Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise
The Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region (seCTer) is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) economic development organization designated as the Economic Development District for the region. Located in Groton, Connecticut, seCTer serves as the lead regional economic development resource, providing a broad range of services and resources to stimulate and support economic development and diversification within Southeastern Connecticut. The organization primarily serves businesses, residents, and municipalities of New London County and the Town of Windham, with some services available statewide.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$9.8M
+17.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$461K
-38.0% YoY
Grant Count
40
-9.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$12K
-31.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Vision: seCTer is the lead regional economic development resource, stimulating growth and prosperity in Southeastern Connecticut.
Mission: Making Southeastern Connecticut stronger and more vibrant by 2030.
Core Values: seCTer believes in supporting and making clients and communities successful; maintaining a board and staff reflective of the clients served; valuing employees and rewarding integrity, teamwork, innovation, and excellence; collaborating with and being responsive to clients and partners; maintaining fiscal and professional accountability to all stakeholders; advocating for clients, services, and community; and promoting diversity and inclusiveness.
Primary Program Areas:
- Small Business Lending Program (revolving loan fund programs)
- Small Business Development & Support (business advising)
- Connecticut Procurement Technical Assistance Center (CT PTAC) - government procurement assistance
- Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)
- CT APEX Accelerator
- seCTerRise Grant Program
- Pitch competitions and entrepreneurial support
Grantmaking
seCTer administers competitive grant and pitch programs for entrepreneurs and small businesses in the region.
Ready to take the next step with Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
seCTer primarily serves New London County and the Town of Windham in Connecticut, with some services available statewide. Eligible municipalities for certain programs include: Ashford, Borough of Jewett City, Bozrah, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Chester, City of Groton, Clinton, Colchester, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, and others in the region.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of June 2024:
- Total Assets: $8.37 million
- Total Liabilities: $146,000
- Total Revenue: $3.42 million
- Total Expenses: $2.83 million
- Employees: 11
Revenue Breakdown (FY 2024):
- Total grants and contributions: $2.69 million
- Program services revenue: $173,685
- Investment income and dividends: $375,165
Year-over-Year Growth: Total grants and contributions increased 77.9% from FY 2023 to FY 2024.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $9,839,274 | $8,374,310 | $8,711,019 |
| Revenue | $3,307,605 | $3,420,333 | $1,855,907 |
| Expenses | $2,321,724 | $2,827,788 | $2,261,698 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $368,017 | $375,165 | $294,120 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
87 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise
Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund
SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT ENTERPRISE
Amount
Flexible working capital loans at 4.5% fixed interest rate
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Connecticut Small Business Support Program
SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT ENTERPRISE
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
seCTerRise Business Retention & Expansion Program
SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT ENTERPRISE
Amount
Up to $20,000 in growth funding per business; up to $5,000 seed funding for pitch/plan competition winners
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Nancy Cowser - Executive Director
- Juliet Hodge - Director of Economic Development and Marketing
- Ann Chambers - Director of Loans
- Pat Glynn - Director of Office Administration
- Lisa Wood - Director of CT Procurement Technical Assistance Program
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KEVIN BROWN | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| JOHN GODIN | 1ST VICE CHA | 1 | — |
| AMEANDA KENNEDY | 2ND VICE CHA | 1 | — |
| CATHERINE YOUNG | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| SANDRA ALLYN-GAUTHIER | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| ANGELA ADAMS | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| FRED ALLYN III | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| RICHARD BALESTRACCI | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JAMES BELLANO | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ELSIE BISSET | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MOLLY BRUNO | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| LATOYA CLUFF | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| HOLLY CHEESEMAN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| SHANNON CHRISTIAN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| TRACY ESPY | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| BRUCE FLAX | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| GARY GOESCHEL II | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ROSS GIONFRIDDO | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| AYANTI GRANT | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MARIA HANNA | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MARK LIGHT | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL NOGELO | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| CLAYTON POTTER | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| FELIX REYES | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JULIE SAVIN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ANNEMARIA SEIFERT | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| WENDY VINCENT | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| DAVID SCHILL | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| SEAN NUGENT | IMMEDIATE PA | 1 | — |
| PAUL WHITESCARVER | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $151,911 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
seCTer continues to expand its entrepreneurial support programming, with recent pitch events including the Ledge Light Launch Pitch Event in Norwich (September 2025) and ongoing competitions offering startup and expansion funding opportunities for local entrepreneurs. The organization maintains active partnerships with federal agencies including the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, and state entities including the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.
Gov. Lamont Announces Connecticut Awarded $2M Federal Grant | Southern NewData last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
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