Foundations & Grantmakers in Connecticut
2,533 grantmakers in Connecticut reported grants on their latest 990s. The 1,175 that made at least 5 grants gave $1.9B. The largest by giving are The Childrens Investment Fund Foundation DBA Big Win Philanthropy C/O Day Pitney, Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation Inc and Americares Foundation Inc. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Connecticut grants
Foundation giving in Connecticut at a glance
Active grantmakers
2,533
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$1.9B
from the 1,175 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$16K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$90K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Connecticut by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Childrens Investment Fund Foundation DBA Big Win Philanthropy C/O Day Pitney | West Hartford | $145.3M | 29 |
| 2 | Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation Inc | Stamford | $130.0M | 191 |
| 3 | Americares Foundation Inc | Stamford | $113.3M | 635 |
| 4 | The New Clinical Program Development Corporation | New Haven | $80.0M | 8 |
| 5 | Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund Inc | New Haven | $77.1M | 358 |
| 6 | Save The Children Federation Inc | Fairfield | $68.5M | 293 |
| 7 | Hartford Foundation for Public Giving | Hartford | $52.0M | 613 |
| 8 | Dalio Foundation Inc | Westport | $50.9M | 214 |
| 9 | The Tow Foundation Inc | New Canaan | $46.8M | 206 |
| 10 | Halvorsen Family Foundation | Stamford | $34.5M | 33 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 5 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 110 · 29%
- Human Services 41 · 11%
- Health 39 · 10%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 33 · 9%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 26 · 7%
- Environment & Animals 17 · 4%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (41% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Connecticut
- Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc $25.7M · 448 grants
- The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven $23.4M · 505 grants
- The Connecticut Community Foundation $8.6M · 240 grants
- The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc $6.8M · 223 grants
- Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation Inc $4.6M · 103 grants
- New Canaan Community Foundation Inc $2.3M · 106 grants
- Community Foundation of Greater New Britain $1.9M · 73 grants
- Community Foundation of Middlesex County Inc $1.4M · 43 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 10 with at least 10 grants.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Most open to new grantees in Connecticut
Foundations based in Connecticut whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newman's Own Foundation | 98% (157) | 160 in 2024 | $45K |
| 2 | Women's Business Development Council Inc | 91% (171) | 188 in 2025 | $12K |
| 3 | Lego Community Fund US Inc | 80% (28) | 35 in 2024 | $3K |
| 4 | Knights of Columbus Charities Inc | 70% (88) | 126 in 2024 | $38K |
| 5 | The Maximilian E and Marion O Hoffman | 69% (37) | 54 in 2025 | $45K |
| 6 | The United Way of Greater Waterbury Inc | 66% (50) | 76 in 2025 | $19K |
| 7 | The Rust Family Foundation | 65% (13) | 20 in 2025 | $13K |
| 8 | William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund | 65% (62) | 96 in 2024 | $42K |
| 9 | The William J and Frances E Deutsch Charitable Foundation | 64% (39) | 61 in 2025 | $8K |
| 10 | Eversource Energy Foundation Inc | 62% (366) | 591 in 2024 | $3K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 1,175 grantmakers in Connecticut with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
The Childrens Investment Fund Foundation DBA Big Win Philanthropy C/O Day Pitney
West Hartford, CT
Assets
—
Grants
29
Total Given
$145.3M
Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation Inc
Stamford, CT
Assets
$537.2M
Grants
191
Total Given
$130.0M
Americares Foundation Inc
Stamford, CT
Assets
$372.5M
Grants
635
Total Given
$113.3M
The New Clinical Program Development Corporation
New Haven, CT
Assets
—
Grants
8
Total Given
$80.0M
Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund Inc
New Haven, CT
Assets
$127.1M
Grants
358
Total Given
$77.1M
Save The Children Federation Inc
Fairfield, CT
Assets
$548.8M
Grants
293
Total Given
$68.5M
Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
Hartford, CT
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
613
Total Given
$52.0M
Dalio Foundation Inc
Westport, CT
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
214
Total Given
$50.9M
The Tow Foundation Inc
New Canaan, CT
Assets
$314.3M
Grants
206
Total Given
$46.8M
Halvorsen Family Foundation
Stamford, CT
Assets
$365.4M
Grants
33
Total Given
$34.5M
Deloitte Foundation
Stamford, CT
Assets
$51.4M
Grants
121
Total Given
$32.5M
Knights of Columbus
New Haven, CT
Assets
$31.2B
Grants
57
Total Given
$28.0M
Cohen Veterans Network Inc
Stamford, CT
Assets
$28.5M
Grants
46
Total Given
$27.5M
Connecticut Bar Foundation
Hartford, CT
Assets
$54.7M
Grants
13
Total Given
$26.3M
Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc
Norwalk, CT
Assets
$291.4M
Grants
448
Total Given
$25.7M
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
New Haven, CT
Assets
$627.4M
Grants
505
Total Given
$23.4M
Seedlings Foundation
Branford, CT
Assets
$215.4M
Grants
88
Total Given
$22.6M
Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence Inc
Middletown, CT
Assets
$13.4M
Grants
21
Total Given
$20.7M
Synchrony Foundation
Stamford, CT
Assets
$72.3M
Grants
394
Total Given
$20.5M
Capital Workforce Partners Inc
Hartford, CT
Assets
$7.9M
Grants
23
Total Given
$15.6M
GE Aerospace Foundation
Norwalk, CT
Assets
$22.5M
Grants
2,467
Total Given
$15.3M
The FB Heron Foundation
New Haven, CT
Assets
$349.3M
Grants
77
Total Given
$14.8M
The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation
Glastonbury, CT
Assets
$18.2M
Grants
49
Total Given
$13.8M
The Melville Charitable Trust Inc
New Haven, CT
Assets
$130.7M
Grants
54
Total Given
$12.4M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in Connecticut
What are the largest foundations in Connecticut?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are The Childrens Investment Fund Foundation DBA Big Win Philanthropy C/O Day Pitney ($145.3M across 29 grants), Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation Inc ($130.0M) and Americares Foundation Inc ($113.3M). Together the top 10 account for 42% of the $1.9B given by the 1,175 grantmakers in Connecticut that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in Connecticut?
The typical grant is about $16K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $90K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in Connecticut?
Yes. We found 10 community foundations in Connecticut with grant activity. The largest by giving are Fairfield County's Community Foundation Inc, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and The Connecticut Community Foundation. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Connecticut foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in Connecticut from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.