Community Fund of Darien To Award Over $650,000 In Grants At Upcoming Celebration

DARIEN, CT — More than $650,000 in grants will be awarded to nonprofits serving Darien, Norwalk, and Stamford during The Community Fund of Darien’s 2025 Grant Awards Celebration, set for Wednesday, July 16, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The event, free and open to the public, will take place at the Meadowlands Garden Wing at the D.C.A. on Middlesex Road and is sponsored by KPMG and Bankwell.

The celebration honors the positive impact of the nonprofit grant recipients, the dedication of its grant review volunteers, and the generosity of donors that make the grants possible.

Since its founding in 1951, The Community Fund of Darien says it has awarded more than $28 million in grants to nonprofits focused on critical needs across lower Fairfield County.

This year, the organization received a record 64 applications. A team of 78 volunteers spent 1,400 hours reviewing applications from 32 nonprofits, including site visits and financial assessments.

"In the Community Grant Volunteer’s nonprofit site visits this year, they heard a recurring theme from the nonprofit agencies – 'our waiting list is long', 'our funding is uncertain', 'we could use more staf', 'the needs are growing' – in these uncertain economic times, all indicators point to the truth that we, as a community, are called upon to increase our local support for agencies providing critical services to our neighbors and families," said Maggie Domont, executive director of The Community Fund, in a prepared statement.

Grants are awarded to organizations aligned with the fund’s impact areas: basic needs, youth success, workforce development, and community health.

"The Grant Awards Celebration is one of the most meaningful events of the year," said Lisa Haas, grant director, in a prepared statement. "Each grant is the result of a rigorous, volunteer-led review process that includes site visits, written evaluations, and thoughtful discussions to ensure donated funds are directed where they will have the greatest impact. It’s a celebration of both community engagement and community dedication, and we hope residents will join in recognizing this important work."

The celebration is open to all. Community members, donors, volunteers, and community partners are encouraged to attend and honor this year’s grantees.

Light refreshments will be provided by Carolyn’s Absolutely Fabulous Events. Community members may RSVP at www.communityfunddarien.org.

Information on how to support the fund’s mission is also available on the website.

Editor’s note: This post has been edited to reflect the correct date of the event, which is Wednesday, July 16.