Collaborating with partners to put philanthropy into action to address the needs, rights and interests of our community in Eastern Connecticut.
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc. combines competitive grantmaking with a large scholarship portfolio, and its recent awards show a broad local service role across basic needs, housing, youth, environmental work, arts, animal welfare, and women and girls. The foundation administers more than 130 scholarship funds, alongside grant programs for nonprofit organizations and public-sector partners in Eastern Connecticut. Its recent grant record also includes six-figure awards to Tides Foundation for basic needs and rights, Safe Futures for healthy relationships and domestic violence response, and Access Community Action Agency for basic needs support. In the same period, it backed housing and economic security work through organizations such as The Housing Collectivecenter for Housing Opportunity and Madonna Place, while also supporting environmental and cultural institutions. The pattern points to a community foundation that uses multiple vehicles—scholarships, open competitive grants, and donor-directed funds—to address both immediate needs and longer-term opportunity. Several of its active programs are open to unsolicited applications through its Grants Portal or Scholarships Portal, which fits a structure built around regional nonprofit and student support rather than a single-issue strategy.
Basic needs and rights appear repeatedly in the foundation’s grantmaking. In 2025, it awarded $225,500 to Access Community Action Agency for basic needs and rights, and $75,000 to Immigration Advocacy & Support Center for the same area. Housing is another clear priority: the foundation gave $117,000 to The Housing Collectivecenter for Housing Opportunity for access to affordable, safe, and inclusive housing, and $105,765 to Partnership for Strong Communities for the same purpose. Youth development and empowerment also shows up in funded work, including $75,000 to Leadership Education & Athletics in Partnership Inc and $108,344 to Eugene O'neill Theater Center. Environmental conservation is supported through grants such as $180,500 to Save the Sound and $100,500 to Connecticut Land Conservation Council (clcc).
The recent grant history shows a wide spread in award size, with p25 at $5,966,897, a median of $6,182,219, and p75 at $6,640,714, driven by very large awards alongside many smaller program grants. The foundation operates as a Mixed - Community Foundation and uses both open grant programs and donor-established scholarship funds. Multiple active programs accept unsolicited applications through the Grants Portal or Scholarships Portal. Recipient names also recur across the platform in broad program areas such as general grantmaking, regional impact grants, and scholarships, which suggests continuing rather than one-off support across Eastern Connecticut.
$6.8M
$127.4M
$13.1M
$10.4M
Most grants fall between $6M and $6.6M, with a median of $6.2M.
25th Percentile
$6M
Median
$6.2M
75th Percentile
$6.6M
MARYAM ELAHI
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Grants are concentrated in the foundation’s Eastern Connecticut service area, with recipient cities including New London, Willimantic, Windham, Norwich, Waterford, Mystic, and Voluntown. The recent grants list also shows awards reaching Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven, Middletown, and Newington, while some grants went outside Connecticut to Los Angeles, Hartsdale, Washington, DC, Boston, Arlington, Cincinnati, Boylston, and New York. Recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 226 grants recorded in the United States.
Several active programs accept unsolicited applications. The Community Foundation Grants program uses the Foundation’s Grants Portal, and scholarship opportunities are submitted through the Scholarships Portal. The general grantmaking and regional impact grant programs are both described as competitive and open to nonprofit applicants in Eastern Connecticut.
Its active programs and recent grants cover basic needs and rights, youth development, affordable housing, environmental conservation and education, animal welfare, women and girls, arts and culture, health care access, and scholarship support. Recent awards include support for basic needs, domestic violence services, housing, environmental work, and student scholarships.
The reported grant-size distribution is p25 $5,966,897, median $6,182,219, and p75 $6,640,714. Separate active programs also describe smaller competitive grants, including Regional Impact Grants at $5,000–$15,000 and several general grantmaking opportunities at $5,000–$50,000.
Its core grantmaking is aimed at Eastern Connecticut and southeastern Connecticut towns, but recent grants also went to organizations in New York, Massachusetts, Washington, DC, California, Virginia, and Ohio. The recipient-country distribution shows all 226 grants in the United States.
