Nearly $600,000 in Grants Awarded

Nonprofits Serving the Naugatuck Valley to Benefit

Grants address basic needs, barriers to employment, assist the elderly and more

Derby, CT (December 6, 2011) - Through its 2011 Responsive Grants process, the Valley Community Foundation (VCF) has awarded $595,500 in one-year and multi-year grants to 19 nonprofit organizations serving the Naugatuck Valley region.

“This was an historic process in which VCF’s Board assumed the primary role as the lead decision maker for Grants awarded to Valley nonprofits and programs,” said Jamie Cohen, President of the Valley Community Foundation.

The change in the grantmaking process was established in 2010, when the Valley Community Foundation and The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (TCF) signed their second, seven year Affiliation Agreement delineating ways the two community endowments would work together to carry out their mutual missions to increase philanthropy in Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton, Connecticut. As part of that Agreement, TCF is making annual appropriations to VCF for administrative and grantmaking purposes, in observance of donor intentions and the overall mission of TCF. The current year’s appropriation of $1.12 million was based on historic Valley grantmaking of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven since 1993, and is equivalent to 90% of the distributable income from the Gates Fund, which was established at TCF in the 1950s. The bequests of Frank and Ross Gates were created for broad charitable purposes, with consideration that a portion of the income benefit residents of Derby, CT and vicinity.

"In 2011, VCF launched a comprehensive, multi-faceted grantmaking program and we're very pleased with the response from the nonprofit community." said Carla Supersano Sullivan,  Director of Donor Service and Grantmaking.  "Valley organizations which received funding through our responsive program made their way through a rigorous application and review process.  We are proud to partner with these worthy organizations to address community needs, and are confident that these Grants will make an immediate impact in the areas of youth, health, arts, culture and community development."

 “We are pleased in how this new arrangement solidifies our role as trusted steward of donor intent and funds, supporting the nonprofit institutions that address important issues in one quarter of our twenty-town service area,” said Will Ginsberg, President and CEO of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. “We are equally pleased at how this new arrangement has demonstrated our affiliate to be a knowledgeable community leader and partner in creating an even stronger Valley community.” 

Several Grants were awarded to help individuals obtain financial self-sufficiency.  Among them were Grants to TEAM and Junior Achievement for their financial literacy programs, and to the Workplace Inc. for its Internship-to-Employment program. A number of Grants were awarded to support nonprofits that provide basic needs services to children, adults and families residing in the Valley. Among them were Spooner House-Area Congregations Together, the Parent Child Resource Center, the Salvation Army’s Valley Corps and the Valley YMCA. 

Click here to view a complete list of 2011 Valley Responsive Grants.

The annual Responsive Grants program is the largest grants process at the Valley Community Foundation and attracts annual applications from nonprofits serving the greater Naugatuck Valley region. Grants through this process are generated from unrestricted and preference funds established by donors at both the Valley Community Foundation and The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, who wanted their gifts to be used in perpetuity to meet ever-changing community needs.

The Responsive Grants process is but one of several programs offered by the Valley Community Foundation– all of which are all viewable online at www.valleyfoundation.org.  In 2011, the Valley Community Foundation will distribute more than $1million throughout the Valley community.
 
Thanks to the generosity of Valley donors, hundreds of thousands of dollars each year are distributed from an ever-growing endowment,  now approaching $12 million, which is contained in more than 90 named funds at the Valley Community Foundation. In addition to its grantmaking, VCF works in strong partnership with The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven toward building a stronger community by: working  with donors to grow and deepen the impact of their philanthropy; by identifying and supporting  grassroots leadership; and by strengthening nonprofits and promoting philanthropy through technical assistance programs.

The Valley Community Foundation can accept gifts of cash, life insurance, appreciated stock, bonds, real estate, and other assets. Donors interested in learning more about their charitable giving options through The Community Foundation are encouraged to contact Jamie Cohen at jcohen@valleyfoundation.org or 203-751-9162. For more information, please visit www.valleyfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/vcf.