The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut is a public charity based in New London, Connecticut. It supports nonprofits and community initiatives across Eastern Connecticut through grantmaking, nonprofit support, convening, and advocacy, with equity and reducing racial and economic disparities central to its work.
Key facts about The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc
In short: The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc gave $6.8M across 223 grants in 2024 (avg $30K), mostly in Connecticut. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 06-1080097
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $6,798,313
- Grants made (2024)
- 223
- Average grant
- $30,486
- Median grant
- $15,848
- Total assets
- $127,426,784
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (75% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Deadline
- The listed Women & Girls Grants deadline is October 2, 2026.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$127.4M
+4.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$6.8M
+10.0% YoY
Grant Count
223
+22200.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$30K
-99.5% YoY
How The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+0%). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to collaborate with partners to put philanthropy into action to address the needs, rights, and interests of the Eastern Connecticut community. Its website identifies six community priorities: early childhood care and education; youth development and empowerment; access to affordable, safe, and inclusive housing; access to high-quality and affordable health care; women’s and girls’ empowerment; and environmental resilience.
The Foundation says its grantmaking prioritizes programs that seek to eliminate racial and economic disparities and involve constituents and other service users in program planning. It supports eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits, organizations using a nonprofit fiscal agent, and municipal or governmental agencies. It does not fund individuals or religious activities; work by religious organizations must be nonsectarian, nondiscriminatory, and benefit the wider community.
Grantee examples illustrate the range of work supported. Safe Futures describes its mission as stopping abuse, restoring hope, and saving lives for people affected by domestic violence and other forms of abuse in southeastern Connecticut. Save the Sound says it works to protect and improve the land, air, and water of the Long Island Sound region. CLICK describes its work as building a locally based, just, healthy, and sustainable food economy.
Grantmaking
The Foundation awards grants through competitive processes, volunteer committees, and board-approved donor-advised recommendations. Its website describes community impact grants as based on donor intent and linked to strategic priorities. For certain youth empowerment and basic-needs grants in specified Southeastern Connecticut towns, requests normally range from $5,000 to $30,000; other program ranges vary by geography and purpose. The Foundation also awards scholarships to students, which are separate from grants to outside organizations.
Review Cycle
The listed Women & Girls Grants deadline is October 2, 2026. The listed Community Impact Grants deadline is January 15, 2027.
Open Grants
84 open opportunities from The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc
250th Anniversary of the United States of America Grant
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc
Amount
US $500 - US $2,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Albert "Buttsie" and Loretta Roberge Fund
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Albert B. Glassenberg Fund
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation serves 42 communities in New London, Windham, and Tolland Counties, an area it describes as encompassing 1,402 square miles and approximately 450,000 residents. It says its service area covers nearly one-third of Connecticut by geographic area. Grants may also go to organizations based outside Eastern Connecticut when the proposed work and budget clearly concern one or more towns in the Foundation’s service area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 223 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $4.6M (2019) to $7.1M (2020). In 2024 it made 223 grants totaling $6.8M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Tides Foundation ($398K). Together the top 10 received $1.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
227 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 186 grants of 227 (82%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Tides Foundation Los Angeles, CA | BN - Basic Needs & Rights | $397,500 |
| Safe Futures New London, CT | Bndv - promote healthy relationships & address domestic violence | $307,700 |
| Access Community Action Agency Willimantic, CT | BN - Basic Needs & Rights | $225,500 |
| Save the Sound New Haven, CT | ENV - Environmental | $180,500 |
| Fractured Atlas Hartsdale, NY | Bnart - Arts and Culture | $131,580 |
| Click Windham, CT | BN - Basic Needs & Rights | $122,650 |
| The Housing Collectivecenter for Housing Opportunity Bridgeport, CT | Bnhous - access to affordable, safe & inclusive housing | $117,000 |
| Madonna Place Norwich, CT | Bnes - Promote Individual & Family Economic Security | $112,000 |
| Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Waterford, CT | Yo - Youth Development & Empowerment | $108,344 |
| Partnership for Strong Communities Hartford, CT | Bnhous - access to affordable, safe, & inclusive housing | $105,765 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $127,426,784 | $13,055,357 | $10,379,840 | $6,798,313 across 223 grants |
| 2023 | $121,799,726 | $17,283,333 | $9,868,056 | $6,182,219 across 1 grant |
| 2022 | $106,532,387 | $10,396,872 | $8,802,564 | $5,751,575 across 1 grant |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $127,426,784 | $121,799,726 | $106,532,387 |
| Revenue | $13,055,357 | $17,283,333 | $10,396,872 |
| Expenses | $10,379,840 | $9,868,056 | $8,802,564 |
| Net Investment Income | $5,545,354 | $6,794,099 | $1,464,758 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 22, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 6, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Margaret O’Shea as board chair; Nicholas Fortson as vice chair; Sandra Hale as treasurer; and Carol Williams as secretary. Listed trustees are Joe DeLong, Lee-Ann Gomes, Leah Hartman, Izaskun Larraneta, Michael Rauh, and Barbara Sahagan.
