Eager to Learn Program

The Eager to Learn (ETL) program allows us to partner with organizations that are designing, improving, continuing, or implementing programs geared toward closing the achievement gap. Organizations should be innovative and flexible in shepherding students to understand their options for a bright future. We partner with organizations and individuals seeking to form bonds within the communities they serve to enable the greatest success for their programs.

Our Foundation will support organizations implementing small-group programs so that students can attain optimum outcomes and get the attention and answers they deserve. Programs should consist of small groups of no more than ten at a time but as close to one-on-one as possible. We believe intensive programs are necessary to raise the average college entrance exam test scores for underserved or marginalized youth.

As a Foundation, our goal is to provide the funds necessary to bring the best career readiness counselors and test prep teachers, tutors, materials, and environment to students who would otherwise struggle to navigate and be successful in the college entrance system or their chosen career path. We want to eliminate the affordability factor for underprivileged and at-risk students where costly guidance and test prep are always barriers to achieving their goals. Also, we want to support and encourage the counseling and mentoring process required to navigate college entrance exams and beyond.

Program Goal

Our Eager to Learn program was created to provide college test prep assistance and college career counseling to vulnerable populations. This program will ensure that students from every socioeconomic background have access to the highest quality SAT and ACT prep materials. We want students and young adults to be at the forefront of information available to them from knowledgeable career counselors. We formed the ETL program to partner with organizations poised to provide these services or who are already working to raise ACT and SAT scores or counsel kids on a bright future without the need to attend college. We want to empower students by providing them with a fair and equal opportunity to get into the best colleges and universities and position them to be offered scholarships and tuition packages by raising their scores. If a student’s path does not include college, then we want them to have access to knowledge about trade school careers.

Hearst Foundations' Mission

The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.

Hearst Foundations' Goals

The Foundations seek to achieve their mission by funding approaches that result in:

• Improved health and quality of life
• Access to high quality educational options to promote increased academic achievement
• Arts and sciences serving as a cornerstone of society
• Sustainable employment and productive career paths for adults
• Stabilizing and supporting families

Funding Priorities

The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of interests – culture, education, health and social service – and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Culture

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those which enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Education

The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.

Types of Support: Program, scholarship, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Health

The Hearst Foundations assist leading regional hospitals, medical centers and specialized medical institutions providing access to high-quality healthcare for low-income populations. In response to the shortage of healthcare professionals necessary to meet the country’s evolving needs, the Foundations also fund programs designed to enhance skills and increase the number of practitioners and educators across roles in healthcare. Because the Foundations seek to use their funds to create a broad and enduring impact on the nation’s health, support for medical research and the development of young investigators is also considered.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, endowment support

Social Service

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Types of Support: Program, capital and general support

Walmart’s more than 2 million associates are residents, neighbors, friends and family in thousands of communities around the globe. Walmart works to strengthen these communities through both retail business and community giving, and we support and invest in communities through local giving. The following programs have open application processes with specific deadlines for eligibility and consideration.

Local Community Grants

Each year, our U.S. stores and clubs award local cash grants ranging from $250 to $5,000. These local grants are designed to address the unique needs of the communities where we operate. They include a variety of organizations, such as animal shelters, elder services and community clean-up projects.

Areas of Funding

• There are eight (8) areas of funding for which an organization can apply. Please review the areas listed below to ensure your organization’s goals fall within one of these areas.
• Community and Economic Development: Improving local communities for the benefit of low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering the building of relationships and understanding among diverse groups in the local service area
• Education: Providing afterschool enrichment, tutoring or vocational training for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Environmental Sustainability: Preventing waste, increasing recycling, or supporting other programs that work to improve the environment in the local service area
• Health and Human Service: Providing medical screening, treatment, social services, or shelters for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Hunger Relief and Healthy Eating: Providing Federal or charitable meals/snacks for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Public Safety: Supporting public safety programs through training programs or equipment in the local service area
• Quality of Life: Improving access to recreation, arts or cultural experiences for low-income individuals and families in the local service area

Overview

The Long Island Sound Stewardship Fund (LISSF) is a competitive grant program seeking proposals to restore and protect the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. Up to $400,000 is expected to be available for grants in 2019. The availability of funds is contingent upon the quality of proposals received and their alignment with the priorities in this RFP. The LISSF aims to:

• Support nongovernmental organizations working on issues and projects related to the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan 2015 (CCMP 2015);
• Help build stronger nongovernmental organizations working in this region;
• Foster collaboration and innovation around conservation and environmental quality work;
• Accelerate the “next best step” for proven strategies.

The Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative

The Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative is a group of funders with missions that include the protection and restoration Long Island Sound. As no funder is solely focused on this goal, we aim to build our effectiveness through collaboration. Since its inception, the Collaborative has worked together to educate ourselves about the myriad issues facing the Sound and about possible solutions. We have been engaged in aligned funding for almost eight years. The LISSF is an inaugural effort to pool our investments and expand our grantmaking. We will support projects that address pressing challenges and provide for a healthy, productive, and resilient Sound now and into the future. The LISSF is administered by the Long Island Community Foundation (LICF). Foundations providing support for grants under this RFP are: Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, Jeniam Foundation, Long Island Community Foundation, McCance Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, New York Community Trust, Pamela and Richard Rubinstein Foundation, Rauch Foundation, and Westchester Community Foundation.

Program Priorities

Capacity Building to increase the effectiveness of organizations that focus on restoration and protection of the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. Capacity-building can occur in every part of an organization, including programs, management, operations, technology, governance, fundraising and communications. Some examples of capacity-building strategies and tools for which funds may be requested are:

• Projects that enhance local capacity or staff capacity through training, assessment, planning, design, and other technical assistance-oriented activities.
• Strategic plan development
• Organization, program and service assessments or evaluation
• Fundraising plan development or developing diverse revenue sources
• Board and leadership development
• Technology improvements
• Accounting and budgeting improvements
• Marketing and communications planning
• Financial management or donor management, volunteer or administrative software
• Website design, brochure materials, printing and postage, presentation materials
• External forms of assistance such as peer mentoring or peer exchange elements, consultant services, coaching, or other third party methods for addressing organizational challenges.

Network Building to expand the diversity of organizations working together to improve the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. Network-building is defined as a group of partner organizations in a local area, watershed or region working towards the same goals and focused on specific outcomes. In all cases, these networks should be focused on unified action to help protect and restore Long Island Sound. Some examples of networking tools and strategies for which funds may be requested are:

• Regional forums, meetings or events that focus on current issues, provide a space for networking, and offer a place where information can be shared;
• Investigating and evaluating potential collaborations with the goal of developing sustainable partnerships or integrating and/or merging existing organizations;
• Establishing new collaborative activities among organizations. This may include increased coordination through the addition of new partners, new agreements for decision-making and sharing of resources, or new initiatives for established coalitions or collaborations;
• Shared visualization and data analysis tools, services, and/or strategies to map, manage, and communicate about local or regional environmental monitoring results;
• Project management, design, tools, support and/or services that bridge gaps in technical capacity of partner organizations;
• Technical assistance, training, resources, and/or leadership to facilitate action among organizations.

Piloting Tools & Strategies to add more value in terms of environmental and natural resource impact, and to foster the “next best step” for applicability or scalability across Long Island Sound. Activities may include scoping and design to set the stage for large, multi-year projects. Some examples of types of strategies and tools for which funds may be requested are:

• Advancing tools and strategies to address nutrient loading, Combined Sewer Overflows, storm water runoff, and nonpoint source loading e.g., new decentralized on-site wastewater treatment technologies, alternatives to chemical and nitrogen-intensive residential and commercial turf and landscaping, strategies to increase the rate of Green Infrastructure implementation, and the advancement of bio extraction;
• Advancing tools and strategies to restore coastal habitats and improve coastal resiliency e.g., living shorelines, addressing marsh subsidence, natural, nature-based, and green-gray (hybrid) infrastructure;
• Advancing tools and strategies to increase the knowledge and engagement of the targeted constituencies or the public in the protection and restoration of Long Island Sound e.g., social marketing, User-friendly technology (digital services/tools kits) to foster communication, public campaigns around pressing environmental problems;
• In-field application of new technologies and management approaches.

