Cycle grants are available three times per year. Support is available for programs, capital improvements, capacity building, and operating expenses.
If you have questions, please contact Julie Scharnberg at (860) 626-1245, ext. 113 or JScharnberg@northwestcf.org
Instructions and a Quick Start Guide for how to apply using our online grants portal.
Online Grant Lifecycle Manager Portal
Next grant deadline: April 30, 2023
City of Torrington’s Economic and Community Growth Plan
Community Impact Grants and Partnership Projects
Eligible Applicants:
- Non-Profit and For-Profit Organizations
- All funds must be allocated to providing resources or services to Torrington residents or Torrington businesses.
Purpose:
Torrington’s community has been negatively impacted in many different ways by COVID-19. This program is intended to make transformative investments, over a wide-range of uses, that address the negative impacts caused or exacerbated by the Pandemic, while also strengthening the fabric of the community.
Recipients of this program are intended to be “sub-recipients” of the City’s American Rescue Plan funds; therefore, successful applications must provide a direct benefit to the Torrington Community.
Applicants are encouraged, when appropriate, to utilize existing community resources that have a proven track record of success. The intention of the City’s recovery plan is to “grease the wheel, not reinvent the wheel” when possible.
Eligible Projects / Programs:
Successful applications will address one or more of the following:
Re-engage Torrington’s Youth through youth sports and activities. Applications should focus on youth’s overall well-being, such as mental health, depression, addiction etc., and have an outreach plan to connect with youth that may otherwise not have access to these programs or activities are encouraged.
Increase Child Care Capacity within the City of Torrington. This may include training/services that help fill job vacancies or increase program offerings or physical improvements that increase the number of children that can be cared for. Other creative or collaborative initiatives will also be considered.
Provide Mental Health Support throughout the community. Applications may target a specific population, such as seniors, caregivers, youth etc., and may address, but not limited to, depression, anxiety/stress, suicide, loneliness and obesity.
Support the Travel and Tourism Industries by attracting visitors to the City of Torrington through programing, community events and/or marketing efforts.
Support Torrington’s Creative Economies by providing opportunities for local artists (of all kinds) or creates partnerships/collaborations between arts and cultural organizations within the community.
Support Workforce Development or Job Training programs or collaborations that provide re-skilling, job growth and/or business expansion and retention.
Address Drug and Alcohol Addiction or Domestic Violence within the community.
Increased Capacity to Address Human Needs such as food insecurity, housing insecurity and homelessness.
Scoring Criteria
| Total Points | |
| 15 | Directly address stated goals of this Grant and clearly describes how the proposal will address one or more of these goals. |
| 10 | Project application is well thought out and designed to assist its target audience. |
| 10 | Project outreach plan is well thought out and designed to assist its target audience. |
| 15 | Project budget is detailed and sufficient to complete the project. Grant will be reimbursement or upfront payment schedule is reasonable and well thought out. |
| 10 | Project Goals and anticipated outcomes are clearly identified. |
| 10 | How outcomes/success will be measured is clearly defined. |
| 10 | Application has demonstrated reasonable community support. |
| 10 | Project duration is significant to meet community need or demonstrates sustainability beyond grant funding. |
| 10 | Includes collaboration across organizations. Where collaboration from City Departments, such as Public Schools, Park and Rec etc. is noted support/approval letters have been submitted. |
Requests for $15,000 or less: Apply by submitting this application form. Applications will be reviewed by the City of Torrington's ad hoc ARPA committee and a funding recommendation will be made to the City Council based on information provided in the application submittals.
Requests that exceed $15,000: Apply by submitting this same application form. It is expected that these projects will be more complex; therefore, in addition to the application, the City of Torrington's ad hoc ARPA committee may schedule an interview with eligible applicants to discuss what additional information is required (if any) and if approved, how the proposal will be managed. Applications will be reviewed by the City of Torrington's ad hoc ARPA committee and a funding recommendation will be made to the City Council based on information provided in the application submittals and interviews.
All applications:
- While there is no cap on the amount of funding requested for these projects and no match is required, applicants are encouraged to investigate other resources (e.g., other grants, significant in-kind donations of materials, specialized services, labor, etc.) that could be put together with this grant opportunity in order to provide the maximum community benefit.
