Our Initiatives

The Community Foundation continually monitors the communities we serve, responding with new initiatives as needs and opportunities arise.

Aligned with our mission of addressing key community issues through strategic leadership, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain is proactive with a portion of its grantmaking funds in order to seek out, create and support projects and initiatives that focus on the broader community as well as nonprofits that serve the community. By being strategic and investing resources in this manner, the Foundation fulfills its community leadership goal of defining challenges and investing in solutions.

Capacity Building Initiative

Since 2018, when the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain started its Capacity Building Initiative, staff and board members from nonprofit organizations have benefitted from trainings, workshops, and webinars designed to help them strengthen their operations and address the increasingly difficult challenge of sustaining programs and services during lean fiscal times.

Catalyst Giving Circle

The Catalyst Giving Circle brings people who care about Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington together to experience philanthropy first-hand. With a modest donation of only $50 for first-time “Discovery” members and $250 for annual renewals, and $250 for business memberships, members (individuals and couples) pool their resources to:

  • Learn about topical issues facing our communities.
  • Jointly determine grants to nonprofit organizations tackling those issues.
  • Meet new people who share a commitment to our communities.

Degree Completion Initiative

The CFGNB has partnered with CCSU to establish the Degree Completion Initiative Program to provide financial assistance to those in the latter part of their education with a good college standing and demonstrated need.

First Years First Initiative

At its core, the Initiative strives to provide our youngest children and their caregivers with the developmentally strong start in life they need to succeed, or risk not only their future, but our collective future, as well. That is the mandate that the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain embraced in 2005 when it established First Years First, a long-term investment in preparing our children for success in school and in life by enhancing their early childhood development experience.

Greater New Britain Disaster Response Fund

The CFGNB wants to be prepared to respond appropriately to what the Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington communities may need during times of local emergency as local funds for emergency assistance by towns and other nonprofits are often limited.

Young Philanthropy

Aligned with our mission of inspiring philanthropy we recognize the need to educate younger generations about the value of contributing one’s time, talent and treasure to support charitable organizations in their community. One way we accomplish this is through innovative social networking opportunities, including social events centered around “GivingTuesday” activities each November in several of the communities we serve.