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Hartford Foundation For Public Giving

Annual Giving
$54.8M
Grant Range
$1K - $1.5M
Decision Time
2mo

Hartford Foundation For Public Giving

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $54.8 million (2024)
  • Total Assets: $1.2 billion
  • Decision Time: 30-60 days after full application
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $1,500,000
  • Geographic Focus: 29 towns in Greater Hartford, CT region
  • Established: 1925

Contact Details

Website: https://www.hfpg.org/
Email: applications@hfpg.org
Location: Hartford, Connecticut

Note: As of January 2025, the Foundation is changing its name to "Greater Hartford Gives Foundation" as it celebrates its centennial anniversary.

Overview

Founded in 1925, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving (HFPG) is Connecticut's largest community foundation with charitable assets totaling more than $1.2 billion. Since inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $1 billion in grants to nonprofit organizations serving the Greater Hartford region's 800,000 residents across 29 towns. The Foundation's strategic approach centers on dismantling structural racism and advancing equity in social and economic mobility, particularly in Black and Latine communities. In 2024, HFPG awarded $54.8 million in grants across 2,440 awards while receiving $36.6 million in new gifts. President and CEO Jay Williams has led the Foundation since 2017, guiding its commitment to being a "capacity builder" and "catalyst" for community change. The Foundation earned a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator with a perfect 100% score, reflecting its strong financial health and commitment to accountability.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Strategic Portfolio Grants: Multi-year grants (typically 1-3 years) aligned with the Foundation's five outcome areas. Recent examples include $1.5 million to LISC Connecticut (3 years) and $530,000 to ReadyCT (2 years).

Open Door Grants: Funding for projects that advance equity but fall outside strategic portfolio areas. Organizations currently receiving portfolio funding are not eligible.

Summer Program Grants: Up to $50,000 for summer camperships, enrichment opportunities, and Counselor-in-Training programming for Hartford youth and/or people with disabilities. Total annual awards up to $750,000.

LGBTQIA+ Wellbeing Grants (Equality Fund): Up to $50,000 for one-year grant activities supporting LGBTQIA+ residents in Greater Hartford. Total annual awards up to $200,000.

John E. Blair Fund: $1,000 - $40,000 for organizations assisting individuals with visual impairments throughout the 29-town region.

Greater Together Community Funds: $500 - $5,000 grants (average $2,500) for grassroots community initiatives in each of the 29 towns.

General Operating Support: Available for agencies with budgets between $200,000 and $8 million.

All grants use an online application portal and review process. Some programs have rolling deadlines while others have fixed application windows.

Priority Areas

The Foundation's grantmaking is guided by five strategic outcome areas identified as key to reducing persistent disparities and advancing equity:

  1. Arts and Culture: Supporting creative expression and cultural institutions
  2. Basic Human Needs: Addressing food and housing security, physical and mental health, and the digital divide with an equity lens
  3. Civic and Resident Engagement: Strengthening community voice and participation
  4. Employment Opportunities: Increasing stable employment for Black and Latinx adults and youth facing barriers to employment
  5. Thriving Neighborhoods: Supporting community development and neighborhood vitality

The Foundation supports a broad range of nonprofit sectors including social services, health, education, early childhood and youth services, arts and culture, housing and neighborhood development, and other charitable fields. Grantmaking strategies include organizational operations, programs, capital projects, capacity building, and learning and evaluation.

What They Don't Fund

  • Private non-operating foundations
  • Activities that supplant other forms of revenue (including tax dollars)
  • Reimbursable expenses or resolution of prior debt
  • Primarily sectarian activities
  • Organizations whose services do not significantly benefit residents of the Foundation's 29-town region

Special Restriction: Nonprofits currently receiving one-year or multi-year funding through a strategic outcome area portfolio are not eligible for Open Door grants.

Governance and Leadership

Leadership

Jay Williams, President and CEO (since July 2017): Williams leads the Foundation's commitment to dismantling structural racism and advancing equity in the Greater Hartford region. He embraces the philosophy that "significance is paramount to success" and describes the Foundation's role as a "capacity builder, a catalyst—coming in and sparking change." On collaboration, Williams notes: "Foundations can be a convening entity. That's one of our strengths, in addition to thought leadership and innovation."

Elysa Gordon, Vice President of Community Impact: Oversees the Community Impact team that works directly with applicants and grantees.

Board of Directors

Dr. Mark Overmyer-Velázquez, Board Chair (2024): Leads the Board of Trustees.

Recent Board Additions (2024-2025): Gillian Howell and Rev. Darrell Goodwin joined the Board. Andrew Worthington served as Board Chair from 2022-2024, completing his board service in 2024.