- Recipients of this program are intended to be “sub-recipients” of the City’s American Rescue Plan funds; therefore, successful applications must provide a direct community benefit to residents of the City of Torrington and/or businesses that directly serve the City of Torrington.
Available funding this round: approximately $875,000
APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR ROUND 2: April 2, 2023
Apply Now
Applicants will need to create an account in the Foundation's online grant processing system.
Instructions and a Quick Start Guide for how to apply using our online grants portal.
If you have questions, please contact Julie Scharnberg at (860) 626-1245, ext. 113 or JScharnberg@northwestcf.org
The Northwest CT Community Foundation Women & Girls Fund is seeking to award grants in support of improving career projections for young women in Northwest CT.
The Covid-19 pandemic created a gap in learning and development for young girls. The Women & Girls Fund recently supported programs that address that gap—internships for recent college graduates; summer programs that provided coping mechanisms for young girls; a girls empowerment program for at-risk high schooler students.
Grants awarded by the Women & Girls Fund were specifically geared toward girls and young women, and while these programs were successful, there is more to do.
The Women & Girls Fund is interested in providing opportunities for girls to learn about career paths, gain exposure to new industries, and gain skills that will provide them with secure futures.
Do you provide internships for young women?
Do your offer programs that help teenage girls identify their strengths and help them develop career goals?
Do you empower young women to develop personal financial skills?
If your program provides opportunities for young women and girls to learn about career paths, gain exposure to new industries, and learn professional skills, please complete a Letter of Inquiry as the first step in being considered for a Women & Girls Fund grant.
LOI Deadline: February 11, 2023
The Community Foundation has allocated a minimum of $60,000 to distribute to public charities and faith-based organizations in its 20-town service area for year-end critical-needs grants. More may be available based on need. Grants are made possible through the Draper Foundation Fund, and the Marion Wm. & Alice Edwards Fund.
Instructions and a Quick Start Guide for how to apply using our online grants portal.
Online Grant Lifecycle Manager Portal
The deadline for 2022 Year End Critical Needs grants has passed.
Estimated Total Funding: $10,000
Award Amounts: Up to $1,000
Areas Eligible for Funds: Barkhamsted, Bethlehem, Canaan (Falls Village), Colebrook, Cornwall, Goshen, Hartland, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Torrington, Warren, Washington, and Winchester/Winsted
Eligible Grantees: Applicants must be a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) or municipal status and must serve parents and primary caregivers who are either pregnant or raising children ages 0-5 years of age. May include School Readiness Councils, Schools, Child Care Centers, Libraries, Agencies that work with families and young children, Family Resource Centers, Family Shelters, etc.
How to Apply: Instructions and a Quick Start Guide on how to apply using our online grants portal. Apply through the Online Grant Lifecycle Manager Portal.
The deadline for NW Regional Early Childhood Alliance Mini Grants has passed.
The NW Regional Early Childhood Alliance Mini Grant is an opportunity to support parent and caregiver volunteers by helping them gain new skills that will result in positive outcomes for young children. Awards are for the use of promoting parent and caregiver engagement in meaningful ways within existing initiatives and programming to improve child wellbeing. Requests should focus on one or more of the following priorities, but are not limited to the list below. Innovative efforts for meaningful engagement of parents and primary caregivers are welcome.
Examples of approved activities could include:
- Conduct a parent and caregiver education class or workshop that enhances one or more of the following: early literacy skills, parent-child attachment, parental resiliency or parents’ knowledge of child development.
- Host a local event that connects parents and caregivers to resources that promote parent and caregiver education on healthy cognitive, social-emotional, and physical well-being of young children between the ages of 0-5.
- Implement a parent and caregiver leadership program or workshop to strengthen parents’ civic engagement and advocacy skills.
- Empower parent and caregiver volunteers to access trainings as parent education curriculum co-facilitator or support group facilitator with plans to support the implementation of the parent education program or group from the provider.
- Support parents, caregivers and other members operating on local School Readiness Councils to run Office of Early Childhood approved Sparkler campaigns and serve as a local Sparkler Ambassador to various childcare and early childhood education sites.
- Remove barriers such as food, childcare, or transportation costs to parent participation in existing or new local programming focused on young child wellbeing.
- Conduct parent-child enrichment activities or events that promote healthy development, attachment, language development, early literacy, social-emotional or another aspect of child development.
