Printer Friendly Version - Branford Community Foundation Reaches All-Time High Funding Record

Branford Community Foundation Board is, from left (seated) Executive Director Liza Janssen Petra, Vice Chair Janet Ryan, Chair Stephanie Farber, Patricia Bloomquist, and Treasurer Heather Hackley; and (standing) Rita Berkson, Kathleen Fox, John Mooney, Eunice Lasala, Mark Serchuck, Melodie Lane O’Connor, Stephanie Donegan Dietz, James Perito, and Logan Reed. Photo by Tricia Bohan Photography

The Branford Community Foundation (BCF) has committed an all-time high of $111,190 in grant funding in 2017. An increase in grant requests, emphasis on more effective and prudent grant making strategies to provide diversified needs support, and a conservative spending policy designed to preserve and build endowment assets, all contributed to the record breaking investment in Branford.

BCF provided 16 grants through its competitive grant-making process, ranging from basic needs (such as hot meals at the Community Dining Room) to civic engagement (the James Blackstone Library Capital Campaign). The 2017 competitive grant awards have been given to Community Dining Room, Volunteer Services Center, Branford High School Choral Program, The Child Development Center of the First Congregational Church, Branford Early Childhood Collaborative, Camp Hazen, Branford High School scholarships, Daniel Cosgrove Animal Camp, East Shore Regional Health Department, Shoreline Arts Alliance, St. Mary School Junior Fife & Drum, Clifford Beers Guidance Clinic, Project Graduation, Orchard House, Special Olympics Connecticut, James Blackstone Memorial Library Capital Campaign, and Shore Line Trolley Museum.

In addition to the competitive grant awards, BCF has also committed to supporting professional development programs for non-profits (the Shoreline Nonprofit Workshop Series), sponsoring a number of local events and community programs and providing grant awards from designated funds.

While BCF is proud of its community investments, the 2017 grant awards to date have resulted in early satisfaction of the total funding budget for the 2017 quarterly competitive grant cycle. Grant applications for the Sept. 30 deadline will be postponed for consideration to the Dec. 31 deadline.

This record-breaking level of community investment is only made possible by those who generously support the Branford Community Foundation’s mission to “connect people who care with the causes that matter to them.” Thanks to this generosity, BCF’s investments into the community continue to grow and it is able to respond to needs as they arise. For more information, visit www.branfordcommunityfoundation.org.