In March, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving launched the COVID-19 Response Fund to rapidly deploy resources to support the residents who are most significantly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The Fund is designed to complement the work of federal, state and municipal government efforts and expand local capacity to address all aspects of the outbreak as efficiently as possible.
“The Foundation continues its support for our community nonprofit providers in their work to support our community during this public health and economic crisis,” said Hartford Foundation President Jay Williams. “This latest round of grants from the Fund not only includes resources to provide food and other basic needs, but also support for youth development opportunities, support for our refugee community, cleaning and other facility modifications to allow organizations to open their doors, legal services to protect and support abused and neglected children and support for local school districts to reduce the negative academic impact of school closures.”
The ninth round of grants totaling $399,500 will support 14 community-based organizations that provide basic human needs and other critical supports.
| Organization | Services | Grant Amount |
| American Red Cross of Connecticut | Grant will support increased cleaning costs, increased costs in disaster response efforts and structural modifications required to the Farmington facility to meet safety guidelines. | $25,000 |
| Center for Latino Progress | Grant will provide flexible dollars to support lost revenue, increased cleaning costs, PPE,
workforce development programming for youth and access to bicycles through BiCi, Co. |
$45,000 |
| Children’s Law Center of Connecticut | Grant will support lost revenue and the increased demand for legal services for low-income children in family court. | $25,000 |
| Church Homes, Inc. | Grant will provide flexible support for lost revenue and increased expenses to support the safety of seniors. | $20,000 |
| Community Child Guidance Clinic | Grant will support lost revenue and increased costs, including technology, to provide
teletherapy to children with emotional and behavioral challenges. |
$15,000 |
| Connecticut Immigrant and Refugee Coalition | Grant will support staffing costs and direct assistance to refugee families impacted by the
COVID-19 pandemic. |
$22,500 |
| Continuum of Care, Inc. | Grant will support increased food expenses at two residential facilities in our region serving people challenged with mental illness, IDD or addiction. | $5,000 |
| The Hartford Catholic Worker | Grant will allow the organization to continue meal distribution to families in Hartford’s North End neighborhoods. | $12,000 |
| Klingberg Family Centers | Grant will support revenue losses and increase services of the Children’s Advocacy Center which coordinates investigations into child abuse and exploitation. | $20,000 |
| Manchester Community College | Grant will add to a pool of micro-grants for the educational and basic human needs of low-income students facing job loss, eviction and other emergency situations, allowing them to continue their education. | $20,000 |
| Manchester Public Schools | Grant will support planning efforts for summer and fall learning to mitigate the COVID slide. | $75,000 |
| Mercy Community Health | Grant will provide flexible support for lost revenue and increased expenses to support the safety of seniors. | $20,000 |
| Peace Center of Connecticut | Grant will provide flexible support for lost revenue and allow the organization to continue virtual programming for vulnerable populations. | $20,000 |
| Windsor Public Schools | Grant will support staff training, technology, tutoring and extended day options as the district seeks to mitigate the COVID slide. | $75,000 |
Grants from the COVID-19 Response Fund are being made on a weekly basis. Hartford Foundation staff will continue to review applications and work with existing grantees to explore options to repurpose already awarded grant dollars and accelerate multi-year grant payments to address emerging needs. In addition to grant dollars, the Foundation will offer capacity building, technical support and lines of credit to nonprofit organizations in the Hartford region.
The Foundation has committed $6.4 million to the COVID-19 Response Fund through the end of May. Furthermore, the Foundation has received more than $3.59 million in donations from generous individuals, corporations and donor-advised-funds. For a complete listing of COVID-19 Response Donors follow this link.
Fundraising will continue throughout the public health crisis, but it is clear that the consequences of COVID-19 will continue through the end of 2020. While the Fund will not be able to address all of the needs that arise, the Foundation expects to add additional Foundation-directed dollars to the COVID-19 Response Fund going forward.
To learn more about the COVID-19 Response Fund or to make a donation log onto www.hfpg.org/covid-19-response.
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding communities. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $795 million since its founding in 1925. For more information about the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.