Small Projects with Big Impacts to clean waters, restore habitat, sustain wildlife, and engage the public in restoration and protection of the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. By big impact we mean activities with the promise to accelerate local water quality improvements, natural resource restoration, and community outreach and engagement. Some examples of types of projects or activities for which funds may be requested follow and may also be found under “Implementation Actions” in the CCMP 2015:

• Water quality and habitat restoration to support on-the-ground projects that reduce or prevent water pollution, restore habitat or sustain fish and wildlife;
• Design/planning to support activities that set the stage for on-the-ground implementation of water quality or habitat restoration;
• Education and public community/engagement to support hands-on, visible public participation and education.

Size of Grant Awards

The LISS Fund has two categories of grants:

Capacity Building, Network Building, and Piloting Tools & Strategies: Generally, will range in value from $15,000 to $100,000. Proposed projects or programs may include scoping and design to set the stage for large, multi-year projects. Please note there will be fewer grants at the higher end of the grant range. Proposals requesting larger amounts of funding e.g., $50,000> must demonstrate regional value and scope, partnerships, and higher impact of the project or program to the Long Island Sound and communities and constituencies served.

Small Projects with Big Impacts: Generally, will range in value from $3,000 to $10,000.

The Connecticut Society for Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP-CT) is chapter of a national non-profit professional association of individuals involved or interested in environmental law, science, business and policy.  The applications will be judged based on the environmental benefits of each project, in comparison to others. “Environmental benefits” can vary widely and successful applications have ranged from property clean-ups to environmental education.

Mission

• encourage and promote the leadership, achievement, and professional and personal development of women in the environmental professions
• provide an informal setting for women in the environmental professions:
• to meet, share technical information and work experiences
• discuss unique issues affecting women environmental professionals nationally and
• to develop working relationships between those in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors
• educate members on new developments and current trends in the environmental field
• strengthen the skills of the members by addressing environmental issues, business relationships, leadership roles, mentoring and other substantive topics
• encourage and promote public service in the environmental field

NOTE:

Application forms must be requested each year online prior to submitting an application. When you submit an LOI, a member of the foundation staff will be contacting you within the next five business days regarding the status of your request.

Full applications are due at the "full proposal" deadline above. 

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

NOTE: We recommend that all grantseekers speak with a program officer before beginning a Grant Application. New organizations are required to contact us before beginning an application.

In 2023, grants for the Northeast, Southeast and Windham areas have a deadline of October 3, 2023; Norwich area grants will be by invitation only.

About Our Women & Girls Fund Grants

Generous gifts and bequests from caring donors have created four permanent endowment funds serving the Northeast, Norwich, Southeast and Windham areas. Together, the four funds are advancing equal opportunities for women and girls throughout Eastern Connecticut, using a lens of equity and social justice in our grants, advocacy and action.

Our grantmaking priorities reflect the challenges identified in The Status of Women and Girls in Eastern Connecticut:

• Empower women and girls to make positive decisions – Examples include mentoring, leadership, career exposure, character development.
• Promote healthy relationships and prevent domestic violence – Examples include teen dating violence prevention education, domestic violence shelters and transitional housing, victim advocacy.
• Advance family economic security – Examples include training for jobs and career advancement, programs to overcome barriers to financial security, and other supports for low-income women.
• Support access to women’s health, mental health and reproductive health services – Examples include counseling, health education, health care access.
• Support public policy, advocacy and leadership to promote equity – Examples include statewide policy groups, training programs for grass-roots organizations. Please call the program staff to discuss your ideas.
• Help New London women, ages 62 and older, with limited incomes to remain in their homes (Southeast only) – Examples include meal delivery, nursing services.

Collectively, the four Women & Girls Funds have an endowment of $6.3 million and have awarded more than $2.7 million in grants to over 580 programs.

We encourage all applicants to contact the Community Foundation with questions or to discuss your ideas prior to starting an application. New organizations are required to contact the program office before beginning an application.