The Branford Community Foundation (“BCF”), the only local permanent endowment support for Branford’s philanthropic needs, programs and services, has committed an all-time high of $111,190 in grant funding in 2017. An increase in grant requests, emphasis on more effective and prudent grant making strategies to provide diversified needs support, and a conservative spending policy designed to preserve and build endowment assets, all contributed to the record breaking investment in Branford.
BCF provided 16 grants through its competitive grant making process ranging from basic needs (such as hot meals at the Community Dining Room) to civic engagement (the James Blackstone Library Capital Campaign). A complete list of the 2017 competitive grant awards to date according to type of project is listed below.
Programs to provide Basic Needs—food, emergency financial assistance, fuel and heat support, and shelter—include:
Efforts that support Youth, including children in need, access to summer camps, and scholarships, include grants to:
Initiatives that support the Environment, including the shoreline and animal and wildlife support, included grants to:
Programs that support the Arts—music, dance, theatre and community performances—included awards to:
Efforts around Health, such as mental health services, senior services, social services, and substance abuse prevention, included grants to:
Initiatives to promote Civic Engagement, such as historical preservation, volunteerism, and community events and enhancements, include grants to:
In addition to the competitive grant awards identified above, BCF has also committed to supporting professional development programs for non-profits (the Shoreline Nonprofit Workshop Series), sponsoring a number of local events and community programs, and providing grant awards from designated funds.
While BCF is proud of its community investments, the 2017 grant awards to date have resulted in early satisfaction of the total funding budget for the 2017 quarterly competitive grant cycle. Grant applications for the September 30, 2017 deadline will be postponed for consideration to the December 31, 2017 deadline.
This record-breaking level of community investment is only made possible by those who generously support the Branford Community Foundation’s mission to “connect people who care with the causes that matter to them.” Thanks to this generosity, our investments into the community continue to grow and we are able to respond to needs as they arise. For more information, visit our website at www.branfordcommunityfoundation.org.