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William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund

Annual Giving
$4.3M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.1M
Decision Time
3mo

William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4.3 million - $5.3 million
  • Grant Range: $500 - $135,000 (typical); up to $200,000 (possible)
  • Geographic Focus: Connecticut only
  • Total Assets: $122.65 million (2023)
  • Decision Time: Board meetings in September and December
  • Application Method: Primarily invitation-only; some open programs

Contact Details

  • Website: wcgmf.org
  • Address: One Hamden Center, 2319 Whitney Avenue, Suite 2B, Hamden, CT 06518
  • Phone: 203-230-3330
  • Fax: 203-230-3331
  • Email: voconnor@wcgmf.org (Viviana O'Connor, Administrative Assistant)
  • Pre-application Contact: Call 203-230-3330 before submitting any materials

Overview

The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund was established in 1946 by businessman Archibald Graustein in memory of his brother William Caspar Graustein, a Harvard mathematics professor who died in an automobile accident in 1945. The fund formally began operations in Connecticut on August 6, 1993, following a substantial bequest from Hallie Hubbard Graustein (William's widow). A significant endowment boost came in 1987 when shares in the Aubrey G. Lanston Company (a U.S. government securities firm) were sold, yielding over $50 million.

The fund's mission is to "achieve equity in education by working with those affected and inspiring all to end racism and poverty." This reflects a 2015 strategic shift under Executive Director David Addams toward addressing systemic inequities affecting communities of color. The Discovery Initiative (2001-2015) invested over $60 million across Connecticut communities. Dr. Gislaine Ngounou became CEO in 2024, continuing this equity-focused approach. With approximately $122.65 million in assets (2023), the fund distributes $4-5 million annually to Connecticut-based organizations.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Equity Grants for Community Groups (Up to $135,000)

  • Highest alignment: Up to $135,000
  • Medium alignment: Up to $85,000
  • Low alignment: Up to $45,000
  • Focus: Community organizing, advocacy, and systems change work
  • Currently not accepting new applications - focused on existing partners

2. Equity Grants for Work Within Educational Institutions (Up to $135,000)

  • Same tiered funding structure as community grants
  • Focus: Work within schools from birth through higher education
  • Currently not accepting new applications

3. Director's Discretionary Grants (Up to $10,000)

  • Typically $5,000 or less
  • For organizations that are NOT current grantee partners
  • Limit: One award per organization per calendar year
  • Open for applications
  • Apply at: Online Portal

4. Rapid Response Grants (Up to $10,000)

  • Urgent support for communities facing threats, trauma, or harassment
  • Must address urgent needs outside normal organizational operations
  • Work must be Connecticut-based and respond to manifestations of oppression
  • Expedited review process
  • Open for applications

5. The Levin Fund ($500 - $1,000)

  • Small grants for community and school groups serving children (daycare through grade 8)
  • Priority given to projects promoting parent-teacher partnerships
  • Request application at: 203-230-3330, ext. 13

Priority Areas

Three Program Focus Areas (established 2018):

  1. Building Community Power: Supporting groups investing in communities of color living in poverty to build power and lead coalitions confronting racism and poverty in schools and society

  2. Disrupting Institutional Inequity: Supporting groups disrupting narratives, practices, and structures that perpetuate racial and economic disparities in education

  3. Transforming Key Systems: Supporting work providing new solutions for changing educational structures needed for marginalized communities' success and liberation

Key Issue Areas:

  • Anti-racist and inclusive curricula
  • School climate and discipline practices (disciplinary practice, school policing, exclusionary language)
  • Equitable school financing (public, charter, and private schools)
  • Teacher diversification and retention of teachers of color
  • Early childhood education (access, affordability, quality)
  • Adjacent systems: criminal justice, economic justice, health equity, housing equity, immigration justice

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations outside Connecticut
  • Work not aligned with racial and economic equity in education
  • Ongoing organizational operations (for Rapid Response grants)
  • Projects without clear connection to addressing racism and poverty

Governance and Leadership

Staff Leadership

Dr. Gislaine Ngounou - CEO

  • Over 20 years in education across philanthropy, nonprofits, and school districts
  • Former Interim President/CEO at Nellie Mae Education Foundation
  • Ed.D. from Harvard Graduate School of Education

David Addams - Executive Director

  • Led organizational efforts for 9+ years
  • Former Executive Director of Oliver Scholars Program and Associated Black Charities
  • B.A. from Princeton, M.S.J. from Columbia, J.D. from Columbia Law

Dr. William "Billy" Johnson - Director of Educational Strategy & Program

  • 23-year education career in Connecticut schools
  • Native of New Haven's The Hill neighborhood

Key Program Staff:

  • Akia S. Callum - Senior Program Officer
  • Margarita Alvarez - Program Officer
  • Malwin Davila - Program Officer
  • Dave Martin - Senior Program & Learning Officer

