Glastonbury Greater Together Community Fund
About the Glastonbury Community Fund Committee
We are a group of Glastonbury residents dedicated to volunteering our time and playing an active role in supporting our community through participatory grantmaking to address the needs of our town.
Committee Members
The role of the committee is to lead an inclusive process to identify the needs in our community, and design a grantmaking process aimed to ensure that the Greater Together Community Funds can have the greatest impact for the benefit of town residents.
The committee members for Glastonbury for 2024 are:
Beatrice Maslowski, Donald Kray, Elias Morera, Ellen Saunig, Emmelia King, Ira Yellen, James Hagen, James Estrada (Secretary), Jon Brink, Kelly Gray, Kennedy Hudner, Laura Amenta (Co-chair), Laura Hecker (Co-chair), Linda Cimino, Margaret LaCroix.
For media inquiries, please contact Chris Senecal at csenecal@hfpg.org.
Click here to read the committee Conflict of Interest Policy.
What we hope to achieve:
The Glastonbury Greater Together Community Fund seeks to create lasting solutions that enhance the quality of life for Glastonbury residents.
How we achieve our goal:
We achieve this goal by identifying problems that affect the Town’s residents, and then funding nonprofit organizations that are working to solve those problems. Grant awards typically range from $2,000 to $15,000. Where appropriate, we encourage grant recipients to work together to exchange ideas and collaborate on solutions.
Values of the Committee:
- Inclusivity: Ensure all voices are heard and valued in decision-making, including participatory philanthropy.
- Community-Based Responsiveness: Actively respond to the specific needs of the community.
- Civic Engagement: Encourage active participation in community life and decision-making, reflecting a commitment to democratic principles.
- Transparency: Maintain an open and clear grantmaking process to build trust within the community.
- Commitment to Diversity: Support diverse populations and those in need while maximizing the impact of grants for the community.
Our Grantmaking History
We commenced our work during the COVID-19 pandemic when many Glastonbury residents were dealing with food insecurity, unaffordable heating costs, and mental and emotional stress. In the first round of funding, we helped a consortium of local churches and synagogues purchase commercial refrigeration units to store fresh produce for the town’s food pantry. In the same year, we funded an organization that provided heating oil to residents struggling to afford it and supported another that expanded local mental health outreach.
Since then, we have given grants to dozens of nonprofit organizations. We helped bring companionship to shut-ins, counseling to those struggling with emotional issues, a pollinator pathway to expand habitat for butterflies and bees, new equipment to the local volunteer EMS, live music to nursing home residents, classes in computer coding for elementary and middle school students, and more.
Glastonbury’s 2024 Grant Awards
In 2024, the Glastonbury Greater Together Community Fund made a fourth round of grant awards totaling $24,550 to eight organizations to fund programs or projects that will “improve or enhance the quality of life in Glastonbury or otherwise contribute to address a direct need” of the Glastonbury community.
- Glastonbury ABC Inc., $5,000 towards initiating a sustainable fundraising initiative aimed at supporting the mission of providing opportunities to disadvantaged young scholars enrolled in Glastonbury’s educational system.
- Glastonbury EMS, $5,000 for the Replacement of Automated External Defribulators (AED) that are almost 10 years old and past useful life with new equipment for use on ambulances to save the lives of residents of Glastonbury.
- Glastonbury Farmers Market Coalition, Inc., $3,000 to support Glastonbury's public market for farmers and artisans selling their produce and/or products directly to consumers.
- Special Olympics Connecticut, $2,000 designated for Special Olympics Glastonbury to offer financial assistance to Glastonbury athletes, aiding in covering expenses such as competition registration fees, transportation, uniforms, and sports equipment.
- For All Ages, Inc., $2,000 to establish “Tea @ 3,”an intergenerational program in Glastonbury that connects college students with elderly adults for a weekly 1:1 phone call to reduce social isolation.
