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Hartford Foundation For Public Giving

Annual Giving
$55.0M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.5M
Decision Time
3mo

Hartford Foundation For Public Giving

Quick Stats

  • Total Assets: $1.2 billion
  • Annual Giving: $55 million (2024)
  • Decision Time: 9-13 weeks from application submission
  • Grant Range: $500 - $530,000 (varies by program)
  • Geographic Focus: 29 towns in Greater Hartford, Connecticut
  • Application Method: Mixed (rolling basis for some programs, fixed deadlines for others)

Contact Details

Website: https://www.hfpg.org/
Email: applications@hfpg.org
Phone: 860-548-1888
Address: Hartford, CT

Pre-Application Support: The Foundation encourages preliminary conversations with Community Impact Officers before applying. Contact applications@hfpg.org or Tara Sundie, Community Impact Manager, at tsundie@hfpg.org.

Overview

Founded in 1925, the Hartford Foundation For Public Giving is Connecticut's largest community foundation with total assets of $1.2 billion. In 2024, the foundation awarded 2,440 grants totaling nearly $55 million (including more than $1.45 million in 440 scholarships) to nonprofit organizations serving Greater Hartford's 29-town region. The foundation has awarded more than $1 billion in total grants throughout its history. The foundation's grantmaking is guided by its commitment to dismantling structural racism and advancing equity in social and economic mobility in Greater Hartford's Black and Latine communities. The Foundation serves 800,000 residents and hundreds of nonprofits across its region. In 2025, the foundation is celebrating its centennial anniversary and changing its name to "Greater Hartford Gives Foundation."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Open Door Grants (Rolling basis)

  • Support for nonprofits advancing equity who don't receive funding through outcome area portfolios
  • Available on a rolling basis by invitation after initial inquiry conversation
  • Amounts vary based on project scope

Summer Program Grants

  • Up to $50,000 per organization
  • Total awards up to $750,000 annually
  • Supports summer activities for Hartford youth and people with disabilities
  • In 2024, awarded $772,567 to serve more than 6,200 children and youth

Equality Fund Grants

  • Up to $50,000 for activities implemented over one year
  • Supports wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ residents

John E. Blair Fund

  • $1,000 - $40,000 per grant
  • For services supporting individuals with visual impairments

Greater Together Community Funds

  • $500 - $5,000 per grant (average: $2,500)
  • Community-level grantmaking for all 29 towns in the region
  • Fixed deadlines vary by town

Transitional Operating Support

  • For organizations with budgets between $200,000 and $8 million
  • Priority for: critical basic human needs (food, shelter), services to vulnerable populations (health, education, literacy, legal), and programs with major regional impact

Emergency Assistance Grants

  • In 2024, awarded more than $688,000 to 71 organizations
  • Supports food and other basic needs

Priority Areas

The Foundation's grantmaking centers on five strategic outcome areas identified as key to reducing persistent disparities:

  1. Thriving Neighborhoods - Neighborhood development and community vitality in areas experiencing disinvestment

  2. Employment Opportunities - Job creation and economic advancement, including workforce development programs (e.g., ReadyCT program received $530,000 over two years)

  3. Basic Human Needs - Food security, housing, shelter, and essential services for vulnerable residents

  4. Arts & Culture - Creative expression and cultural programming in communities of color (e.g., $241,000 for Artists of Color Accelerate Fellowship, $150,000 to Wadsworth Atheneum)

  5. Civic and Resident Engagement - Community participation and voice in decision-making (e.g., nearly $240,000 to 14 organizations for voter engagement in 2024)

The Foundation specifically prioritizes work that addresses racial equity and benefits Greater Hartford's Black and Latine communities.

What They Don't Fund

  • Private non-operating foundations
  • Organizations that do not serve residents in the 29-town Greater Hartford region (unless a significant portion of services benefit regional residents)
  • Projects that do not align with their strategic commitment to dismantling structural racism and advancing equity

Governance and Leadership

Leadership

Jay Williams, President and CEO (since July 2017)

Williams has emphasized the Foundation's strategic role: "I am honored that I will be able to lead an institution that works toward the improvement of the overall quality of life in the region through informed philanthropy. The Foundation's ability to serve as a catalyst, a thought leader, and a convener will provide opportunities to address critical needs during these most challenging times."

On the Foundation's community-centered approach: "The Greater Together Community Funds were created to engage and empower community residents; the people who are best equipped to respond to the needs of their towns."

On their expanded scholarship program: "We were proud of the thousands of students that we have helped get to college, but as we were approaching our centennial, we wanted to do something that was more meaningful, more impactful, on a much grander scale."

Board of Directors

Dr. Mark Overmyer-Velázquez, Chair of the Board of Trustees (Dean of the downtown Hartford campus of the University of Connecticut)

The volunteer Board of Directors governs policies and grant decisions. Board members are appointed for five-year terms and may serve a maximum of two terms.

