Grants to date totaling $5.3 million to more than 100 organizations providing basic human needs and other services to local residents.
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 is pleased to continue its support for our community nonprofit providers who are doing remarkable work to support our community during this public health and economic crisis,” said Hartford Foundation President Jay Williams. “This eighth round of grants from the Fund not only includes resources to provide food and other basic needs, but also support for youth development opportunities, information services for the blind and sight impaired, technology for virtual programming for individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities, and legal services to protect and support abused and neglected children.”
The eighth round of grants totaling $286,000 will support eleven community-based organizations that provide basic human needs and other critical supports.
| Organization | Services | Grant Amount |
| American School for the Deaf | Grant will help provide enhanced cleaning and PPE for residential programming. | $16,000 |
| BSL Education Foundation | Grant will support virtual outreach, tutoring and other youth development
opportunities. |
$10,000 |
| Connecticut Radio Information System | Grant will support lost revenue and allow the organization to support audio access for people who are blind or print-challenged. | $25,000 |
| East Hartford Interfaith Ministries | Grant will allow the organization to maintain its meal service three times a week and other direct assistance to low-income East Hartford residents. | $5,000 |
| Futures, Inc. | Grant will support technology (including assistive technology) costs to build up virtual
programming for individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism, and their families. |
$25,000 |
| Greater Hartford Harm Reduction Coalition | Grant will support maintenance and some expansion of harm reduction services including prevention kits and safety supplies as well as staffing for mobile services. | $20,000 |
| Lawyers for Children America | Grant will support lost revenue and the increased demand for legal services for abused and
neglected children. |
$30,000 |
| Loaves and Fishes Ministries | Grant will help the organization maintain its pantry bag distribution as well as start a prepared meals-to-go program | $20,000 |
| Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters | Grant will support lost revenue, virtual mentoring and case management for children
throughout Greater Hartford. |
$50,000 |
| UR Community Cares | Grant will support infrastructure costs, such as background checks, to connect volunteers to
elderly and disabled residents in East of the River communities. Services provided include food delivery and other errands, as well as companionship calls to reduce isolation. |
$10,000 |
| YMCA of Metropolitan Hartford | Grant will support COVID-19 responses of the five organizations in the Hartford Community Safety Coalition as well as collaborative and coordinated community events focused on food distribution and sharing public health information. | $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 $3.55 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.