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc is led by Maryam Elahi, President & CEO on every filing since 2019; 5 of 18 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Maryam Elahi
President & CEO
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$218K (2019) → $269K (2024)
Margaret O'Shea
Board Chair
Trustee → Secretary, 2021
Secretary → Board Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer O'Brien
Program Director
Program Manager → Program Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$112K (2020) → $122K (2024)
Lauren Parda
Director of Development
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$106K (2023) → $114K (2024)
Barbara Sahagan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lee-Ann Gomes
Trustee
Trustee → Treasurer, 2022
Treasurer → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Izaskun Larraneta
Trustee
On filings since 2022
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Rauh
Trustee
On filings since 2022
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joe Delong
Trustee
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leah Hartman
Trustee
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Marrion
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leah Pollard
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Morgan Tuck
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janet Grant
CFO
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$110K (2019) → $56K (2024)
Megan Brown
Vice President
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$125K (2024)
Nicholas Fortson
Vice Chair
Treasurer → Trustee, 2022
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol Williams
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sandra Hale
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (15)
- Former: Harry Ferguson (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Leah Schad (2023) — Trustee
- Former: Edwin Higgins III (2019–2022) — Chair
- Former: John Pritchard (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Mary Broderick (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Patrick Green (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Alison Woods (2019–2021) — Vice President & CDO
- Former: Anne Rash (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Cathy Bokoff (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: David Schulz (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Lynn Malerba (2019–2021) — Chair
- Former: Sandra Reub (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Sandra Rueb (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Elsa Nunez (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Thomas Borner (2019) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $269K, to Maryam Elahi (President & CEO). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 68 Federal Street, New London, CT 06320-6600
Phone: (860) 442-3572
Website: https://cfect.org
Frequently asked questions about The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc
How much does The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc give each year?
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc gave $6.8M across 223 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $6.2M across 1 grant.
What is The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc's typical grant size?
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc's median grant in 2024 was $15,848, and its average grant was $30,486, across 223 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc give grants?
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc gives mostly in Connecticut: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (7%) and California (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were New London, CT (40 grants), Hartford, CT (18 grants), Norwich, CT (15 grants) and New Haven, CT (13 grants).
Does The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 223 grants with a stated purpose on The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Yo - Youth Development & Empowerment" (53 grants), "BN - Basic Needs & Rights" (46 grants) and "ENV - Environmental" (29 grants).
Who are The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc's largest grantees?
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Tides Foundation ($397,500), Safe Futures ($307,700) and Access Community Action Agency ($225,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc?
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc reported $127.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $13.1M.
What does The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to collaborate with partners to put philanthropy into action to address the needs, rights, and interests of the Eastern Connecticut community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc?
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check cfect.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc's EIN?
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-1080097. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut Inc by hand.
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