American Savings Foundation announces first round of 2024 Community Grant Awards

June 28, 2024

Conn. – The American Savings Foundation Board of Directors recently awarded 25 Community Grants totaling $69,500.  These grants are designed to meet a wide range of local needs throughout the Foundation’s 64 town service area, including current grants to Bristol, Cromwell, East Hartford, Manchester, Meriden, Plainville, Southington, Torrington, West Hartford and Windham.

In keeping with the Foundation’s mission, Community Grants support programs that strengthen the community through education, human services, and the arts, with a special emphasis on the needs of children, youth, and families.

“The American Savings Foundation Community Grants program supports non-profits that are making a difference in their community,” said Jenna Cowan, Program Officer for Grants. “Over the past five years, through our Community Grants program, the Foundation has awarded nearly $1 million to programs that include mental health services, food and basic needs, the arts and concert performances, youth programs, and financial literacy, across all the towns we serve.”  

The Foundation reviews Community Grants twice a year. The next deadline for Community Grant requests is October 10, 2024, for decision in December.  Community Grant requests range from $250 to $5,000 and can be submitted using the online application available at https://asfdn.theworxgroup.com/grants/community-grants.  

The most recent Community Grants announced by the American Savings Foundation include:

• $2,500 to Adelbrook Behavioral & Developmental Services to provide food items and personal hygiene products to individuals receiving services at their Cromwell location.
• $3,000 to Autism Families CONNECTicut to provide teens from Plainville, West Hartford, Newington, Bristol, and surrounding towns who have autism spectrum disorders, with a recreational program to help develop social skills, learn sports, and increase social interactions.
• $3,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Meriden for an after-school homework support and tutoring program focused on middle and elementary students in Meriden.
• $3,000 to the City of New Britain for a six-week theater camp for youth throughout the summer months.
• $4,000 to The Cove Center for Grieving Children for a bereavement program that helps support the healing process for youth and their families from Meriden and West Hartford who have experienced loss.
• $5,000 to Covenant to Care for Children to provide basic needs to children living in Waterbury during times of transitions at home.
• $1,000 to Coventry Lake Community Rowing to support the physical well-being of seniors through a fun and engaging rowing program.
• $2,000 to CyberKnights Robotics for an after-school robotics program with hands-on STEM activities for Southington and New Britain high school students
• $1,000 to Fermata Arts Foundation to offer exhibitions of children's drawings from post-soviet countries, workshops, and activities at New Britain Public Library and Silas Bronson Library.
• $1,500 to Girl Scouts of Connecticut to support a Waterbury-based leadership program for girls in grades k-5.
• $4,000 to Healing Meals Community Project to prepare and deliver nourishing meals for individuals from Greater Waterbury who are dealing with a health crisis.
• $2,500 to Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington to support a summer performing arts series which includes music, dance and spoken word performances.
• $1,500 to Layavinyasa for cultural performances in the Glastonbury community.
• $2,500 to the Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven to recruit and train volunteers to provide tutoring and basic literacy sessions for individuals from Meriden.
• $3,500 to New Britain Public Library to provide one-to-one tutoring and homework help to New Britain students in middle and high school.
• $3,000 to PARC in Plainville for summer programming for children with disabilities.
• $3,500 to Read to Grow to offer free literacy packets to the parents of all newborns before they are discharged from Manchester Memorial hospital.
• $2,000 to the Richard M. Keane Foundation to support a musical theater program for elementary-school students in Wethersfield.
• $2,500 to Seven Angels Theater to offer acting classes for children and youth from Waterbury.
• $3,000 to Shine Your Light to provide an eight-week summer program in East Hartford that focuses on helping youth reduce anxiety, manage emotions, and boost self-esteem through yoga, meditation and art.
• $5,000 to St. Vincent de Paul in Middletown to help connect individuals to food, emergency assistance and outreach services.
• $1,500 to The Friends of Kycia Farm to support a free concert series during the summer at the historic Kycia barn in Wethersfield.
• $3,000 to Voice of Art for their therapeutic art program in the Greater Torrington area.
• $2,500 to Windham Historical Society to provide basic need items and first aid supplies to families visiting the Welcome Center near local hiking trails.
• $3,500 to Windham Region Chamber of Commerce to connect veterans and their families to food and basic need supports.