Collaborating with partners to put philanthropy into action to address the needs, rights and interests of our community in Eastern Connecticut.
Focus Areas
Early childhood care & educationYouth development and empowermentAffordable housingHealth care accessWomen and girlsEnvironmental conservation and resilienceAnimal welfareBasic needs & rightsScholarshipsNonprofit capacity building
Who They Fund
children and youth (including early childhood)low-income individuals and families
About Community Foundation of 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.
What Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Funds
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).
How Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Gives
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.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$6.8M
Total Assets
$127.4M
Total Revenue
$13.1M
Total Expenses
$10.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $6M and $6.6M, with a median of $6.2M.
25th Percentile
$6M
Median
$6.2M
75th Percentile
$6.6M
Geographic Reach
Regional17 states funded
Intensidad de financiamiento
BajaAlta
Sede
Leadership
MARYAM ELAHI
Accepts unsolicited proposals
Deep Analysis
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EIN (identificación fiscal): 06-1080097Último Formulario 990: 2025Activos totales: 127,4 M US$4 declaraciones registradasEncuentra su declaración 990 completa →
direct service / programmatic supportadvocacy and policy supportmulti-issue, cross-sector fundingcommunity-focused / local services
Topics
access to affordable, safe, and inclusive housingyouth development and empowerment (including early childhood care & education)individual and family economic security (financial stability, workforce supports)environmental conservation and community environmental healthbasic needs and rights (food, shelter, safety)arts and culture programmingdomestic violence prevention and healthy relationships
Where Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Makes Grants
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut
How does The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc accept applications?
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.
What kinds of work does the foundation fund?
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.
What is the usual grant size?
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–$50,000.
Does the foundation fund only local Connecticut groups?
Its core grantmaking is aimed at Eastern Connecticut and southeastern Connecticut towns, but recent grants also went to organizations in New York, Massachusetts, Washington, DC, California, Virginia, and Ohio. The recipient-country distribution shows all 226 grants in the United States.
What scholarship support does the foundation administer?
The foundation administers more than 130 scholarship funds and a large portfolio of donor-established scholarships. Applications are submitted through the Scholarships Portal, and the program serves students in Eastern Connecticut pursuing bachelor’s, associate, technical, or vocational study, with some scholarships tailored to specific towns or fields.
Cancela cuando quieras
Latest 990 Filing
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Oportunidades de Subvenciones Abiertas
Financiamiento actual y próximo de Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut al que tu organización sin fines de lucro podría postularse.
Abierta ahoraCierra el 4 oct 2026Monto: 5 mil US$ – 50 mil US$
Women & Girls Fund
girls' enrichmenthealthy relationships and domestic violence preventionfamily economic security+7 más
¿Quién puede postularse? Applicants must be eligible nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, organizations using a nonprofit fiscal agent, or municipal/governmental agencies. Funding prioritizes programs that align with Women & Girls grantmaking priorities and advance equity for women and girls in the region.
civic engagementdemocracycommunity participation+3 más
¿Quién puede postularse? Eligibility should be discussed with the program director. Grants may not be used for event sponsorship, staff training, general program support, or partisan political activity. Intended for initiatives that deepen civic participation and understanding.
Fecha límite: Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Próxima aperturaCierra el 31 ene 2027Monto: 5 mil US$ – 30 mil US$
Regional Impact Grants
youth empowermentbasic needs and rightseconomic security+7 más
¿Quién puede postularse? Eligibility depends on the specific regional subprogram; proposals should align with donor intent and strategic priorities, often with preference for collaborative, evidence-based, equity-focused, systems-change work.
Próxima aperturaCierra el 31 ene 2027Monto: 5 mil US$ – 30 mil US$
Southeast General Grants
youth developmentearly childhood educationmentoring+15 más
¿Quién puede postularse? Eligible applicants may request $5,000 to $30,000. Preference is given to collaborative, regional, evidence-based programs that serve lower-income communities, eliminate racism and inequities, and include measurable outcomes. The Foundation will also consider general operating, public policy, capacity-building, and limited multiyear requests.
Próxima aperturaCierra el 31 ene 2027Monto: 5 mil US$ – 15 mil US$
Norwich Youth Grants
early childhood educationyouth mentoringmental health+9 más
¿Quién puede postularse? Eligible applicants may request up to $15,000. Preference is given to Norwich-based organizations and programs that are collaborative, evidence-based, youth-informed, and aimed at eliminating racism and inequities.
Próxima aperturaCierra el 31 ene 2027Monto: 5 mil US$ – 8 mil US$
Willimantic Basic Needs Grants
economic securityfood securityhomelessness prevention+1 más
¿Quién puede postularse? Programs must serve residents of the Town of Windham. Priority is given to programs that promote family economic security, food security, and homelessness diversion/intervention, with preference for efforts that address racism and inequities and use measurable, evidence-based approaches.
Environmental Education and Conservation Fund/Initiatives
environmental educationconservationwildlife habitat protection+5 más
¿Quién puede postularse? Environmental grants may benefit any of the 42 towns in the region. Priority is given to collaborative, regional, evidence-based, systems-change-oriented programs that engage youth and communities affected by environmental inequities. Public policy, general operating, capacity-building, and limited multiyear grants may be considered.
Las fechas límite y los requisitos de elegibilidad son un resumen de fuentes públicas y pueden cambiar — confirma siempre los detalles en la página oficial de solicitud del financiador antes de postularte.