- Glastonbury Arts, Inc., $2,000 to support Glastonbury Arts 62nd On the Green Fine Art and Craft Festival on Glastonbury's historic green.
- Friends of the Welles-Turner Memorial Library, Inc., $1,750 for the WTML Summer Reading Program. This program is designed to encourage Glastonbury citizens of all ages to read more and aligns with the Glastonbury Age-Friendly Initiative.
- Glastonbury River Runners, $1,250 to support the "Rising Stars" Youth Running Program. This program at Smith School track in Glastonbury promotes health, wellness, and activity for youths between ages 4-13 with guidance from volunteers and coaches.
- Shine Your Light CT, Inc., $ 1,050 for Healing Experiences for Glastonbury Residents - a pilot program for economically disadvantaged residents to improve stress relief, problem solving and sense of accomplishment. This program is a collaboration between Welles Turner Memorial Library and Shine Your Light CT.
- Glastonbury Chorus, $1,000 to support musical performances in Glastonbury senior residences and senior facilities for this four part community chorus.
- New Britain Museum of American Art, $500 allocated to support Glastonbury elementary school students “Access to Arts” programming. This funding is designated to cover tour fees for children facing financial barriers ensuring they have equitable access to arts education.
- Amplify, Inc., $4,400 for an evidence-based suicide prevention program geared towards K-6th grade Glastonbury children and for primary mental health/suicide prevention messaging for the Glastonbury community.
- Glastonbury Chorus, Inc., $1,500 to provide the resources necessary to allow this four-part community chorus to perform at senior residences and the Glastonbury senior.
- Glastonbury Friends of Robotics (GFOR), $3,500 to leverage a partnership between GFOR and the Welles Turner Memorial Library. Funding will purchase LEGO robotic kits so that Glastonbury High School Robotic Club students can offer coding lessons for younger children through the library’s programming.
- Glastonbury Farmers Market, $3,000 to support the Glastonbury’s weekly public market for farmers and artisans selling their produce and/or products directly to consumers at the Hubbard Green.
- Glastonbury River Runners, $1,750 to support the “Rising Stars” youth running program promoting health, wellness and activity. This program, hosted at Smith School track field, provides youth between the ages of 4 and 12 with guidance and a safe, encouraging environment as coaches and volunteers prepare youth for competing in their first 5K.
- Operation Fuel, Inc., $2,500 to expand emergency energy assistance for low- and moderate- income families living in Glastonbury.
- UR Community Cares, Inc., $2,500 to support connecting Glastonbury’s older and physically disabled residents with local volunteers who provide home-based assistance securely and at no-charge.
- Wind Hill Community Farm & Learning Center, Inc., $2,000 to support restoration and renovation of the community garden as well as the creation of new ethnic presenter beds.
The Glastonbury Community Fund awarded $28,000 in grants to 11 nonprofits serving Glastonbury residents.
o Community Health Resources, $4,500 to support Project Zero Suicide, an evidence-based suicide prevention training to support over three hundred Glastonbury residents at-risk of suicide annually.
o Glastonbury Arts, Inc., $2,500 to support six symposiums (lectures/demonstrations/hand-on) of their Got Art Series.
o Glastonbury MLK Community Initiative, $1,000 to support efforts to promote social justice and civil rights at the town-wide celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday in 2023.
o Glastonbury Partners in Planting, Inc., $1,000 to support two projects: 1) The planting of pollinators at the Welles Turner Public Library to replace plantings destroyed from recent construction. 2) Building a Kiosk to provide community information/education at the Glastonbury Community Gardens.
o Glastonbury River Runners, $1,250 to support the Rising Stars Youth Running Program which promotes health, wellness, and activity for nearly two hundred Glastonbury children, 4-12 years of age.
o Hartford Interval House, Inc., $4,000 to provide life-saving services to Glastonbury residents who are victims of domestic violence through the Interval House’s Victim to Survivor program.