The foundation administers more than 130 scholarship funds and a large portfolio of donor-established scholarships. Applications are submitted through the Scholarships Portal, and the program serves students in Eastern Connecticut pursuing bachelor’s, associate, technical, or vocational study, with some scholarships tailored to specific towns or fields.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIDES FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $397,500 | 2025 | BN - BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS |
| SAFE FUTURES | NEW LONDON, CT | $307,700 | 2025 | BNDV - PROMOTE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS & ADDRESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE |
| ACCESS COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY | WILLIMANTIC, CT | $225,500 | 2025 | BN - BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS |
| SAVE THE SOUND | NEW HAVEN, CT | $180,500 | 2025 | ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL |
| FRACTURED ATLAS | HARTSDALE, NY | $131,580 | 2025 | BNART - ARTS AND CULTURE |
| CLICK | WINDHAM, CT | $122,650 | 2025 | BN - BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS |
| THE HOUSING COLLECTIVECENTER FOR HOUSING OPPORTUNITY | BRIDGEPORT, CT | $117,000 | 2025 | BNHOUS - ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, SAFE & INCLUSIVE HOUSING |
| MADONNA PLACE | NORWICH, CT | $112,000 | 2025 | BNES - PROMOTE INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY |
| EUGENE O'NEILL THEATER CENTER | WATERFORD, CT | $108,344 | 2025 | YO - YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & EMPOWERMENT |
| PARTNERSHIP FOR STRONG COMMUNITIES | HARTFORD, CT | $105,765 | 2025 | BNHOUS - ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, SAFE, & INCLUSIVE HOUSING |
| CONNECTICUT LAND CONSERVATION COUNCIL (CLCC) | MIDDLETOWN, CT | $100,500 | 2025 | ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL |
| WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY | BOYLSTON, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL |
| FIDELCO GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION INC | BLOOMFIELD, CT | $100,000 | 2025 | BN - BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS |
| DENISON PEQUOTSEPOS NATURE CENTER INC | MYSTIC, CT | $92,500 | 2025 | ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL |
| THE CIESLA FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $90,000 | 2025 | BNART - ARTS AND CULTURE |
| TSNE - THIRD SECTOR NEW ENGLAND | BOSTON, MA | $86,000 | 2025 | ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL |
| SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT COMMUNITY LAND TRUST | VOLUNTOWN, CT | $85,000 | 2025 | BNES PROMOTE INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY |
| THREE RIVERS COLLEGE FOUNDATION | NORWICH, CT | $83,000 | 2025 | BNES - PROMOTE INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY, ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL, YO - YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & EMPOWERMENT |
| AUDUBON CONNECTICUT | GREENWICH, CT | $80,000 | 2025 | ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL |
| ROMARE BEARDEN FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $76,500 | 2025 | BNART - ARTS AND CULTURE |
| IMMIGRATION ADVOCACY & SUPPORT CENTER (IASC) | NEW LONDON, CT | $75,000 | 2025 | BN - BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS |
| LEADERSHIP EDUCATION & ATHLETICS IN PARTNERSHIP INC (LEAP) | NEW HAVEN, CT | $75,000 | 2025 | YO - YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & EMPOWERMENT |
| GARDE ARTS CENTER | NEW LONDON, CT | $67,500 | 2025 | BNART - ARTS AND CULTURE |
| CONNECTICUT MIRROR | HARTFORD, CT | $65,000 | 2025 | BNRJ - RACIAL JUSTICE |
| CONNECTICUT HUMANE SOCIETY | NEWINGTON, CT | $60,250 | 2025 | AW - ANIMAL WELFARE |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $59,550 | 2025 | ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL |
| FIDELITY CHARITABLE | CINCINNATI, OH | $57,615 | 2025 | OTHR-OTHER |
| NEW LONDON HOMELESS HOSPITALITY | NEW LONDON, CT | $56,605 | 2025 | BN - BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS |
| TEEG (THOMPSON ECUMENICAL EMPOWERMENT GROUP INC) | NORTH GROSVENORDALE, CT | $51,200 | 2025 | YO - YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & EMPOWERMENT |
| CONNECTICUT FOREST & PARK ASSOCIATION | ROCKFALL, CT | $50,500 | 2025 | ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL |
| FREEDOM READS | HAMDEN, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | BN - BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS |
| PEN AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | BNART - ARTS AND CULTURE |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY- BROWN SCHOOL | ST LOUIS, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | BN - BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS |
| SUSTAINABLE CT INC | BOZRAH, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL |
| CONNECTICUT ARTS COUNCIL FOUNDATION INC | HARTFORD, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | BNART - ARTS AND CULTURE |
| NXTHVN INC | NEW HAVEN, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | BNART - ARTS AND CULTURE |
| ALLIANCE FOR THE MYSTIC RIVER WATERSHED | MYSTIC, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL |
| CONNECTICUT COLLEGE | NEW LONDON, CT | $49,965 | 2025 | YO - YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & EMPOWERMENT |
| CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY | BOSTON, MA | $47,000 | 2025 | BN - BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS |
| NEW ENGLAND SCIENCE & SAILING FOUNDATION (NESS) | STONINGTON, CT | $45,000 | 2025 | ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL |
| CHILD & FAMILY AGENCY OF SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT | NEW LONDON, CT | $44,027 | 2025 | BN - BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS |
| SEA RESEARCH FOUNDATION - MYSTIC AQUARIUM | MYSTIC, CT | $43,200 | 2025 | ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL |
| NEW LONDON YOUTH AFFAIRS | NEW LONDON, CT | $43,000 | 2025 | YOEC - EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE & EDUCATION |
