Best Child Welfare Grants in Connecticut

The Ludcke Foundation

Guidelines

To identify and support charitable endeavors that provide needed resources and services to children and families, with an emphasis on emotional and physical health, education, and social development.

The Foundation devotes its grants to the fields of education, health, and human services. The trustees have a special interest in programs that focus across two or three of the foundation’s areas of interest and in partnering with other donors with similar objectives to enable more ambitious projects.

Current Grantmaking Preferences

Job training for systems involved young people, job training for adults facing significant barriers, and limited support for innovative approaches to helping children in underserved New England communities overcome significant and often overlapping barriers to educational success.

Access to health programs for all ages, and behavioral health services for children and teens in underserved communities or otherwise facing significant barriers.

Homelessness prevention, housing assistance, food security, legal assistance, holistic family support, support for young people at risk, and support for victims of domestic violence.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in Connecticut working on youth development, child welfare, basic needs, or community programs can seek funding to enhance quality of life. Vermont Mutual Insurance Group provides support for initiatives that promote education, foster youth, strengthen communities, and address housing, homelessness, and hunger within its marketing territories.

Connecticut nonprofits improving education and child welfare can apply for Elizabeth Carse Foundation’s one-year grants, awarding up to US $10,000 for program support. Organizations offering child welfare services or training elementary and secondary school teachers to help children achieve better standards of living may be especially competitive.

Connecticut child welfare organizations serving underserved children’s basic needs, such as housing, clothing, food, and medical care, may be eligible for this grant. Focused on improving the social welfare of children, Olga Sipolin Children's Fund, administered by Bank of America, can also support related human services, education, health care, arts, and environmental programs.

Focused on health and human services, Swindells Charitable Foundation invites Connecticut child welfare and related human services organizations to seek one-year support for sick, suffering, or economically disadvantaged people. Public and charitable hospitals and programs serving children or older adults, including those in child welfare, may be especially competitive for this funding.

Greenawalt Foundation

Our Mission

The Greenawalt Foundation advances opportunities in the skilled trades through funding for accredited pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, workforce training initiatives, and youth career exploration experiences. These programs promote technical readiness and connect STEM education to modern trades careers, building a stronger, more sustainable workforce. Foundation support focuses on expanding access and creating equitable pathways to prosperity for individuals pursuing skilled trades careers. Through these efforts, the Foundation helps develop the next generation of skilled professionals who will shape the future of our communities.

Community Grant

The Greenawalt Foundation extends its commitment to opportunity and well-being through community grants that support nonprofit organizations serving women, children, and vulnerable populations. These grants focus on programs that promote safety, stability, and self-sufficiency, including initiatives supporting domestic violence recovery, foster care, the working poor, and animal welfare. Foundation support strengthens the social fabric of communities and expands access to essential resources for those in need. Through these efforts, the Foundation helps build stronger, more compassionate communities where individuals and families can thrive.

Areas of Support

We focus our community grants on initiatives that align with our mission of compassion, opportunity, and empowerment. Areas of support may include:

• Domestic violence prevention and survivor support
• Programs for women and children
• Family assistance and poverty relief initiatives
• Foster care, youth development, and educational support
• Animal welfare and community-based rescue programs

Nonprofit organizations working on child welfare, early childhood development, or preventing child abuse and neglect in Connecticut and nationwide can seek support for community-led, prevention-oriented projects that help families thrive. The Doris Duke Foundation backs innovative efforts that reimagine child welfare systems and test alternatives like the Opportunities for Prevention & Transformation Initiative (OPT-In).

Child welfare and family-service nonprofits in the greater Chicago area can receive US $2,000 - US $10,000 to support programs such as child welfare services, foster care and adoption, crisis intervention, and related human services. McGraw Foundation provides single-year grants for general operating support, specific projects, and occasionally capital needs; Connecticut organizations may be ineligible due to the geographic focus.

Organizations providing child welfare and immigration-related services in Connecticut can apply for US $1,000,000 - US $50,000,000 to deliver home study and post-release support for unaccompanied children in the U.S. Grants from US Dept. of Health & Human Services: Administration for Children & Families fund safe placements, case management, and community connections for these minors.

Joyful Heart Foundation

Since 2004, Joyful Heart has been a leading national organization with a mission to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse by building a world that prioritizes survivors’ healing.

Our Areas of Focus

We continue to carry out our mission through programming centered on survivors’ needs. We strive to fill gaps where those needs aren’t being met, without duplicating existing programs. In order to build a more compassionate, more informed culture rooted in the possibility and promise of healing, we focus on three key areas: Awareness and Community Building, Policy and Advocacy and Healing Programs.

