Catalyst Awards First Time $12,500 Grant to Jordan Porco Foundation

Nov. 22, 2019 (New Britain, Conn.) – On Thursday, November 14, The Catalyst Giving Circle at the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain broke two new records.

 The Catalyst Fund is comprised of a group of community-minded citizens interested in improving the quality of life in Greater New Britain. Members collectively make a gift to the Catalyst fund. They then gather three times a year to learn about a member-chosen issue facing the community, and to consider funding requests from charitable organizations addressing the issue. The year concludes with a grant award to a nonprofit organization.

In its 17th year, the Catalyst Fund reached a record high of 75 voting members. This year, the topic of focus was suicide prevention among children and young adults. Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in Connecticut and the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 10-14. Because this is such a prevalent issue, Catalyst heard from three organizations that offer suicide prevention services in the Foundation’s four-town community.

The membership voted to award a $12,500 grant to the Jordan Porco Foundation of Hartford. This was the first time a grant over $10,000 was awarded from the Catalyst Fund and it’s due to the record level of membership in the last two years.

 “The Foundation and the Catalyst Giving Circle are extremely excited about the increase to the grant amount, especially since it is a direct effect of a growing membership. We are proud to be able to leave a larger impact in the community and we know the Jordan Porco Foundation is the perfect organization to make that impact,” says David Obedzinski, President of the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain.

Thanks to the recent $12,500 grant, The Jordan Porco Foundation will offer the 4 What’s Next (4WN) program, a primary prevention program that builds psychological resilience in young adults by giving them the tools to handle stress and distress now and in their future. Through the program, participants understand what distress looks like for them and develop or strengthen an internal locus of control related to their mental health and emotional well-being. 

Anyone can become a member of Catalyst. A “Discovery” membership is available for first-time members (and their families) for a gift of $50; a “Business” membership offers local businesses the opportunity to engage their employees in local philanthropy and the Community Foundation is grateful to the Hospital of Central CT, Schaller Auto World, Stanley Black and Decker as well as Okay Industries for sponsoring business memberships giving several of their employees an opportunity to participate.  Regular annual membership in the Catalyst Fund is a gift of $250 per voting unit, which can be an individual, couple, group or family. For information on joining Catalyst, contact Joeline Wruck at jwruck@cfgnb.org or 860-229-6018, ext. 307.

Established in 1941, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain is “Where Good Begins” in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington. Located at The Foundation Center at 74A Vine Street, New Britain, the Foundation works to inspire philanthropy, responsibly manage permanent charitable assets, and partner to address key community issues through strategic leadership. For more information, visit www.cfgnb.org.