The Connecticut Community Foundation is now accepting grant applications designed to strengthen the core resilience of nonprofits.
Donor Name: Connecticut Community Foundation
State: Connecticut
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/20/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Nonprofits need certain organizational resiliencies to be able to meet their missions, including strong leadership, financial management, technology, fund development and communications. Providing funding to help organizations invest in these vital building blocks creates a strong operational infrastructure that builds efficiencies, improves program delivery and increases impact.
Building capacity in the nonprofit sector is more important than ever, as they continue to see need rise in the communities.
- 95% of nonprofits in Connecticut report that demand for services has increased in the last five years.
- 40% of nonprofits state that demand has increased by more than 15%.
- 73% of nonprofit executives feel they do not have the resources they need to develop their own leadership.
The approach focuses on:
- Funding key organizational development initiatives that lead to stronger, more adaptable organizations.
- Empowering nonprofits to seek assistance that they deem to be the right fit and are both culturally-competent and culturally responsive for their organizational needs.
- Centering organizations who are addressing disparities within the communities.
- Rejecting “readiness” myths which often further inequities in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.
- Prioritizing smaller organizations who meet the grant criteria.
Efforts they support include:
- Training and professional development opportunities to help staff or board build on the assets they have and add new skillsets. The committee prioritizes training requests that are continuous and have been fully scoped in terms of topic and trainer.
- One-on-one coaching support with an expert in the field or professional consultant.
- Organizational development projects including strategic planning, financial management systems, evaluation, fundraising, programming or communications.
- Work that increases the inclusive representation of Black and Brown individuals in leadership positions on boards and nonprofit staff.
Funding Information
Grant award range is $5,000 – $10,000.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to apply for funding, an organization must:
- Be a not-for-profit organization recognized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or a municipal entity seeking a grant for public purposes. Organizations may also have a nonprofit fiscal sponsor, if they do not have their own nonprofit status.
- Have a board, representative of the community, of which a majority is neither employees nor relatives of employees.
- Possess a Nonprofit Registration to Solicit Funds (or exemption, if appropriate) from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. This registration must be renewed annually.
For more information, visit CCF.
