77 Nonprofits Receive $2 Million In Grants

I agree with the sad reality that food seems to be low priority when it comes to seeking funds. Those who run small operations have tremendous hoops placed before them to be even considered for funding. The red tape is frustrating. Hopefully they will see that we are as important to the well being of the community as any of the big guys.

The Community Foundation is providing significant funding to Greater New Haven food programs, not only with recently awarded responsive grants, but through the entirety of its grantmaking. Food organizations receiving funding in the most recent round include City Seed, Connecticut Foodshare, Haven’s Harvest, Jewish Family Services and Massaro Farms. The Foundation’s support of basic needs organizations like the Diaper Bank, while not directly for food, helps families have more money to spend on food. The Foundation’s Small Grants Program in 2023 is supporting Community Soup Kitchen, End Hunger CT, the WHEAT food pantry, and the Women of the Village Community Food Pantry. Multi-year grants awarded in recent years are also providing significant funding in 2023 to Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, Christian Community Action, Gather, Community Action Agency and the Towers Foundation.
In addition, The Foundation’s work to build philanthropic support for food and other basic needs led to the creation of the Basic Needs Fund, which will have provided approximately $1 million in grants to over the past three years.
During the pandemic, The Foundation partnered with the United Way of Greater New Haven to form the COVID-19 Community Fund, which raised and distributed $4.38 million to community organizations, much of which went directly to food or to cash assistance for food and other basic needs.
It is also important to note that The Foundation provides unrestricted funds to many nonprofits that provide free food and direct assistance through programs for children and youth, the elderly and people seeking healthcare and other services.
Food and basic needs have long been a significant funding area for The Community Foundation and will continue to be so as long as there is a need in the community. Would you like to contribute? Learn more: https://www.cfgnh.org/BasicNeedsFund
Matt Higbee
Communications Manager
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

Hunger has been pretty well documented in this city. We have something between 25,000-30,000 people in our city who are hungry. I recently asked a BOE candidate about what the schools were doing about hunger. They replied that there was not a problem and that the schools were doing a great job. It appears that we all think we are doing enough and the facts are that we are no where even near meeting this need. No wonder why our reading rates are so low or our math scores. It is really hard to learn when you are hungry.

The question I have is: What do we need to do to get some of the 37 million dollars in supposed surplus and have it used to feed the people who paid the taxes for the budget.