| UNITED WAY OF SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT | GALES FERRY, CT | $42,400 | 2025 | BNES - PROMOTE INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY |
| CITY OF NEW LONDON- JANE WHEADON FUNDNEW LONDON CITY HALL | NEW LONDON, CT | $41,360 | 2025 | OTHR-OTHER |
| ALEWIFE COVE CONSERVANCY | NEW LONDON, CT | $40,000 | 2025 | AW - ANIMAL WELFARE |
| CONNECTICUT AUDUBON SOCIETY | FAIRFIELD, CT | $40,000 | 2025 | ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL |
| TOWN OF COLCHESTER | COLCHESTER, CT | $39,695 | 2025 | BNO BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS OTHER |
| HIGHER EDGE | NEW LONDON, CT | $39,285 | 2025 | YO - YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & EMPOWERMENT |
| THAMES RIVER COMMUNITY SERVICE INC | NORWICH, CT | $38,000 | 2025 | BNES - PROMOTE INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY |
BNDV - PROMOTE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS & ADDRESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
ACCESS COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY
$225,500BN - BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS
CLICK
$122,650BN - BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS
BNHOUS - ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, SAFE & INCLUSIVE HOUSING
MADONNA PLACE
$112,000BNES - PROMOTE INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY
BNHOUS - ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, SAFE, & INCLUSIVE HOUSING
WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
$100,000ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL
DENISON PEQUOTSEPOS NATURE CENTER INC
$92,500ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL
SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT COMMUNITY LAND TRUST
$85,000BNES PROMOTE INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY
THREE RIVERS COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$83,000BNES - PROMOTE INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY, ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL, YO - YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & EMPOWERMENT
ROMARE BEARDEN FOUNDATION
$76,500BNART - ARTS AND CULTURE
IMMIGRATION ADVOCACY & SUPPORT CENTER (IASC)
$75,000BN - BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS
YO - YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & EMPOWERMENT
GARDE ARTS CENTER
$67,500BNART - ARTS AND CULTURE
CONNECTICUT MIRROR
$65,000BNRJ - RACIAL JUSTICE
CONNECTICUT HUMANE SOCIETY
$60,250AW - ANIMAL WELFARE
TEEG (THOMPSON ECUMENICAL EMPOWERMENT GROUP INC)
$51,200YO - YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & EMPOWERMENT
CONNECTICUT FOREST & PARK ASSOCIATION
$50,500ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABLE CT INC
$50,000ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL
CONNECTICUT ARTS COUNCIL FOUNDATION INC
$50,000BNART - ARTS AND CULTURE
ALLIANCE FOR THE MYSTIC RIVER WATERSHED
$50,000ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL
SEA RESEARCH FOUNDATION - MYSTIC AQUARIUM
$43,200ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL
NEW LONDON YOUTH AFFAIRS
$43,000YOEC - EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE & EDUCATION
BNES - PROMOTE INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY
CITY OF NEW LONDON- JANE WHEADON FUNDNEW LONDON CITY HALL
$41,360OTHR-OTHER
ALEWIFE COVE CONSERVANCY
$40,000AW - ANIMAL WELFARE
CONNECTICUT AUDUBON SOCIETY
$40,000ENV - ENVIRONMENTAL
TOWN OF COLCHESTER
$39,695BNO BASIC NEEDS & RIGHTS OTHER
HIGHER EDGE
$39,285YO - YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & EMPOWERMENT
BNES - PROMOTE INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY
Current and upcoming funding from Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Eligible organizations must propose work benefiting Eastern Connecticut. Environmental youth programs are excluded from this category.
Deadline: January 15, 2027
Who can apply: Eligible organizations must propose work benefiting Eastern Connecticut. Preference is given to programs serving lower-income communities, addressing inequity, incorporating client or youth voices, promoting systems change, and collaborating.
Deadline: January 15, 2027
Who can apply: Applicants must be eligible nonprofit, fiscally sponsored, municipal, or governmental organizations proposing work benefiting Eastern Connecticut. Preference is given to programs serving lower-income communities, addressing racism and inequities, using measurable outcomes, incorporating community voices, promoting systems change, or collaborating.
Deadline: January 15, 2027
Who can apply: Eligible organizations must propose arts and culture work benefiting Eastern Connecticut; youth programs are excluded.
Deadline: January 15, 2027
Who can apply: Eligible organizations must propose environmental work benefiting Eastern Connecticut, including conservation, youth environmental education, or environmental justice work by grassroots and community-based nonprofits.
Deadline: January 15, 2027
Who can apply: Applicants must be eligible nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, organizations using a nonprofit fiscal agent, or municipal/governmental agencies. Organizations based outside Eastern Connecticut may apply if the proposed work and budget clearly benefit one or more towns in the Foundation’s 42-town region. Religious organizations may apply for non-discriminatory, non-sectarian activities benefiting the larger community. Preference is given to programs serving lower-income communities, eliminating racism and societal inequities, incorporating measurable outcomes and constituent voices, promoting systems change, and working collaboratively.
Deadline: January 15, 2027.
Who can apply: Programs and services designed to promote self-sufficiency for residents of the Town of Windham. Preference is given to programs addressing racism and societal inequities, incorporating client voices, using evidence-based approaches and establishing measurable outcomes.
Deadline: January 2027
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