News

Farmington Bank Community Foundation first grant cycle for 2021 is now open.

Under its new strategic focus, the foundation is striving to address household economic issues and long-term gaps.  Its first Grant Cycle of 2021 is targeted to connecting workers to new skills and enhanced job readiness; programs that support workforce development, enhance, or improve opportunities for quality employment and career prospects. Included in this grant round is consideration of programs that provide educational building blocks that impact an individual’s average hourly wage and lifetime earnings, i.e., adult education, completion of secondary education or core school readiness.

Applications will be accepted online until 6 PM January 31, 2021.  For more information on the foundation’s areas of interest, eligibility and application guidelines please go to our Applying for a Grant 2021 section of the website.

Farmington Bank Community Foundation recently approved $189,000 in health & human service grants.  Recipients included basic needs-pantries and shelters; access to healthcare; youth & family services.  Grants were made to organizations located in Hartford County. Following is a listing of recently approved FBCF grants:

Given the uncertainty and ongoing pandemic concerns grants are considered flexible in their funding allowing organizations to adapt and modify operations in order to best serve their constituency.

Almada Lodge-Times Farm Camp Corporation
American National Red Cross
Boys & Girls Club Of New Britain Inc.
Bristol Adult Resource Center Inc.
Bristol Boys & Girls Club Association
Center For Children’s Advocacy
Children In Placement
Children’s Law Center Of Connecticut, Inc.
Community Foundation Of Greater New Britain
Connecticut Coalition To End Homelessness
Connecticut Institute For Refugees And Immigrants
Connecticut Women’s Education And Legal Fund
Covenant To Care For Children, Inc
Connecticut Institute For The Blind
End Hunger Connecticut!, Inc
Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation
Foodshare Inc
Friendship Service Center, Inc.
General Federation Of Women’s Clubs Newington/Wethersfield
Gifts Of Love
Hartford Food System Inc
Hartford Interval House, Inc.
Healing Meals Foundation Corporation
Hospital Of Central CT
Klingberg Family Centers Inc.
Malta House Of Care
My Sisters’ Place, Inc.
New Horizons Inc.
Operation Fuel Inc.
Plainville Community Food Pantry, Inc.
Prudence Crandall Center
Senior Transportation Services Inc.
Services For The Elderly Of Farmington
South Park Inn, Inc.
Tabernacle Christian Church Inc.
The Arc Of The Farmington Valley Inc, FAVARH
The Bridge Family Center
UR Community Cares

FBCF is accepting applications to support Community Heritage – local cultural institutions’ programs and services that enrich the community and the quality of life.  This includes programs that promote the appreciation or understanding of local history and historical events. Includes local cultural, preservation, and other museums.

The application is streamlined and we ask that you keep the request to telling us what you need the funds for and how it will be used to serve your constituents. 

Requests for performing arts are not eligible and requests that fall outside of the focus of this grant round will not be considered. 

The grant round ends at 6 PM October 31^st.

Farmington Bank Community Foundation recently approved $160,000 in education grants.  Recipients included early childhood literacy, after school programming and educational enrichment.  Grants were made to organizations located in Hartford County. Following is a listing of recently approved FBCF grants:

Given the uncertainty and timing of the state reopening grants are considered flexible in their funding allowing organizations to adapt and modify operations in order to best serve their constituency.

American School for the Deaf
Aurora Foundation for Women & Girls – Matching Grant for YWCA Career Women
Community Foundation of Greater New Britain Inc. – Summer Enrichment Experiences
Hartford Promise, Inc.
Hartford Youth Scholars
Hartford’s Camp Courant
Hill-Stead Museum
Literacy Volunteers of Central CT
Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford
Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters
Our Piece of the Pie
Real Art Ways
Trinity College
Compass Youth Collaborative
Connecticut Audubon Society
Connecticut Storytelling Center, Inc.
Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra
CT Jump$tart Coalition
CT Science Center
Girl Scouts of Connecticut, Inc.
Greater Hartford Arts Council
Hartford Performs, Inc
Horace Bushnell Memorial Hall Corporation
Jumpstart for Young Children
Reach Out and Read, Inc
Read to A Child Inc.
Read to Grow
Tunxis Community College Foundation Inc

The foundation also awarded COVID 19 grants to Foodshare and Journey Home in support of their efforts to serve families and households in need.