Grant funds must be expended by December 19, 2022 and a brief final report will be due by January 6, 2023. All applicants will be added to our mailing list and will receive communications regarding the NW Regional Early Childhood Alliance (RECA). Six meetings are held throughout a calendar year and we encourage participation by anyone in the early childhood sector including staff and parents/caregivers.
“The project described is supported by the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Initiative (PDG B-5), Grant Number 90TP0071-01-0, from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Office of Child Care, the Administration for Children and Families, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.”
The Building Healthier Communities Fund was established as part of an affiliation agreement between Charlotte Hungerford Hospital and Hartford Healthcare Corporation to enhance the economic and community well-being of the Greater Torrington and Winsted areas through strategies that advance: Improvements to business growth, diversification, and retention; Expand educational and workforce development; Foster regionalism and economic strategic partnerships; Enhance or replace our aged infrastructure; and/or Improve population health and conditions of daily living across all life stages.
Currently Seeking
Proposals for grants are invitation only.
Grant range
Grant awards for the Building Healthy Communities Fund initiatives generally range from $5,000-$50,000.
Larger requests, if critical to the success of the project or program, may be considered.
The Youth Fund provides grants to youth-oriented nonprofit organizations based on recommendations from area high school students who participate in the Foundation’s Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) council. The Fund supports organizations that serve youth, including bullying and substance abuse prevention programs.
The YIP Council invites grant applications in the Spring.
The Edwards Community Endowment Program (ECEP) is a matching-grants program designed to assist northwest Connecticut nonprofits with the establishment of endowment funds or to increase established endowments. The project is made possible through a grant from the Marion Wm. and Alice Edwards Fund.
The purpose of Project is to assist nonprofits in establishing an endowment or adding to an existing Foundation fund. Selected non profits receive a $1 match for every $4 raised with a maximum $20,000 match per organization. All funds generated through the project are placed in a permanent named fund.
Eligibilty
- Nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organizations in the Foundation's 20-town service area that have been in existence for a minimum of three years
- Organizations that wish to: (i) establish their first organizational endowment, or (ii) raise additional capital to supplement an existing endowment, and (iii) have this endowment managed by the Foundation as a permanent, named fund for the benefit of the organization.
Guidelines and Application
ECEP applications for the program are accepted on a rolling basis. Organizations are selected for participation through a competitive application process. Each participating organization must raise a minimum of $16,000 in endowment gifts to be eligible for an initial match of $4,000. Organizations unable to reach the $16,000 minimum goal during the allotted time do not receive matching funds; however, monies raised will be placed into a temporary fund at the Foundation until the organization reaches a decision as to how and by whom the fund will be managed.
Cash and marketable securities can be counted toward the endowment project match. Funds from existing reserves, operational pledges, or any funds re-directed by a participating organization’s Board of Directors that are specifically earmarked for current operational uses do not qualify. Money that has been earmarked by the donor for an endowment or established as an organizational endowment may be considered.
Deferred gifts, such as charitable remainder trusts and bequests, are excellent ways to grow endowment funds, but they may not be counted as pledges for the purpose of the Edwards Community Endowment Project.
Funding Criteria
The primary criterion used in evaluating applications is how the organization plans to supplement the endowment fund once it has been established. Special consideration is given to organizations that:
- Incorporate endowment-building strategies in overall development efforts
- Demonstrate involvement and leadership of Board members in endowment fundraising
- Provide marketing plans that incorporate endowment-building and planned giving
- Demonstrate organizational stability and track record in raising various types of funds.
Organizations receiving grants from the Edwards Community Endowment Project are not eligible to reapply for participation in the project. Organizations whose applications are denied may reapply in subsequent years.
Pre-Application Meeting
Organizations interested in applying for participation in the Edwards Community Endowment Project should contact Foundation staff for more information about establishing an organizational endowment, investment and spending policies, administrative fees, and eligible gifts.
Edwards Community Endowment Project Guidelines and Application (pdf)
Edwards Community Endowment Project Matching Grant Form (pdf)
Your Community Foundation manages many Donor-advised funds. These funds are established by donors to support specific charitable interests. Some of these funds are established as a bequest to provide support for area nonprofits in perpetuity. Others support the community as needed and at the recommendation of an anonymous fund holder.
Grant applications for Donor-advised funds are managed on an invitation-only basis based on the wishes of the fundholders. Application invitations are non-transferable.