Quinnipiac River Fund Grants

Quinnipiac River Fund Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Last Updated: December 11, 2025

Summary

The Quinnipiac River Fund Grants, founded in 1990, aim to enhance the environmental quality of the Quinnipiac River and New Haven Harbor. Annually, over $100,000 is allocated to projects focusing on pollution reduction, ecological research, public education, and habitat restoration. Eligible applicants include tax-exempt organizations and their fiscal agents. Priority is given to local nonprofits. This fund supports initiatives that significantly improve the health of the river and its surrounding watersheds.

Overview

About the Fund The Quinnipiac River Fund was established in 1990 as part of a court settlement between the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Upjohn Company, concerning wastewater discharges from the Upjohn Company's plant in North Haven. Each year the Fund distributes more than $100,000 to organizations that work toward improving the environmental quality of the Quinnipiac River, New Haven Harbor and the surrounding watersheds. Quinnipiac River Fund Grants The mission of the Quinnipiac River Fund is to improve the environmental quality of the Quinnipiac River and New Haven Harbor and their watersheds. The committee considers projects for grant funding that work toward this goal. Examples include: Studying the pollution of the waterbodies. Studying the ecology of the waterbodies. Researching methods of reducing pollution, or otherwise improving the environmental health of the waterbodies. Addressing means of reducing both non-point and point sources of pollution to the waterbodies. Researching the permitting process, researching particular permits, and making recommendations as to findings. Providing public education about the waterbodies. Purchasing land in the watersheds for conservation, pollution reduction, and/or improving public access. Environmental advocacy (note: funding cannot be used for litigation). Habitat restoration.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. You must be defined as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) or any applicable statute of the Internal Revenue code. Requests will be considered from groups that do not have tax-exemption status, provided that they have a fiscal agent with the appropriate tax status. In projects involving a partnership of agencies, a single agency with the appropriate tax status and financial management capacity must assume the role of lead organization. Projects involving the education of schoolchildren will be considered for grant funding only if they contribute to improving the environmental quality of the Quinnipiac River and its watershed.You must provide services within our 20 town area:Ansonia Bethany Branford Cheshire Derby East Haven North Branford North Haven West Haven Oxford New Haven Guilford Hamden Madison Milford Seymour Shelton Wallingford Orange WoodbridgeYou must adhere to a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of:agesexreligionnational originsexual preferencein all aspects of organizational operations including hiring, leadership and service provision. Most grants are made for one to three years. The Foundation doesn't provide permanent funding for projects. Most grants are made with continuing support contingent upon availability of support and progress towards stated outcomes. There are times, however, when requests for longer-term funding are considered and supported, in accordance with The Community Foundation's strategic goal to put community assets on solid ground.Administrative and shared expenses are supported by competitive grants, and the funding level of this support is considered on a case by case basis depending on the request. Administrative and shared expenses are typically at least 10% of the overall request.

Ineligibility

Individuals are not eligible for grants.Projects that do not generally receive consideration:religious activitiesendowment campaignslobbyingtravelpreviously incurred debtsfunding deficits