o Hawkwing, Inc., $4,500 to launch the Youth Leadership and Giveback Experience – an innovative new program to develop Glastonbury youth leaders who are then tasked with making a positive and meaningful impact on Glastonbury’s community needs.
o Operation Fuel, Inc., $4,000 to provide emergency energy assistance for low- and moderate- income families living in Glastonbury, a growing need due to the current rising energy costs.
o Special Olympics of Connecticut, $2,000 to support Glastonbury athletes with intellectual disabilities at the 2022 Glastonbury Special Olympics.
o Town of Glastonbury (Fiduciary for Poetry in Public), $1,000 to support an innovative new effort to bring poetry alive in outdoor settings for people of all ages. This effort directly links to the Town of Glastonbury’s Age Friendly Plan.
o UR Community Cares, Inc., $2,250 to continue to support connecting Glastonbury’s older and physically disabled residents with local volunteers who provide home-based assistance securely and at no-charge.
In our inaugural round of need-inspired grants, The Glastonbury Community Fund awarded $27,200 to local nonprofits that are addressing issues in Glastonbury ranging from food insecurity, mental/behavioral health, social welfare, preservation of heritage, music education, and the environment.
- Glastonbury Links Together: $15,000 to address food insecurity in Glastonbury which has risen exponentially during the pandemic. Glastonbury Links Together operates a zero-overhead community-based program serving over 100 families per month. The grant award will support the creation of a self-select food pantry in Glastonbury, which will include perishable food items.
- Community Health Resources (CHR): $6,000 to address the mental/behavioral health crises during the pandemic. Funds will support purchase of Real Hope Kits (a collection of evidence-based, play-therapy tools) for children and teens receiving behavioral health services. The kits are intended to replace those discarded due to pandemic cleaning protocols.
- Historical Society of Glastonbury: $1,700 to support a project to modernize an exhibit on the history and lifestyle of the Wangunk tribe (pre-colonial residents of Glastonbury), and to make it more accessible to all visitors.
- Resonate Music: $500 to provide a small scholarship towards continued music education for a Glastonbury High School volunteer of Resonate. Founded by Glastonbury High School student Leena Alam, Resonate’s entirely volunteer staff (comprised of Connecticut high school students) provide private, high-quality, free music lessons to young students with financial hardship.
- TALK – Truth in Action with Love and Kindness: $1,000 to support development of a Glastonbury Pollinator Pathway. Pollinator Pathways are designed to connect pollinator species, like hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies in developed areas, with the resources they rely on to survive. By utilizing native plants in even the smallest of available green spaces, such as flower boxes and curb strips, communities are creating ‘stepping stones’ for these species between larger habitat areas.
- UR Community Cares: $3,000 to support Glastonbury's older adults and residents with physical disabilities, for up to one year of home-based services using the secure digital platform of URCommunityCares.org. A variety of standard and customized household tasks, yard work, companionship and local transportation will be provided by volunteers at no cost.
Grant Reporting
Awarded organizations are requested to submit an accounting of the use of funds and a narrative evaluation of results achieved. Should your organization decide to apply again to the Glastonbury Community Fund in the future, you would be eligible after we receive a final report for the grant.
Awarded organizations can use the optional form (below) at the end of their grant period to report on the use of their funds.
DOWNLOAD THE GRANT REPORTING FORM
Please send the completed form, or any questions to the Glastonbury committee at glastonburycommunityfund@gmail.com.
Background
The Glastonbury Greater Together Community Fund was established in 2019 as part of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving’s initiative to support community engagement across 29 towns in the Greater Hartford region. The fund aims to empower local residents to take ownership of their community’s needs and foster a sense of civic responsibility. The Glastonbury Community Fund Committee plays a crucial role in this effort by identifying local priorities, establishing an inclusive grantmaking process, and ensuring that funds are allocated effectively to support community-driven initiatives.
For media inquiries, please contact Chris Senecal at csenecal@hfpg.org.