Board of Trustees

Lisa Graustein - Chairperson

  • Former Social Studies and Sexuality Education teacher (20 years, Boston public schools)
  • DEI facilitator working with schools, nonprofits, and faith communities
  • MEd in Racial Justice Education

Other Trustees:

  • Laura Berry
  • Anna Blanding
  • Lucas Codognolla - Senior Community Impact Officer, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
  • Bill Graustein - Former Lead Trustee, Senior Advisor to Community Leadership Program
  • Constance Royster - Co-founder of minority and women-owned law firm; Chair of Open Communities Alliance
  • Jessica Sager - Co-founder and CEO of All Our Kin; Ashoka Fellow

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Critical First Step: The fund emphasizes conversation-based grantmaking. Contact them at 203-230-3330 or voconnor@wcgmf.org before submitting any materials.

For Director's Discretionary and Rapid Response Grants:

  • Apply online through the grants portal
  • Director's Discretionary: Apply Here
  • Rapid Response grants receive expedited review

For Equity Program Grants:

  • All applications are by invitation only
  • Letters of inquiry from new groups reviewed on rolling basis
  • If eligible, groups will be invited to apply in line with Board meeting schedule

For The Levin Fund:

  • Request application form by calling 203-230-3330, ext. 13

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Must be 501(c)(3) public charity OR
  • Be fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization
  • Work must be Connecticut-based

Decision Timeline

September Grant Cycle:

  • Applications sent to grantee partners by June 1st
  • Submission deadline: July 18th
  • Board meeting: September

December Grant Cycle:

  • Applications sent to grantee partners by September 1st
  • Submission deadline: October 17th
  • Board meeting: December

Letters of Inquiry: Reviewed on rolling basis

Rapid Response Grants: Expedited review and payment processing

Grant History

  • 2022: 98 awards totaling $4,276,050
  • 2021: 150 awards totaling approximately $4.2 million
  • 2020: 333 awards

Application Success Factors

Organizational Characteristics They Seek:

The fund explicitly seeks BIPOC-led organizations with these qualities:

  • Leadership reflective of and with lived experience in communities served
  • Anti-racist organizational culture using an explicit equity lens
  • Clear goals, strategies, and demonstrated progress
  • Strong partnerships with community organizations
  • Community accountability and membership development
  • Focus on the intersection of racial and economic equity

Building Community Power Criteria:

  • Offering support, skills, and training for grassroots to challenge narratives, practices, and structures
  • Being led by grassroots community members
  • Explicit focus on intersection of racial and economic equity
  • Building trust and solidarity among communities most affected by poverty and racism

How They Assess Capacity: The fund asks organizations to reflect on whether what they are proposing aligns with their current capacity (staffing, partners, experience, resources) and how they expect to make meaning of successes and obstacles.

Measuring Progress: The fund wants to learn how grantees make sense of their progress. They do not prescribe what to measure but value organizations having their own process for assessing advances.

Support for Emerging Groups: The fund explicitly recognizes that newer Black and Brown-led groups engaged in social change efforts may be disadvantaged by being historically neglected and under-resourced. They pay attention to how their criteria may adversely affect newer or less traditionally structured groups.

Recent Grantees (Examples):

  • Faithacts for Education - Black-led education advocacy organization
  • Hartford Parent University
  • Achieve Hartford
  • Center for Leadership and Justice
  • Recenter Race & Equity in Education
  • New Haven Public Schools ($241,500 for racial equity support)

Additional Support for Grantees

Beyond financial grants, Equity Program Grant Partners can access:

  • Technical Assistance: Up to $4,000 annually for training, skill building, and coaching
  • Convenings: Opportunities to connect with other grantees
  • Conference Attendance Support
  • Communications Assistance
  • Professional Development: One-to-one coaching with field or process experts
  • Healing and Wellness Support

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Relationship-First Approach: Always call 203-230-3330 for a conversation before submitting any materials - this is their preferred entry point and reflects their commitment to dialogue over written applications alone

  2. Connecticut Focus Only: All funded work must take place in Connecticut; this is a strict geographic limitation

  3. BIPOC Leadership Essential: The fund explicitly prioritizes organizations led by people of color with lived experience in the communities they serve

  4. Equity Grants Currently Closed: New applicants should focus on Director's Discretionary Grants (up to $10,000) or Rapid Response Grants as entry points

  5. Mission Alignment Critical: Stay true to your organization's mission rather than stretching to fit - the fund believes encouraging groups to do work they're not ready for is counterproductive

  6. Systems Change Focus: They fund organizations working on structural change, not direct service alone; demonstrate how your work addresses root causes of racial and economic inequity

  7. The Levin Fund Entry Point: For early childhood and K-8 focused groups, the Levin Fund ($500-$1,000) offers an accessible starting point to build a relationship with the foundation

References

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