Chelsea Groton Foundation Awards Over $170,000 To Organizations

GROTON, CT – The Chelsea Groton Foundation awarded $171,247 in grants to 89 non-profit organizations from Connecticut and Rhode Island this fall. This dollar amount marks the greatest total awarded to area organizations in a single giving cycle since the Chelsea Groton Foundation was founded.

Inclusive of these donations, the Foundation has provided over $2.6 million in total grants to the community since 1999. The Foundation reviews applications and awards grants two times per year, according to a release.

Chelsea Groton Bank’s gift of a $5 million endowment to the Chelsea Groton Foundation in December 2016 enabled the Foundation to provide a greater level of financial support to organizations that impact the region in the areas of health, human and social services, education, economic development and arts and culture.

“As a community bank, one of our most important responsibilities is to help improve the overall quality of life in the region,” Chelsea Groton Bank President and CEO Michael Rauh said in a release. “Through the Foundation’s increased endowment, we have been able to support more non-profits than ever before, at a time when they are in great need of our help. These organizations work tirelessly to provide education, alleviate hunger and homelessness, improve healthcare, support economic growth, deliver arts and cultural experiences, and more. We are so grateful for the work they do, and to be able to support them with grants from the Chelsea Groton Foundation.”

Fall grant awards included:

• $1,000 to Children First Groton to buy books for one year of the "Prescription to Read" program
• $5,000 to MALTA to purchase food, toiletries, clothing and to maintain the Transitional Living Center
• $2,500 to FRESH New London to fund summer stipends for 10 New London teenagers who will care for urban farming sites, public fruit trees and community gardens
• $3,500 to H.O.P.E. Inc. to fund a nine-week series of free home repair workshops for low income first time homeowners
• $1,000 to Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters to help fund the Foster Grandparents Program in New London, Norwich and Willimantic
• $5,000 to St. Vincent de Paul Place in Norwich to purchase food and necessities for the "Served Meals" program

Each year, Chelsea Groton Bank and the Chelsea Groton Foundation support more than 200 local organizations through monetary gifts, grants, sponsorships, scholarships and employee volunteerism.

More information, including a list of all fall grant recipients, is available at chelseagroton.com.

Image courtesy Barbara Curto