Grants to Connecticut Nonprofits to Enhance the Lives of Women and Girls in Eligible Locations

Women and Girls Fund Grant

Agency

Foundation

GrantWatch ID#

162126

Funding Source

MAIN STREET COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC
Women and Girls Fund

Geographic Focus

USA: Connecticut: Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, and Wolcott

Important Dates

Deadline: 09/15/23

Grant Description

Grants to Connecticut nonprofit organizations to improve the lives of women and girls in eligible locations. Applicants must contact program staff prior to applying. Funding is intended to assist women and girls in obtaining the skills required to develop their potential and improve the quality of their lives. Grant requests should fall within the focus areas of mental health, leadership development, and services for senior women. Eligible applicants serve the towns of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, and Wolcott.

The Women & Girls Fund seeks to deepen positive impact by encouraging organizations to build internal capacity, ensuring their sustainability and the ongoing support of women and girls in the community. Applications will be accepted for program grants and capital requests that are related to a program that meets grant guidelines.

Priority areas for 2023:

Services for Senior Women: Programs that help senior women increase self-sufficiency, including basic needs, financial literacy resources, and opportunities to decrease social isolation.
Confidence Building and Leadership: Programs that build self-esteem and self-reliance, particularly in young girls and teens such as programs that promote connections with a caring and stable adult, programs that promote financial literacy and life skills, and programs that develop skills to be a successful leader in school, the community or in a career.
Mental Health and Well-being: Programs that reduce anxiety and stress through non-clinical methods, teach mindfulness skills, and improve overall self-care and well-being for women of all ages.

Collaborations between organizations are encouraged and will be given special consideration.

Recipient

Additional Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for funding, organizations must meet the following criteria:
• Grants are made for a charitable purpose and must serve the public to be a charitable expenditure. Competitive Grants are awarded to 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations while grants to 170(c)(1) public or governmental units are considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Either the organization or the program for which funding is requested, must provide a service to the residents of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and/or Wolcott. Strong documentation must be provided from out- of-area organizations that they serve individuals from our six-town service area.
• A Statement of Non-Discrimination Policy must be signed.
• Repeat requests from organizations are certainly welcome. If an organization’s request for funding is approved three years in a row, the organization is asked to wait one year before submitting another request for funding.
• Follow-up reports from all closed grants must have been completed and returned to Main Street Community Foundation. If they have not, the organization will not be eligible for funding.

Ineligible

Projects not generally funded by the Women & Girls’ Fund include, but are not limited to the following:
- Operating/budget deficits
- Previously incurred obligations
- Endowments, research, political and/or lobbying activities
- Property repairs and maintenance
- Fundraising events
- Loans and memorials
- Grants are not available to individuals.
- Religiously affiliated or supported organizations may solicit grants for secular projects; however, grants for religious activities will not be entertained.
- Grants will not be made to governmental agencies unless it is determined that overriding special circumstances exist.

Pre-Application Information

The next cycle opens on August 14, 2023. The application deadline is September 15, 2023.

Applicants must contact Kate Kerchaert, Director of Grants & Programs, or another member of the grantmaking team for a preliminary discussion of their proposal at least 1 week prior to the deadline.

Any organization that has received a grant for three consecutive years will not be eligible to apply for a grant the following year.

Contact Information

Apply online (from August 14): http://www.grantinterface.com/Process/Apply?urlkey=mainstreetfoundation

Kate Kerchaert, Director of Grants and Programs
kate@mainstreetfoundation.org
860.583.6363

Main Street Community Foundation
120 Halcyon Drive
P.O. Box 2702
Bristol, Connecticut 06011-2702

Grants to Connecticut Nonprofits to Enhance the Lives of Women and Girls in Eligible Locations

Women and Girls Fund Grant

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