One of many programs awarded grants by the Foundation this spring. The Young Civic Learners Academy received $7,300 to provide local youth with an interactive platform to learn about civic responsibilities such as advocacy, development of laws, voting rights, and decision making.

Over $800,000 in Grants from Connecticut Community Foundation to Help Various Nonprofits in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills

Connecticut Community Foundation recently awarded $828,652 in grants to 68 nonprofit organizations serving residents of Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills. These funds will bring vital services to the region, including programs for older adults, health and wellness initiatives, expanded access to the arts, and much more.

“Nonprofit organizations are meeting critical needs and providing robust and sustaining services for thousands of residents throughout Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills. Every day, the work of these grantees moves the community closer to our vision of an equitable, inclusive, just and vibrant community in which all residents have what they need to thrive,” said Connecticut Community Foundation president and CEO Julie Loughran. “We are privileged to support such important work, and grateful to the hundreds of local donors whose gifts over the past 99 years have made these grants possible.”

Spring grants include:

  • $128,000 to eight nonprofit organizations working to improve outcomes in health and environmental justice. Grants will support a wide range of efforts, including parenting workshops, programs that provide solutions to address local air quality in Waterbury, building networks to combat food waste and food insecurity, and improving maternal health for women of color through care coordination.
  • $125,601 to 12 organizations working to build equitable opportunity for local residents. Among these awards are grants that will support the efforts of local organizations working to strengthen and reform local and state-level systems and improve opportunities for Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), as well as refugees and immigrants. For example, Literacy Volunteers on the Green in New Milford will assist residents in acquiring effective English communication skills as a key to prepare for employment opportunities that build personal and family economic security. Meanwhile, the Center for Children’s Advocacy will work to reduce barriers to school attendance, school completion, and employability for low-income children and youth, BIPOC children and youth, and youth reentering Waterbury from the juvenile justice system.
  • $90,907 in grants to seven nonprofits that improve quality of life for older people. Grants will fund home visits, exercise classes, and the creation of a network of volunteers who can provide older adults and physically disabled residents with home-based help and companionship. Among the grantees, Naugatuck-based Hidden Acres Therapeutic Riding Center will offer older adults opportunities to improve their mental agility, alertness and mood through equine-assisted therapeutic activities.
  • $47,200 in funds to strengthen four nonprofit organizations through technology, consultation, and training that will build their internal strength and capacity to pursue their missions and serve the community. With its grant, Malta House of Care in Waterbury will acquire a new electronic health record system that will allow for more streamlined care and make it easier to share information with other service providers.
  • Grants totaling $113,500 to 12 nonprofit organizations focused on arts and culture. These grants will help the arts sector to readjust and recover from the impact of the pandemic, and connect communities through the transforming power of live art, film & music.
  • $19,800 in grants to two Waterbury-based organizations led by grassroots leaders.
  • $6,400 in grants to two organizations working to improve the lives of people from the LGBTQ+ community through the Pride in the Hills Fund.
  • $26,500 in four grants to benefit residents of Southbury through the Southbury Community Trust Fund.

Waterbury-based Works of Faith received a grassroots leadership grant to support its Young Civic Learners Academy, which will provide youth an interactive platform to learn about advocacy, the development of laws, voting rights, and decision making. The program aims to increase knowledge about civic life in Waterbury and encourage engagement among young people.

“Young Civic Learners Academy educates youth in discovering the power of their voice while giving them the tools to effectively advocate so that they can change their community and the world,” said LaTeena Bartee, assistant director at the Academy. “Informed parents, dedicated teachers, and community support create the village that propels our youth to greatness.”

Grants are made possible by the generosity of donors who have established more than 500 charitable funds at the Foundation to benefit residents of Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills.

View all the grants awarded by the Foundation in the spring 2022 grant round at https://conncf.org/grants-awarded/.