HARTFORD FOUNDATION FOR PUBLIC GIVING

Contact information:
10 Columbus Boulevard, 8th Floor

Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: 860-548-1888

Fax: 860-524-8346
Website: http://www.hfpg.org/

Type of foundation: Community

Types of grants: Program, capital, scholarships. Most grants, including capital, are made through the Foundation’s Regular Grants fund.

Description: The Hartford Foundation is one of the largest community foundations in the United States. In 2012, it announced that it would expand its work in the areas of education and workforce training. Specifically, its strategic plan, Accelerate Success, calls for the Foundation to move beyond its traditional grant-making role to become a more active player.

“Community foundations like ours have the focus, resources and network to address big issues in partnership with nonprofits, business and government,” said Cyrus Driver, vice president for strategy and planning. As the Foundation states in its strategic plan, “The Foundation will be a collaborator with individual, public, business, philanthropic, and nonprofit players; a convener; a network builder and information disseminator; a sector strengthener; and an influencer for effective policy.” The Hartford Foundation’s goal is to help develop an integrated system of education – early childhood through post-secondary, as well as the needed educational resources for children, youth and families – that will enable the region’s residents to be ready for the jobs available in the 21st century economy.

Nearly three-quarters of the Foundation’s grantmaking is in 'responsive grantmaking,' or responding to requests for funding from nonprofits. The remaining quarter is reserved for targeted grantmaking – areas where the Foundation commits significant resources over an extended period of time to meet an important community need.

While expanding its work in the areas of education and workforce training, the Foundation will continue to make grants in other areas including:

• Arts and culture.
• Children and youth.
• Health.
• Housing and economic development.
• Family and social services.

Sample grants:

• $377,790 to Capital Workforce Partners to support the 2010 Summer Youth Employment and Learning Program, serving Hartford youths ages 14 to 17, partial funding from the Daniel Clark Perkins Fund (2010).
• $350,000 to Connecticut Public Broadcasting in continuing support (2011).
• $150,000 to Capital Workforce Partners to support the Career Competency Youth Development Program and to enhance the agency's website (2010).
• $115,000 to Connecticut Public Broadcasting in continuing support (2011).
• $100,000 to the Connecticut News Project for ctmirror.org (2011).
• $65,000 to Connecticut Public Broadcasting to support WNPR's Capitol Regional Reporting Initiative, providing in-depth coverage of quality-of-life issues affecting residents of the Greater Hartford area (2008).
• $50,000 to Capital Region Education Council for continued support of adult basic education instructors and to provide technical assistance to the Foundation's adult literacy grantees (2010).
• $25,000 to Connecticut Radio Information System for a strategic technology grant through the Nonprofit Support Program (2008).
• $20,000 to West Hartford Community Television for a strategic technology grant through the Nonprofit Support Program (2010).
• $14,998 to American School for the Deaf for a school-based summer program for youth with hearing and other disabilities that provides intensive reading and math enrichment, as well as job readiness training and part-time employment (2010).

Fit for public broadcasting: The Foundation supports public media organizations that serve the residents of the Greater Hartford region. The Foundation’s growing interest in education and workforce training may well converge with public media initiatives. Stations initiatives in areas including early childhood education, literacy, grade-level reading, dropout prevention and workforce training may be of interest to the Foundation. In addition, one of the Foundation’s strategic goals is “community agenda-setting” around education and workforce needs. Public media is well positioned to bring the issues to broad public attention and facilitate discussion. The Foundation is clearly interested in connecting with community-based organizations involved in education and workforce training. Stations serving the region may want to seek out options for partnering with the Foundation to advance work in these areas.

Eligibility: The Foundation serves the 29-town Greater Hartford region. Some statewide grants will be considered if there is substantial benefit to the residents of the target area. The Foundation does not make grants from its unrestricted funds for:

• Sectarian or religious activities.
• Grants directly to individuals (other than its own scholarship programs).
• Endowments or memorials.
• Conferences, research, or informational activities on topics that are primarily national or international in perspective.
• Sponsorship of or support for one-time events.
• Sustaining support for recurring operating expenses.

Deadline: None, except for Summer Program grants (focused on camperships and tutorial programs for Hartford children).

How to apply: Interested applicants should review the application guidelines [PDF]. The next step is to contact a program officer to discuss the proposal idea. Grant applications and forms are made available only after the initial conversation with a program officer.

Giving range: Regular grants can go as high as $500,000, but most are significantly smaller.

Assets: $760 million plus (2012)

Total giving: $29 million (2011)

View 2010 Annual Report here.