Regional Impact Grants: Southeast General Grants

The Regional Impact Grants aim to empower youth and promote basic needs within communities in Southeast Connecticut. Grants support quality education, mentoring, and health programs for youth, as well as initiatives that enhance economic security, food access, and healthcare. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies focused on benefiting residents of East Lyme, Groton, and surrounding towns. The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut provides these grants to foster collaboration and address systemic inequities.

NOTE: An initial conversation with CFECT is required of all new applicants.
Priority Areas
Grants generally support programs directed toward two of our community impact priority areas:

• Programs that empower youth:
• enhance quality early childhood education and intervention services;
• support mentoring programs that encourage relationships between youth and caring adults;
• support access to programs that promote mental and physical health as well as those that address disconnected youth;
• enhance educational opportunities in science, literacy, arts and culture, especially those that use experiential learning;
• support post-secondary education access and job readiness;
• support youth-led social change and elevate the voices of youth in program planning.
• And programs that promote basic needs and rights:
• promote individual and family economic security;
• increase food security and access to nutritious food;
• decrease homelessness through programs that promote diversion and intervention;
• improve access to healthcare and human services, especially in communities of color;
• promote healthy relationships and address domestic violence;
• utilize arts and culture experiences to educate and improve overall quality of life.
• What We Will Fund

Grants must be for the benefit of residents of East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, Lyme, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Old Lyme, Salem, Stonington and Waterford.
We will also consider:

• grants for existing programs, new initiatives or special projects; a limited number of public policy and general operating grants, made by invitation only;
• capacity-building grants (please call to discuss);
• a limited number of multiyear grants if the applicant can demonstrate impact.
• (Note: A new policy for three-year grants requires taking a fourth year off from funding.)

Eligibility

These grants are designed through donor intent to benefit the residents of East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, Lyme, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Old Lyme, Salem, Stonington and Waterford.Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS or organizations using a nonprofit fiscal agent; municipal or governmental agencies; and other charitable organizations

Ineligibility

We do not make grants to individuals or for-profit endeavors.We do not provide funding for capital or endowment campaigns, litigation costs, religious programming, deficit funding or debt retirement.We do not typically make grants for special events.