FBCF is accepting applications to support Health & Human Services.  This includes short term emergency assistance, social services in support of healthy families and youth and health care especially for those un/under insured. Applications will be accepted until close of business on July 31st. Go to our grant management system to apply

The application is streamlined and we ask that you keep the request to telling us what you need the funds for and how it will be used to serve your constituents. 

Requests that fall outside of the focus of this grant round will not be considered. 

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has become the overriding topic for all of us, both professionally and personally.  These are difficult times for our nonprofit community; trying to maintain services, keep employees safe, working remotely plus numerous other responsibilities.  The news is changing rapidly and it’s difficult to keep tabs on the information that will assist you in in the day to day operations of a nonprofit.  We have compiled just a few pieces of shared information on legislation and assistance offered to the nonprofit business community.   This is our new normal for the next few months, FBCF trusts everyone will stay safe and healthy as we traverse these uncharted roads of a global pandemic.

Information on Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA):

• IRS Announcement re: credits available to employers for cost of providing relief to employees
• Flowchart related to FFCRA
• ADP FAQ re: FFCRA

Non-profits are eligible to apply for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan.   Loans are made directly through the SBA and can be used to pay for projected working capital need: debt payment requirements, payroll and other operating expenses.  See the link for more information. Economic Injury Disaster Loans – Disaster Loan Assistance

The National Council of Nonprofits posted an analysis of the Corona Virus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act CARES Act (Pub. L. 116-132) passed on March 27th. Council of Nonprofits -initial analysis of CARES act

Lastly the CT Council for Philanthropy has compiled a fairly comprehensive list of resources including funder responses. https://www.ctphilanthropy.org/resources/funder-resources-and-responses-coronavirus

March 1^st – April 30^th 2020 online system closes at 6PM

The foundation is accepting applications for programs and services that address the need for educational improvement and help children, youth and adults succeed academically and in life especially low/moderate income households. 

Applicants are encouraged to read through our 2020 Foundation Focus prior to applying.  If you are not sure if your request would qualify please contact us.

Interesting Facts About Charitable Giving

• 89% of American households contribute to charities or religious institutions.
• Every time the Standard and Poor’s 500 stock index drops 100 points, charitable giving declines by $1.85 billion.
• Religious institutions receive the most charitable contributions (about 33% of all donations) followed by the educational sector (13%)

Farmington Bank Community Foundation opens its first grant cycle for 2020. FBCF’s Community Economic Development Grant Cycle is open for applications. Our focus is supporting programs and services that enhance economic opportunities while improving social conditions in a sustainable way. This may include; workforce development and increasing access to jobs with sustainable wages, assisting small scale retail, commercial or industrial enterprises, efforts around affordable housing and work that expands local community economies.   Applications will be accepted online until January 31, 2020.  For information on the foundation other grant cycles go to 2020 Grant Cycle

Farmington Bank Community Foundation recently made a social investment with New Horizons Inc as part of their startup costs associated with their first social enterprise. 

Through the generosity of Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, several Hartford County nonprofits were invited to participate in a Social Enterprise Accelerator Program in the winter of 2018-2019.  This three-year program consists of several intensive hands on, with assigned homework, workshops; business planning and fundraising coaching through 2021.  In June of this year New Horizons along with nine other nonprofits participated in fast pitches ala Shark Tank looking for social investors. 

New Horizons is a long-time grantee of the foundation, providing affordable housing with case management and services to adults with physical disabilities.  The Social Enterprise Accelerator program is an opportunity for New Horizons to fill a mission need and begin generating revenue that will reduce their reliance on charitable giving. 

This summer Sunshine Wheels was piloted at New Horizons Village and Cherry Brook Nursing Home a subsidiary of New Horizons.  Sunshine Wheels is a medical transportation program for people with physical disabilities and seniors in Farmington Valley.  New Horizon’s market study documented a need for reliable consistent transportation for people in wheelchairs.  Clients had reported numerous missed appointments due to late or dropped pickups along with long delays in return trips.  Sunshine Wheels is a fleet of accessible vans with a team of dependable and experienced drivers that are available to transport clients to and from medical, dental and behavioral health appointments.  Transportation costs are reimbursable through Medicare and or private insurance.

After successful completion of its pilot period, Sunshine Wheels has applied for its livery license and plans to begin full operations by year end.  The new enterprise provides a needed service for their clients and will generate an impressive revenue after one year with an estimated 14-16% profit margin after the first year.

Farmington Bank Community Foundation is pleased to provide a social investment to New Horizons.  Our investment was matched by Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.