New Canaan Community Foundation Gives $882,000 in Grants

The New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF) made $882,000 in charitable investments in the local community this spring, culminating with their annual grant award event.  

At the May 30 meeting, grant checks totaling $686,000 were presented to 62 local non-profit organizations working to improve the quality of life in the New Canaan area.  Dave Hunt, President of the Board of Directors, welcomed over 125 guests and explained that NCCF hosts the event each year “to highlight the importance of community philanthropy and the local not-for-profit organizations whose work is so important to the vibrancy of our Town.”  

Since 1977, the Foundation has awarded over $9 million in grants to local nonprofit organizations.  In 2013 alone, for the first time in their history the Foundation awarded more than $1 million in high-impact grants and life-changing scholarships.

Lindsey Heron, the Foundation’s VP of Distributions, awarded the grants with Cynthia Gorey, Executive Director. Heron thanked the 53 volunteers who worked with the foundation board and its grant review and financial evaluation teams. Grant applications were submitted in February and 17 review teams visited each of the 70 applicant organizations before making funding recommendations to the foundation board. This method is at the core of NCCF’s work and makes them unique as a volunteer based foundation.

Every year, NCCF’s grant-making goal is to provide funding for a wide range of important programs that have an impact in the community and improve New Canaan's quality of life. This year’s 62 grants support activities in six broadly defined categories: Arts, Culture, & Community Resources, Elderly, Health Care, Human Services, Special Needs, and Youth/Education.

Gorey said that this year the foundation created a new tradition of “symbolically connecting some of the younger charitable residents in New Canaan with our grant recipients.”  Earlier in the year, NCCF staff visited the Kids Care group at West School and a Girl Scout troop, and talked to them about the meaning of philanthropy. They spent part of the time helping them create handprints with benevolent messages on them. Those hands were presented with the grants to organizations working with children and families who were asked to tell their clients the story behind them. Gorey said, “kids in New Canaan care about their neighbors and send their best wishes to non-profits helping their peers in our area.” NCCF asked the recipients to have these symbols displayed and share photos of the hands at their organizations.

This year's grants:

Arts, Culture, & Community Resources: $104,000 to 13 organizations: Carriage Barn Arts Center, Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County, Merrie Bee Cabin, New Canaan Girl Scouts, New Canaan Historical Society, New Canaan Library, New Canaan Nature Center, Norwalk Symphony, Shakespeare on the Sound, Silvermine Guild for the, Stamford Museum and Nature Center, Stamford Symphony Orchestra, Summer Theater of New Canaan and Wildlife in Crisis.

Services for the Elderly: $49,500 to 5 organizations: Elder House, Getabout, Meals on Wheels, New Canaan’s Department of Health and Human Services and Staying Put in New Canaan.

Health Care:  $84,500 to 7 organizations: AmeriCares Free Clinic, Child Guidance Center of Mid-Fairfield County, Child Guidance Center of Southern CT, Laurel House, Liberation Programs, Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care and Waveny LifeCare Network.

Human Services: $207,500 to 17 organizations: American Red Cross, The Center, Child Advocates of SW CT, Children’s Connection, Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Exchange Club Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, Family and Children’s Agency, Family Centers, Family ReEntry, Inspirica, International Institute of CT, Kids in Crisis Neighbors, Open Door Shelter, Person-to-Person, Shelter for the Homeless and Workplace.

Special Needs: $95,700 to 7 organizations: Abilis, Arts for Healing, Camp Horizons, New Canaan Mounted Troop, St. Catherine’s Academy, South Avenue Cottage and STAR.

Youth and Education: $144,300 to 13 organizations: ABC, Carver Center, Child Care Learning Center, Domus, Earthplace, Future 5, Horizons Student Enrichment Program at NCCS, Mercy Learning Center, New Canaan CARES, Norwalk Grass Roots Tennis, REACH Prep, Voices of 9/11 and Young Mariners.

Also, the Foundation held a Youth Philanthropy gathering on May 7 when local high school students awarded $18,500 in grants to 10 area non-profits that provide services to elderly residents in the community.  Finally, the Foundation announced scholarship funds of more than $178,000 including awards to 65 New Canaan students and $20,000 to seven organizations with scholarship programs.