• Healing Programs and Resources: Creating and fostering a culture of healing and nurturing for survivors and the professionals who support them.
• Policy and Advocacy: Advocating for policies and practices that forge a path to safety, justice and hope for survivors.

• Awareness and Community Building: Creating spaces and conversations that channel a drive for change into action and transformation.

Heal the Healers Grant 

Helping alleviate the effects of secondary trauma for the long-term wellbeing of professionals who support survivors

Building for a System of Care and Compassion

Heal the Healers Grantmaking Program provides critical support for professionals who help survivors heal and seek justice. People working on the frontlines of survivor-centered services are subject to the often overlooked effects of secondary trauma that can emerge as a result of continuous exposure to people who have recently experienced abuse and violence.

The Heal the Healers Grant Fund and Grantee Learning Cohorts provide resources to mitigate the effects of secondary trauma among the practitioners responsible for the earliest stages of survivors’ paths to justice and healing. Creating a safer, more compassionate world for the people who do this work helps lay a foundation for lasting change and a world where every survivor’s healing is prioritized.

The Heal the Healers Fund provides micro-grants of up to $5,000 to nonprofit, Tribal, or governmental organizations supporting survivors for training, small capital projects, or organizational activities.

Areas of Support

The Joyful Heart Foundation has established the following guidelines for its Heal the Healers Fund grants to support those working directly with survivors in the following areas.

• Training and/or program development on self-care practices such as training in trauma-informed yoga, breathwork, somatic therapy, etc.
• Small capital items and equipment that specifically allow staff and volunteers to address their self care needs such as daylight lamps for staff or new furniture for a break room.
• Staff activities to build and support connections between colleagues such as, trust building experiences, monthly pizza nights, or bagel Fridays.
• Or any combination of the above. 

In addition to the financial support, grantees will also be invited to join a peer learning community cohort that includes:

• Opportunities to amplify their fellowship/cohort experiences to inspire others in the field
• Virtual peer-to-peer networking opportunities
• Virtual training/presentations by leading healers, therapists and other professionals with expertise in cutting edge vicarious trauma, empowerment, leadership and therapeutic modalities

Youth who are or have been in Nevada foster care and plan to attend an accredited college, trade, or vocational program can apply for the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada’s Foster Children Education Scholarship, awarding $1,000 - $5,000. Eligible applicants must be U.S. residents with financial need and meet GPA and foster care criteria.

Young people in North Carolina exiting foster care or living in poverty who wish to attend an accredited college or career/technical program can receive scholarship support through the Joyce Price Johnson’s Samaritan Fund. Administered by North Carolina Community Foundation, this fund primarily considers applicants from Wayne County and neighboring counties and may benefit child welfare–focused programs in Connecticut that support eligible youth relocating or studying in the U.S.

The EMF Family Building Grants, offered by the Expect Miracles Foundation, support young adult cancer survivors in their fertility treatment and family-building efforts. These grants are designed for applicants with a clear family-building plan and financial strategy, helping bridge the gap in costs associated with fertility preservation, assisted reproductive technologies, and related services. By prioritizing those actively engaged in their journey, the foundation aims to empower survivors to pursue their dreams of family.

The Dr. Gary King Sharp Memorial Scholarship, offered by the Central Kentucky Community Foundation, aims to support students with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. Priority is given to those connected with Hospice services or in the foster care system, and to first-generation college students. This scholarship serves as a vital resource to empower students in their educational pursuits and enhance community life.

Orphaned or former foster care students planning full-time undergraduate study in the U.S. can receive college tuition support, mentoring, and leadership training through the ISF New Student Scholarship. Grants from Investing in the Success of Foster Youth help young people with foster care backgrounds, including those from Connecticut, pursue higher education and develop leadership skills.

The Helen M. McLoraine Foster Care and Emancipated Youth Scholarship provides financial support for youth from the foster care system in Colorado. With a minimum award of $1,000, the scholarship is aimed at those pursuing post-secondary education, including trade schools and universities. Recipients are selected based on academic performance, resilience, and financial need, ensuring that deserving individuals receive the assistance they need to succeed in their educational goals.

With a mission to strengthen trauma-informed care, The Fund for Greater Hartford provides Connecticut child welfare organizations with up to US $5,000 to train staff who work directly with culturally diverse children. Eligible 501(c)(3)s in specified Greater Hartford communities can cover professional trainer fees, travel, lodging, materials, room reservations, food, and staff per diem.

