Connecticut Community Foundation is proud to announce the allocation of $896,027 in grants to support 102 nonprofit organizations serving residents of Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills. With these funds, organizations will provide essential services, including programs for older adults, health and wellness initiatives, enhanced access to the arts, strengthen nonprofits, advance equitable opportunities and more.

Foundation president and CEO Julie Loughran, stated, “Nonprofit organizations play a pivotal role in meeting the so many needs of residents throughout Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills. The efforts of these grantees bring us closer every day to our vision of an equitable, inclusive, just, and vibrant community where all residents have the resources they need to thrive. We are privileged to support such significant work, and grateful to the numerous local donors whose contributions over the past 100 years have made these grants possible.”

Recent grants include:

  • $155,000 granted to twelve nonprofit organizations promoting equitable opportunities for local residents. Among the recipients are organizations striving to strengthen and reform local and state-level systems and improve opportunities for Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), refugees, and immigrants. For instance, Literacy Volunteers on the Green in New Milford will provide English communication skills training, boosting employment and economic security for residents. Meanwhile, the Center for Children’s Advocacy will focus on reducing barriers to education, school completion, and employability for low-income children and youth, BIPOC children and youth, and youth reintegrating into Waterbury after involvement with the juvenile justice system.
  • $150,000 awarded to eight nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving health outcomes and environmental justice. These grants will support a wide range of initiatives, such as parenting workshops, programs addressing local air quality concerns in Waterbury, networks combating food waste and insecurity, and enhancing maternal health for women of color through care coordination.
  • $38,660 provided to strengthen four nonprofit organizations through technology, consultation, and training, enhancing their internal capacity to pursue their missions and serve the community. For instance, Malta House of Care in Waterbury will acquire a new electronic health record system, streamlining care and facilitating information sharing with other service providers.
  • Grants totaling $150,049 awarded to nineteen nonprofit organizations focused on arts and culture. These grants will foster community connections through a variety of arts education programs and the transformative power of live art events (including music, theater, and visual art).
  • $75,000 allocated to seven nonprofits dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for older adults through the East Hill Woods Fund. These grants will support home visits, exercise classes, and the establishment of a volunteer network to provide home-based assistance and companionship to older adults and physically disabled residents. Among the recipients, Hidden Acres Therapeutic Riding Center in Naugatuck will offer older adults opportunities to improve mental agility, alertness, and mood through equine-assisted therapeutic activities.
  • $61,170 granted to seven Waterbury-based organizations led by grassroots leaders. This funding will support various programs ranging from summer youth tutoring to afterschool mentoring and career development, a free-of-charge annual music and food festival for Waterbury residents, and a feasibility study for a Cooperative Market in the North End of Waterbury.
  • $20,000 in grants to two organizations working to improve the lives of people from the LGBTQ+ community through the Pride in the Hills Fund.
  • $102,000 provided to six nonprofits through the Saunders Fund for the Sick and Infirm of Naugatuck, to support Naugatuck residents’ mental and physical health needs.
  • $54,247 awarded to seven organizations through the Lois Livingston McMillen Fund to support agencies that provide critical services to women and children who are victims of violence and abuse.
  • $30,401 from the Women’s Fund to support three nonprofits that promote advocacy and skill development while fostering resilience, self-esteem and self-respect among girls and young women in our region.
  • $23,000 awarded from the Whittemore Travel Scholarship Fund for Youth to support two programs: a college tour along the Civil Rights Trail for 15 students from Naugatuck’s Black Student Union, and travel to the NAACP National Conference in Boston for up to 8-10 members of the Waterbury Pride NAACP Youth Council.
  • $36,500 in four grants to benefit residents of Southbury through the Southbury Community Trust Fund.

Among the recent grantees is the Brian Gibbons Homeless Outreach Program, which aims to locate, engage, and support people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in the Greater Waterbury area and to link them to appropriate resources. Visits are made to campsites, factories, and abandoned buildings several times a week. In addition to connecting people to services, the program provides food, warm clothing, hygiene products, camping equipment, and other needed items.

“We are very grateful to Connecticut Community Foundation for awarding The Brian Gibbons Homeless Outreach Program a grant to support our work with people in the Waterbury area who live in cars tents and vacant buildings,” said Rick Povilaitis, Executive Director of Brian Gibbons Homeless Outreach Program. “This award will help us meet the increasing needs of the population we serve. Our mission is to find, engage, support, and refer people living outside, as well as assisting them to find safe affordable housing in conjunction with our partners in the Coordinated Access Network. This grant is much appreciated.”
These grants are made possible by the generosity of donors who have established over 600 charitable funds at the Foundation, aimed at benefiting the residents of Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills.

View all the grants awarded by the Foundation in the spring 2023 grant round at https://conncf.org/grants-awarded/.