This holiday season, you can help keep the New Haven Independent reporting on New Haven — and have your donations matched dollar for dollar as part of a national drive to support local not-for-profit news reporting.

Starting this week and running through Jan. 19, all donations to the Independent up to $1,000 will be matched by a national drive called “The Knight News Match.” To donate, click here.

The Knight Foundation is making similar matches for donations to 57 not-for-profit news outlets like the Independent nationwide. 

New Haven, CT (December 19, 2016) – The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (The Foundation), the region’s permanent endowment and largest grantmaker to nonprofits, recently awarded  $2,365,000 in general operating support grants through its largest annual competitive grant cycle.

“The Foundation’s 2016 grantmaking has reflected the pressures being felt by our nonprofits. Reductions in State support together with the prospect of continuing State budget woes have led us to prioritize general operation support grants,” says Christina M. Ciociola, Senior Vice President for Grantmaking and Strategy at The Community Foundation.

A recent survey conducted by The Foundation in October shows that over 50% of organizations have experienced State funding cuts of $50,000 or more and some of $500,000; more cuts are expected. To manage these cuts organizations are taking drastic measures including reducing services (49%), reducing staff (42%) and closing programs (20%).

“Nonprofits benefit most from general operating support – or unrestricted/flexible funding - to sustain positions, invest in technology and address other emerging issues, especially in times of uncertainty,” adds Ciociola. According to a national coalition of more than 550 grantmakers, known as Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, flexible funding enables nonprofits to build their infrastructure, direct money where it is best needed, take advantage of opportunities as they arise, focus on running effective programs and reducing fundraising pressures – all because working capital is in hand.

General operating support is considered an essential component to The Foundation’s competitive grantmaking to ensure the vast array and delivery of vital services in Greater New Haven, especially to those who are most vulnerable. Greater New Haven’s nonprofits receiving general operating support in 2016 provide food and shelter, workforce and career training, healthcare services and quality childcare. They enrich lives by promoting the arts and celebrating cultures, providing quality education and supportive youth services, and by connecting people with resources they need. 

According to The Center for Effective Philanthropy’s recent Grantee Perception Report, the number of general operating support grants distributed by The Foundation is larger than the typical funder. This year 67% of the grants awarded through the annual competitive process were for general operating support, up from 46% in 2015.

2016 General Operating Support Grant Recipients 

Achievement First - $25,000
Architecture Resource Center, Inc. - $35,000
Arts for Learning Connecticut, Inc. - $35,000
Beth-El Center Inc. – $65,000
Beulah Land Development Corporation, Inc. - $80,000
Boys & Girls Club of New Haven - $70,000
Bridges...A Community Support System Inc. - $50,000
Clifford W. Beers Guidance Clinic - $30,000
Continuum of Care, Inc. - $45,000
Creative Arts Workshop - $55,000
Diaper Bank - $50,000
Emerge Connecticut, Inc. - $260,000
Family Centered Services of CT - $60,000
Farnam Neighborhood House - $80,000
Fellowship Place - $50,000
Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven - $25,000
Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers - $45,000
International Festival of Arts & Ideas - $150,000
Long Wharf Theatre - $150,000
Music Haven, Inc. - $45,000 
Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven - $65,000
New Haven Legal Assistance Association Inc. - $115,000
New Haven Symphony Orchestra - $75,000
New Reach - $105,000
Online Journalism Project Inc. - $50,000
Pequenas Ligas Hispanas de New Haven - $80,000
Public Allies Connecticut - $25,000
Solar Youth - $75,000
St. Martin de Porres Academy – $55,000
Student Parenting and Family Services, Inc. - $20,000
Urban Resources Initiative - $75,000
West Haven Child Development Center - $60,000
Women and Family Life Center - $65,000
Youth Continuum, Inc. - $90,000

Thanks to the generosity of three generations of donors, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven awarded over $30 million in grants and distributions in 2015 from charitable assets of more than $500 million composed of hundreds of individually named funds. In addition to its grantmaking, The Community Foundation helps build a stronger community by taking measures to improve student achievement, create healthy families in New Haven, promote local philanthropy through www.giveGreater.org® and The Great Give®, and encourage better understanding of the region. The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s 20 town service area includes: Ansonia, Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, Derby, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, Oxford, Seymour, Shelton, Wallingford, West Haven and Woodbridge. For more information about The Community Foundation, visit www.cfgnh.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.org/cfgnh or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cfgnh. 

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Applications are being accepted for Neighborhood Leadership Program of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. The Neighborhood Leadership Program is an eight month training and grant program that supports community leaders in imagining, developing, testing and realizing projects which build community and provide positive outcomes in New Haven neighborhoods and contiguous towns.The information you need to understand what the program offers and what the program requires of you is here:

http://www.cfgnh.org/LeadingOnIssues/NeighborhoodLeadership/ApplyfortheNeighborhoodLeadershipProgram.aspx 

The application deadline is: January 20 at noon.

We hope you will applying and that you will share this information with other residents of New Haven, East Haven, Hamden and West Have who are building and sustaining community.

We help you build community!

Are you a media maker interested in public service?

WPAA-TV in Wallingford CT may be expanding services - if the right individuals reach out to us - to be either part-time evenings Video Support Techs and/or Unpaid Interns for college credit.

 This volunteer run organization serves the residents and organizations of Wallingford and nonprofits serving New Haven Area and CT filmmakers (criteria applies). 

If you are interested in serving the residents of Wallingford in 2017, helping citizens and organizations in the New Haven Area tell stories or work with local filmmakers (all while being anonymous); then let's talk.

About the opportunity: Part-time from 4 to 12 hours weekly. Must be available: evenings between 5 and 9 PM for 1 to 3 day a week. Internships with post production focus can be daytime. Wallingford residents will be preferred candidates. Reply with resume and video samples of your work to wpaatv@gmail.com

We offer creative flexibility, access to a high-tech studio/Blackbox theater to garner experience, and a variety of software package for editing PC/MAC.

Green Fund now accepting grant applications for 2017 awards.

   The Greater New Haven Green Fund promotes environmental quality and equity in the most environmentally distressed communities within the Greater New Haven area by providing local small grants to reduce pollution and create a more sustainable future.  The Fund is seeking grant proposals for creative community based initiatives that impact air and water pollution, as well as land conservation, sustainability, environmental education and youth leadership.
 

  This year the Green Fund is particularly interested in encouraging small grants of maximum amount of $3000 from grassroots organizations and has carved out $18,000 of the total $48,000 to be used for this purpose; $10,000 for small grants and $8000 for microgrants. These smaller grants can be used for mission support and organizational capacity building as well as other projects that fit the priority areas of the Fund. 
 

  The Green Fund will also award $10,000 from the Community Benefits Agreement with Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc. (PSEG), owner of the Harbor Power Plant in New Haven. The Fund seeks innovative proposals for activities that advance air quality initiatives in the areas of public education and outreach, public health studies, environmental justice and environmental analysis.
 

  The deadline for 2017 applications is Thursday, January 12, 2017 at 4:00 PM.  Please check out the website for the Greater New Haven Green Fund at www.gnhgreenfund.org for further information and to download the application forms.  Application forms are listed under the grants subpage titled small and large grants. 
 

  The New Haven Green Fund is a non profit 501(c)3 organization that incorporated in 2006.  It is administered by an independent board representing both local expertise and the communities that comprise the Greater New Haven Water Pollution service area.