Notable Board Members include:

  • Marlene M. Ibsen (CEO and President of Travelers Foundation, Vice President of Community Relations for The Travelers Companies)
  • Rev. Darrell Goodwin
  • Gillian Howell
  • Richard N. Palmer
  • Nicole Porter
  • Susan B. Dunn

Community Impact Team

The Foundation's Community Impact Officers serve as relationship managers for grantees:

  • Kate Piotrowski - Focuses on Thriving Neighborhoods and Community Leadership, including Open Door grants
  • Tara Sundie, Community Impact Manager (tsundie@hfpg.org, 860-548-1888)
  • Tiana Starks, Senior Community Impact Associate (tstarks@hfpg.org)
  • Alexis Safo-Agyeman, Community Impact Officer (asafo-agyeman@hfpg.org)
  • Willona Y. Amoakoh, LMSW
  • Damion Baker

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Step 1: Initial Inquiry

  • Submit a brief online questionnaire through the Foundation's grant portal at https://www.hfpg.org/nonprofits/how-to-apply
  • A Community Impact Officer will contact you within several business days to discuss alignment with strategic priorities
  • Staff welcomes preliminary conversations before submitting an inquiry (email applications@hfpg.org)
  • Current grantees should speak with their assigned Community Impact Officer before applying to new opportunities

Step 2: Full Application

  • If invited, receive a portal link to complete a detailed application
  • The Foundation will conduct internal review taking 30-60 days
  • May include outcome negotiations to establish realistic expectations

Step 3: Grant Award

  • Awarded organizations receive an Award Letter specifying terms and payment details
  • ACH payments typically process within three business days
  • Organizations granted awards after January 1, 2023 manage the complete grant lifecycle through the GLM Grant Portal

Decision Timeline

Typical timeframe: 9-13 weeks from application submission to decision notification

Notification: If awarded a grant, your Community Impact Officer will contact you with the news, followed by a formal Grant Award Letter clarifying terms, payment, and reporting requirements.

Success Rates

While specific success rate percentages are not publicly disclosed, the Foundation awarded 2,440 grants in 2024, demonstrating substantial grant activity. In 2023, they made 642 awards.

Reapplication Policy

For the Access Grants program, unsuccessful applications are held for consideration in future rounds, meaning applicants are automatically reconsidered without needing to resubmit.

For other programs, the Foundation encourages applicants to contact their Community Impact Officer or email applications@hfpg.org to discuss next steps and future opportunities after an unsuccessful application.

Application Success Factors

Strategic Alignment is Critical

The Foundation emphasizes that applicants should "consider projects and approaches that help reduce persistent disparities in the region." According to their guidance, they want to hear about:

  • Your institutional experience and track record addressing racial equity and structural racism
  • Community perspectives, research and data that support your approaches
  • How your mission or proposed projects contribute to dismantling structural racism and advancing equity in Greater Hartford's Black and Latine communities

Demonstrate Connection to the Five Outcome Areas

When awarding grants, "one of their primary considerations is how programs or projects align with their five strategic outcome areas." Successful applications clearly connect proposed work to one or more outcome areas: Thriving Neighborhoods, Employment Opportunities, Basic Human Needs, Arts & Culture, or Civic and Resident Engagement.

Geographic Focus Matters

Organizations must demonstrate that "a significant portion of services benefit residents of the Hartford Foundation's 29-town funding region." The 29 towns are: Andover, Avon, Bloomfield, Bolton, Canton, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Hartford, Hebron, Manchester, Marlboro, Newington, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Suffield, Tolland, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor, and Windsor Locks.

Strong Governance is Essential

The Foundation seeks organizations with:

  • Engaged boards that meet regularly
  • Documented meeting minutes
  • Regular review of financial reports
  • Identified strategic goals

Engage Early with Foundation Staff

The Foundation explicitly states that "the grant application process is a partnership" and "staff is happy to discuss grant ideas before you submit an inquiry." Organizations that engage Community Impact Officers early in the process can better understand fit and strengthen their applications.

Recent Funding Examples

Understanding what the Foundation has recently funded provides insight into their priorities:

  • Roca Inc.'s Young Mothers program: $460,000 over two years (December 2024)
  • ReadyCT workforce development: $530,000 over two years for preparing Hartford and East Hartford high school students for high-demand careers
  • Connecticut Students for a Dream: $250,000 supporting undocumented and immigrant youth
  • Make the Road Connecticut: $300,000 supporting undocumented and immigrant adults
  • Wadsworth Atheneum: $150,000 for "Styling Identities: Hair's Tangled Histories" exhibition
  • Connecticut Tenants Union: $150,000
  • Artists of Color Accelerate Fellowship: $241,000 for third cohort

These examples demonstrate the Foundation's commitment to racial equity, economic mobility, arts and culture, and support for marginalized communities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Lead with racial equity: Every application should explicitly address how the project advances equity and dismantles structural racism in Black and Latine communities—this is not optional but central to the Foundation's mission
  • Engage before applying: Take advantage of the Foundation's open-door approach to preliminary conversations with Community Impact Officers to ensure strong alignment before investing time in a full application
  • Connect to outcome areas: Clearly map your proposed work to one or more of the five strategic outcome areas, using the Foundation's language and framework
  • Demonstrate community grounding: The Foundation values community perspectives, lived experience, and data-driven approaches—show how your work is informed by and accountable to the communities you serve
  • Geographic specificity matters: Clearly demonstrate how your work benefits residents in the 29-town Greater Hartford region, with specific data on whom you serve
  • Build the relationship: With a decision timeline of 9-13 weeks and a partnership-oriented approach, this is a relationship-based funder—invest in getting to know your Community Impact Officer
  • Think beyond one-time projects: The Foundation offers various funding mechanisms including general operating support for organizations with budgets between $200,000 and $8 million—consider multi-year or operating support requests where appropriate

References

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