The Community Foundation partners with key organizations to increase resiliency in Eastern Connecticut.

Since 2015, we have helped to advance the work of environmentally-focused nonprofit organizations in southeastern Connecticut and in 2018 our funding expanded north across our 42-town region. Our work in the community continues through:

The Community Foundation supports programs that seek to preserve and protect environmentally significant land, waterways and wildlife habitats for the benefit of our ecosystem and the well-being of residents. We also understand it is critical to engage our youth in environmental education and outdoor activities so that they can become the next generation of environmental stewards.

The Community Foundation has taken this lead role thanks to the foresight and generosity of two major gifts which established the Peter Grayson Letz Fund for Animals and the Environment and the Mary Janvrin and Natalie Janvrin Wiggins Fund for Birds, Other Animals and Nature. These bequests have enabled us to support a broad range of projects from the preservation of open space and monitoring of water quality, to the STEM and environmental education of our youth, and much more. By partnering with nonprofit organizations such as Avalonia Land Conservancy, Connecticut Forest & Park Association, The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut, Project Oceanology and Mystic Aquarium, we are seeing positive movement on important environmental issues. We also support the efforts of the Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CCLC) and The Last Green Valley who are working together to accelerate the pace of conservation through regional collaboration.

Above image courtesy of Connecticut Forest & Park Association.

RECENT ENVIRONMENTAL GRANTS