Community Foundation Seeks Proposals for Catalyst Grant to Bolster After-School Programs for Teens

$10,000 Award to be Made in November

New Britain, Conn. (July 28, 2014) – The Community Foundation of Greater New Britain and members of the Foundation’s Catalyst Fund are seeking grant applications from area service providers capable of strengthening and improving the quality of existing after-school and out-of-school programs serving 10 to 15-year-olds in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington.

A $10,000 Catalyst Fund grant will be awarded to the chosen applicant in November. The deadline for applications is August 15.

The goal of the grant is to improve the quality of programs that provide local youth with regular, well-rounded after-school and out-of-school programming that has clear goals and outcomes, and activities that support those goals and outcomes. The Request for Proposal is focused upon applicants capable of:

•    Providing durable and reusable supplies and/or equipment to support curriculum and enhance programming;
•    Offering professional development and/or training for staff in the areas of curriculum, child development and best practices;
•    Creating a program environment that is inviting and conducive to relaxation and the needs/interests of program participants;
•    Offering field trips that enrich the program and deepen participant engagement.

Members of the Foundation’s Catalyst Fund were recently enlightened on the subject of after-school and out-of-school programming by Michelle Doucette Cunningham, executive director of the Connecticut After School Network. According to Ms. Cunningham, new research has shown that consistent student participation and engagement in after-school programming can play an important role in narrowing the achievement gap.

Service providers interested in applying for the grant should contact Kaylah Smith, Program and Scholarship Associate, at ksmith@cfgnb.org or (860) 229-6018, ext. 300.

The Catalyst Fund is a group of local citizens interested in improving the quality of life in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington. Members make a modest $250 investment per couple or individual each year. Three times per year, members gather to learn about a member-chosen issue facing their community, and to consider funding requests from charitable organizations addressing this issue. The year concludes with a collective vote to award a $10,000 grant to a chosen grantee.

In its 11 years of existence, Catalyst Fund members have awarded more than $100,000 to a variety of programs meeting important needs and addressing difficult challenges in the local community.

Established in 1941, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain connects donors who care with causes that matter in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington. It does this by raising resources and developing partnerships that make a measurable improvement in the quality of life in each of these communities. For more information, visit www.cfgnb.org.