The Foundation emphasizes that effective governance is a key criterion in grant evaluation, seeking organizations with engaged boards that understand their roles and responsibilities and reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Hartford Foundation uses a two-stage application process through an online grant portal:

Stage 1: Initial Inquiry

  • Submit a brief online questionnaire through the grant portal at hfpg.org
  • A Community Impact team member will contact you within a few business days
  • The team will discuss your submission and determine eligibility and alignment with strategic priorities
  • Not all inquiries advance beyond this stage; the Foundation aims to provide transparent rationale when inquiries don't move forward

Stage 2: Full Application (by invitation only)

  • Organizations that align with priorities receive a link to the grant portal to complete a detailed application
  • You will be assigned a dedicated Community Impact Officer
  • The Foundation may conduct due diligence and negotiate project outcomes with applicants

Pre-Application Guidance: The Foundation encourages organizations to contact Community Impact Officers to discuss proposals before applying. Email applications@hfpg.org if you don't know your assigned officer.

Decision Timeline

  • Initial inquiry response: Within a few business days
  • Full application review: 30-60 days after receipt of completed application
  • Grant payment: Typically within 3 business days via ACH after Award Letter acceptance

The Foundation describes the process as "a partnership" with collaborative engagement throughout the application and review stages.

Success Rates

Specific overall success rates are not publicly disclosed. However:

  • In 2024, the Foundation awarded 2,440 grants totaling nearly $55 million
  • The Hartford Greater Together Community Fund received "the highest number of applications for any grant cycle" in 2024, awarding grants to 11 organizations from a competitive pool
  • Since 2021, the Hartford Community Fund has awarded 44 grants totaling $120,730

Reapplication Policy

For specific grant programs like Access Grants, unsuccessful applications are held for consideration in future rounds. The Foundation encourages unsuccessful applicants to maintain contact with their Community Impact Officer. For questions about reapplication, contact applications@hfpg.org. The Foundation's partnership approach suggests that maintaining dialogue with staff is valuable even after an unsuccessful application.

Application Success Factors

Based on the Foundation's stated priorities and practices, successful applications demonstrate:

1. Strong Alignment with Equity Goals
The Foundation's primary consideration is how your program or project contributes to dismantling structural racism and advancing equity in social and economic mobility for Black and Latine communities in Greater Hartford. Explicitly articulate how your work addresses persistent disparities.

2. Connection to Strategic Outcome Areas
Clearly demonstrate how your project aligns with one or more of the five outcome areas: Arts and Culture, Basic Human Needs, Civic and Resident Engagement, Employment Opportunities, or Thriving Neighborhoods. Use the Foundation's language and framework when describing your work.

3. Effective Governance Practices
The Foundation seeks organizations with strong boards that have engaged members, understand their roles and responsibilities, conduct regular meetings, provide financial oversight, and reflect the diversity of communities served. Be prepared to demonstrate your governance strength.

4. Geographic Focus
A significant portion of your services must benefit residents in the Foundation's 29-town region: 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.

5. Early Engagement with Foundation Staff
The Foundation recommends reviewing eligibility criteria and grantmaking practices before applying, and encourages conversations with Community Impact Officers to discuss alignment. This partnership approach suggests that building relationships and seeking guidance strengthens applications.

6. Demonstrated Community Impact
Recent funded projects show the Foundation values initiatives that directly address community needs with measurable outcomes. Examples include workforce development programs linking K-12 education with employment needs (ReadyCT), support for undocumented and immigrant communities (Connecticut Students for a Dream, Make the Road Connecticut), and voter engagement initiatives.

7. Organizational Capacity
The Foundation provides various types of support including capacity building. Organizations should be honest about their capacity needs and demonstrate how the grant will strengthen their ability to serve the community effectively.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Lead with equity: Your application must explicitly address how your work dismantles structural racism and advances social and economic mobility for Black and Latine communities in Greater Hartford. This is the Foundation's primary lens for all grantmaking decisions.

  • Submit an inquiry first, not a full proposal: The two-stage process means you'll start with a brief questionnaire. Use this as an opportunity to get feedback before investing significant time in a full application.

  • Build relationships before applying: The Foundation emphasizes partnership and encourages pre-application conversations with Community Impact Officers. Contact applications@hfpg.org to connect with the right staff member.

  • Study the five outcome areas deeply: Understanding Arts and Culture, Basic Human Needs, Civic and Resident Engagement, Employment Opportunities, and Thriving Neighborhoods—and using this framework in your application—demonstrates alignment with the Foundation's strategic approach.

  • Know your geography: Be specific about which of the 29 towns your services reach and how many residents benefit. Geographic focus is a fundamental eligibility criterion.

  • Showcase governance strength: Be prepared to demonstrate board engagement, diversity, financial oversight, and strategic planning capacity. This is explicitly evaluated in the review process.

  • Plan for a 30-60 day timeline: Build sufficient lead time into your planning. The review process is thorough and involves dedicated staff engagement, not just a quick decision.

  • Look at recent grants for inspiration: The Foundation's 2024 awards show support for immigrant services ($250,000-$300,000), workforce development ($530,000), community development ($1.5 million), and arts and culture ($150,000-$241,000). Understanding their recent funding patterns reveals current priorities.

References

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