Nonprofit organizations supporting child welfare, youth development, education, health, or hunger relief in the U.S., including Connecticut, can seek funding from the Dale Jr Foundation. Grants support underprivileged children through safe housing, literacy and technology access, wellness and mental health services, food security, and experiences that build hope and confidence for young people facing adversity.

About Us

Marshfield Area Community Foundation, Inc. is a public, 501-C-3 charity. There are 30 community foundations in Wisconsin and more than 750 in the nation. The purpose of all community foundations is to accumulate charitable dollars that impact a specific geographic region in areas such as education, the arts, economic development, recreation, environmental protection, health care, and social services. They may be relatively small, as we are (assets of $14 million), or very large, as is the Greater Milwaukee Foundation (assets over $400 million).

Most people are familiar with private foundations, established by individuals, families, or corporations. Typically, in order to establish a private foundation, one has to have considerable wealth. You could say Community Foundations are much more democratic. We are, in a sense, an umbrella foundation containing many small foundations. We call those small foundations “funds.”

Marshfield Area Community Foundation Scholarships

The mission of the Marshfield Area Community Foundation is “Connecting people who care with causes that matter to enrich the quality of life in the Marshfield area”. Education is a valuable tool and a cause that matters to all of us. Through assisting students with financial support to receive an education, not only do students and the families of those students benefit, but also our community benefits, which further allows us to achieve our mission of enriching the quality of life in the Marshfield area.

Kenneth and Ardyce Heiting Scholarship (2025)

Federally recognized tribal governments, tribal organizations, and Tribal TANF-administering consortia in Connecticut and across the U.S. can seek funding to coordinate TANF and child welfare services for families at risk of child abuse or neglect. US Dept. of Health & Human Services: Administration for Children & Families offers about US $225,000 for case management, supportive services, and prevention-focused systems changes.

Connecticut child welfare and youth-serving nonprofits focused on foster care, adoption, homelessness, or related systems-change work may be eligible for support, though Laird Norton Family Foundation’s human services funding is currently limited to King County, WA. The foundation also funds arts in education, climate change, and watershed stewardship initiatives across select U.S. regions.

Connecticut 501(c)(3) organizations supporting child welfare, foster care, or abuse survivors can use this national grant to expand services, infrastructure, and healing programs. Grants from When Georgia Smiled help U.S. nonprofits serving children and families affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, or crises that demonstrate financial stability and inclusive, open programs.

The Stout Foundation Grant supports organizations aligned with the values of its founder, Mr. Stout. Grants are awarded exclusively to entities with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and focus on charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. Preference is given to organizations with low overhead costs and those located in areas frequented by Foundation members. The Foundation aims to promote effective use of funds while remaining flexible in its grant-making approach.

The NewAlliance Foundation Grant offers support to not-for-profit organizations in four key areas: arts, community development, health and human services, and youth education. It prioritizes programs that engage diverse and underserved populations, promote economic self-sufficiency, and provide essential services to vulnerable communities. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)3 non-profits located within specific towns. The foundation does not fund start-ups or organizations outside its service area, ensuring targeted support for impactful initiatives.

The Katharine Matthies Foundation Grant aims to enhance educational, human services, and health care for underserved communities, particularly in the Lower Naugatuck Valley of Connecticut. Established in 1987, it prioritizes organizations preventing cruelty to children and animals. Grants typically last one year, with occasional multi-year support, focusing especially on the towns of Seymour, Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Shelton, and Beacon Falls.

Entergy’s Open Grants Program aims to enhance community well-being through funding initiatives in arts, education, social services, and community improvement. The program prioritizes support for organizations that serve diverse populations, including children and low-income communities. Eligible entities must have 501(c)(3) status or equivalent nonprofit recognition. Applications should be submitted three months in advance, allowing ample time for review. Entergy focuses on projects that foster self-sufficiency and enrich local neighborhoods.

About Us

Leadership. Collaboration. Impact.

The Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley helps philanthropists support the causes closest to their heart while connecting local residents to the resources they need for a better quality of life.

Our Mission

To serve as a leader and advocate for strategic philanthropy, partnering with donors to anchor a permanent and growing endowment and making investments in the Mahoning Valley that improve the quality of life for all residents.

Scholarship Opportunities

Your Community, Your Support System

Our community members support hundreds of local students every year through various scholarships facilitated by the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley.

• MyPath- Goldberg Scholarship Fund for MVCAP
  • Awarded to Trumbull County or Mahoning County students participating in MyPath programming or advising, with priority given to students who are or have been in foster care.