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills

• Learn about community issues and effective philanthropy

• Share the joy of giving—together.

When it is time to make grants, circle members decide together the issues they want to support, such as employment, education, pay equity, housing, parenting or women’s health. Circle members review grant applications and make funding decisions together.

2024-2025 Steering Committee Members

Hannah Alley Keller – Chair
*Grace Richardson
Pam Bless
*Regina Duchin Kraus
Baba Frew
Trish Lindenman
L. Joyelle Maini
*Karen Powell – Past Chair
Amanda Pulawski – Grant Review Committee Chair 
*Jodi Wasserstein – Past Chair

*Denotes founding members

Women’s Giving Circle Chair:

Hannah Alley-Keller is the Director of Development Operations at The Frederick Gunn School, where she manages the day-to-day operations related to constituent engagement and annual giving. She brings to the team more than a decade of experience in higher education and independent school fundraising.

Hannah has held a variety of annual and major giving roles throughout her career. Most notably, Hannah served as the Director of Annual Giving for Marist College, where she oversaw a team responsible for alumni and parent giving. Before relocating to the northeast, Hannah was the Associate Director of Development for Hollins University, where she oversaw the significant growth of the Hollins Fund and worked as a Major Gifts Officer as part of the Alumnae Engagement Initiative.

Hannah is a proud Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Agnes Scott College. She and her family enjoy traveling, farming, cheering for the Virginia Tech Hokies, and playing with their chocolate lab, Remington.

FAQs for Women’s Giving Circle Grant Applicants

If you have questions about how to apply for a Women’s Giving Circle grant please visit our FAQs for grant applicants.

Joining the Women’s Giving Circle

The Women’s Giving Circle is open to anyone who cares about women and girls in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills. Members make a minimum annual contribution to the Women’s Giving Circle. Your investment also entitles you to invitations to Women’s Giving Circle activities and events and to cast a vote at an annual meeting to decide how the circle’s pooled funds should be granted to local organizations. Select a giving level that not only meets your needs, but has impact!

• $ 1000 Women’s Giving Circle Game Changer (or monthly payment of $84)

• $ 500 Women’s Giving Circle Community Hero (or monthly payment of $42)

• $ 250 Women’s Giving Circle Community Catalyst (or monthly payment of $21)

• $ 120 Women’s Giving Circle Community Builder (or monthly payment of $10)

Contribute, Renew or Join Now!

You can donate online or via check,  and can give monthly or in a single installment. Checks can be made payable to Connecticut Community Foundation. Please include Women’s Giving Circle on the memo line. To join with a gift of appreciated securities, please contact Development Officer Mark Berardi.