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News & Events

News Release

August 21, 2006

$100,000 Available for Community Foundation Grants

The Middlesex County Community Foundation has over $100,000 for this fall's grantmaking process. The amount available for grantmaking continues to increase thanks to growing partnerships with community-minded organizations, donations from generous individuals and favorable investment returns on our $2.5 million endowment. The support of committed organizations includes: $37,000 from the River View Cemetery for proposals benefiting Essex and the Lower Valley, $10,000 from the Connecticut Humanities Council for Heritage Enhancement and $5,000 from Citizens Bank for Middletown Neighborhood Enhancement.

Grants are awarded to 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations and 170(c)(1) governmental agencies serving the various communities of Middlesex County. Grants will be awarded to organizations that provide impact to a focus area identified below and will be a minimum of $500. The Foundation does not explicitly prohibit last year's grant recipients from applying for the same program in the current funding cycle. Continued funding will be considered by the Grants Committee, but is not guaranteed. The focus areas of this 2006-2007 funding cycle are:

1. Arts
2. Education
3. Environment
4. Heritage Enhancement
5. Human Services
6. Neighborhood Enhancement
7. Safer Communities
8. Women and Girls

Organizations interested in applying should submit twelve (12) copies of a two-page Letter of Intent and ONLY ONE (1) copy of their 501(c)(3) determination letter or evidence of 170(c)(1) status that must be received at the Foundation's Office by Wednesday, September 27th at 4:00 PM. The no more than two-page letter should include:

1. Name and address of the organization
2. Name of the project/program
3. Contact Person's name, address, phone number and email address
4. Executive Summary of project/program for which grant is requested (maximum of three sentences)
5. Focus Area(s) in which the application is to be considered (please refer to list of Focus Areas defined below)
6. Geographic Area to be served
7. Dollar Amount requested (please include anticipated sources of income and expenses for this project)
8. Need for, and anticipated Impact of, the project or program
9. Brief Description of how the grant will be used, including planned activities/actions to achieve anticipated impact

Letters may be mailed to the Middlesex County Community Foundation, PO Box 25, Middletown, CT 06457-0025, or delivered to the Foundation Office in Citizens Bank, Ground Floor, 211 South Main Street, Middletown but must be received by the 4 PM deadline. All letters of intent will be acknowledged. Organizations selected to submit a full proposal will be notified by mid-October. Final grant decisions will be made by December 31, 2006 with grant awards distributed in 2007.

The Foundation is particularly looking for grants that add value to, and have a positive impact on, the health and vitality of the Middlesex County community. Grant proposals should address a need within the focus area and demonstrate impact on the organization, project, community or persons served. The Foundation seeks Letters of Intent, and proposals, when requested, for projects that possess some of the following elements:

• address a documented need or concern of the focus area;
• recognize and build on a community's or organization's strengths and assets;
• build the capacity of community organizations and individuals to help themselves over the long term;
• foster cooperative approaches to community issues through collaborations based on shared visions and mutual responsibility;
• serve as a catalyst for attracting other resources;

Normally, the Foundation will not award grants to endowment, capital campaigns, building programs nor to fund deficits, debt reduction or lobbying. Grants will not be made to individuals, political organizations and campaigns.

FOCUS AREAS have been established by donors and the Foundation's Board of Directors. Over $100,000 is available across the various focus areas.

1. Arts: Grants will help enrich the county's quality of life with participatory and/or audience-oriented artistic activities. Grants may include, but are not limited to, special projects, productions or activities.
2. Education: Education is an essential part of the overall vitality of the community. Grants are awarded to support opportunities both within and outside the formal education system to promote learning at any age, creating possibilities for self-sufficiency, personal growth and discovery, and better preparing our workforce for the future.
3. Environment: Grants to this focus area will enhance, protect or increase appreciation for the quality of the environment, including botanical beautification, of a specific area or the whole of Middlesex County.
4. Heritage Enhancement: Grants to this focus area will increase public understanding of the rich heritage of communities in our county. Desirable projects would help the public develop a better sense of where we came from and broaden appreciation of our local stories and history.
5. Human Services: Grants to this focus area provide for basic human needs (food, clothing and shelter), and opportunities for self-improvement for persons in need. This may include financial assistance to programs that provide activities for children from low-income families and/or help adults become more productive, self-reliant members of society.
6. Neighborhood Enhancement: Grants in this focus area will be awarded to support grassroots neighborhood-based initiatives that improve the quality of life for its residents. Grants may include projects/programs that empower residents to build strong and vital neighborhoods, enhance communication and interactions within neighborhoods, and/or make physical improvements.
7. Safer Communities: Grants to this focus area will improve or promote safer communities with priority given to initiatives which address motor vehicle, marine and/or personal safety.
8. Women and Girls: The Foundation's Women and Girls Committee is seeking proposals that empower women and girls to be self reliant and to reach their potential. Programs should be models in providing meaningful opportunities and services to women and girls.

For answers to questions, please check the Foundation's website for details: www.MiddlesexCountyCF.org or contact Bonnie Bennet, Director of Grants and Programs, at 860.347.0025 or email Bonnie@MiddlesexCountyCF.org