Summer Programs Grants

The Summer Programs Grants aim to enhance summer programming for Hartford children and individuals with disabilities in the region. This competitive grant encourages 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations to provide safe, enriching environments while supporting working families. The program prioritizes cultural competency and requires tracking of participant involvement, emphasizing the importance of career exposure through counselor-in-training opportunities. Grants will be awarded to those demonstrating a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Note: Summer Program RFP will open on November 03, 2025
This competitive grant opportunity is designed to provide summer programming opportunities to Hartford children and people with disabilities in our  29-town region.
The Foundation’s goals in supporting summer programming are to:
provide children in Hartford, as well as people of all ages with disabilities across the region, a place to go during the traditional workday in support of working families while school is out of session, and provide Hartford youth with career exposure through counselor-in-training (CIT) programs.
Grants will be considered for programs that can contribute to one or both of the Foundation’s goals as outlined above. Applicants should demonstrate cultural humility.
Grants will be awarded to programs that can contribute to the Foundation’s interest in providing children in Hartford and people with disabilities a safe place to go during their parents’ and caregivers’ traditional workday and to provide Hartford youth work-based learning through CIT programs. Applicants should demonstrate cultural competency in their programming, have a track record of implementing the program for at least one summer season, and provide transportation, where applicable.

Eligibility

Must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.Non-501c3 community-based groups may apply using a fiscal sponsor.Programming must specifically reach Hartford youth or people with disabilities in our 29-town region.Eligible types of programs include summer camperships, enrichment opportunities (programs that host campers form other agencies rather than hosting their own campers), tutorial experiences and CIT programs.Applicants must meet the Hartford Foundation’s basic grantmaking guidelines. Expected Outputs Funded proposals will be asked to track and report on the following outputs: number of children and people with disabilities participating in overall programming, number of Hartford youth (children and/or CITs) participating in programming, number of working families using the summer program as childcare.The Foundation supports nonsectarian activities and typically does not supplant other forms of revenue (including tax dollars), fund reimbursable expenses or resolve prior debt through its grants.Applicant organizations must confirm that they do not discriminate against any person or group of persons on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, present or past history of mental disability, learning disability, intellectual disability, or physical disability (including, but not limited to, blindness or deafness), pregnancy, genetic information, sexual orientation, and/or any other characteristic protected under federal, state and/or local laws.