80 Years of History: Part 3

New Britain, Conn., August 30, 2021 – As the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain (CFGNB) celebrates its 80th year in 2021, they are looking back on the rich history and generous donors that helped them grow to be the Foundation that they are today, providing a lasting and positive impact in the Greater New Britain community. This article explores the Foundation’s progress from the late 90’s to today.

Up until the nineties, most of the Foundation’s funds were discretionary and unrestricted. The Foundation embarked on a purposeful plan to increase its assets by defining various types of funds that donors could establish, encouraging both current and planned gifts, and helping donors create funds for specific charitable purposes. Soon after, the Foundation’s first scholarships were established.

In 1995, the Board of Directors established the Beehive Society, a way to recognize those who wish to ensure the well-being of their community for years to come through the establishment of a future estate gift. Since then, more than 100 individuals and families have joined and will leave a legacy to support impactful programs throughout the Foundation’s four-town service area and beyond.

Alix Welch Stanley, who was once the President of the Stanley Level & Rule Company (known today as Stanley Black & Decker) founded the A.W. Stanley Charitable Foundation in 1943. A descendant of the original proprietors of a large section of land known as Stanley Quarter, Alix was a major benefactor for New Britain, and his Foundation supported area nonprofits with over $14 million dollars in 56 years. In 2001, the New Britain Foundation for Public Giving (now known as the CFGNB) completed a five-year merge with the A.W. Stanley Charitable Foundation, which had grown to over $22 million. Once the merge was complete, the New Britain Foundation for Public Giving then became the fifth largest community foundation in Connecticut overnight.
In 2004, The New Britain Foundation for Public Giving rebranded and the name of the organization was changed to the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain. The name change more accurately portrayed the Foundation’s services, which began to reach beyond New Britain and included the towns of Berlin, Plainville, and Southington. The new names also embraced the “community” the Foundation serves.

One of the most exciting changes 2004 brought was the move of the Foundation’s offices from Russell Street in New Britain, to 74 Vine Street where it named its building “The Foundation Center”. The move allowed the Foundation’s roots to be extended even deeper into the community and reaffirmed its commitment to the city it serves.

Since then, the Foundation has continued to grow and work on new and relevant initiatives to make a bigger impact on its service area. These initiatives included: the Degree Completion Initiative, which assists college juniors and seniors by paying a portion of their tuition so they may continue their education; the Greater New Britain Disaster Response Fund, which allows the Foundation to be ready to step in when local families are devastated by natural disaster; and the Young Philanthropy Initiative, which inspires younger generations to contribute time, treasure, and talent to nonprofit organizations, and a very successful Catalyst Giving Circle for donors to gather together and address local needs.

In 2018, the Foundation also established a Capacity Building Program for Nonprofits to provide training and information sharing opportunities for the nonprofits in its service area. The initiative became very popular with local groups as it helped them gain the skills and techniques necessary for their own success in providing services, often to the most vulnerable in the community.
The Foundation is extremely grateful to the donors and volunteers who have guided and supported them over the last 80 years. Your time and contributions have not only helped its endowment grow from $3 million in 1990 to close to $60 million today, but you have also allowed us to be even more impactful throughout the region and beyond.

For more information about the Foundation and its initiatives, please visit www.cfgnb.org.

Established in 1941, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain is “Where Good Begins” in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington. The Foundation works to inspire philanthropy, responsibly manage permanent charitable assets, and partner to address key community issues through strategic leadership.