The Northwest Community Bank Foundation was funded and organized on January 1, 2022 by Northwest Community Bank and its Divisions, Collinsville Bank and Litchfield Bancorp, as a separate non-profit entity. The Foundation extends the Bank’s contributions to non-profit agencies and organizations working to address the needs of the communities the bank serves.
Working to address the needs of the communities we serve
Our Recipients: Providing opportunities to those who impact our community
In its 2023, The Northwest Community Bank Foundation, Inc. awarded $302,100 to 83 non-profit organizations. Foundation President Paul McLaughlin, Jr., states that, “We were very pleased with the response and our opportunity to support area non-profit organizations. In addition to our traditional Corporate Giving Program, the Foundation is another way the bank achieves our fundamental goal: to serve the communities where we live and work. We look forward to continuing to give support in 2024.”
Northwest Community Bank Foundation’s “Gratitude Gala” was held in January 2024
The Northwest Community Bank Foundation proudly hosted our second annual GALA Event at KidsPlay Museum in Torrington, CT. We were honored to be joined by many of the non-profits who received grants. In all, 83 organizations received over $300,000 in 2023. These non-profit organizations provide much needed support in so many ways, helping families in need, offsetting food insecurity, providing behavioral health services, supporting individuals with disabilities, assisting with land preservation, and funding afterschool activities. Together, we’re making a positive impact in our community!
Northwest Community Bank Foundation Grants Awarded in 2023
Avon Land Trust
Awarded $2,000 Grant
- Read Caption
In 2023, Northwest Community Bank Foundation awarded a total of $2,000 to the Avon Land Trust for Avon Land Trust programming and project support. From left to right, Northwest Community Bank Foundation President Paul McLaughlin; Northwest Community Bank President & CEO Maura Malo, Treasurer of Avon Land Trust Scott Lewis; and Northwest Community Bank Foundation Chairman Alan Colavecchio.
Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals
Awarded $5,000 Grant
- Read Caption
In 2023, Northwest Community Bank Foundation awarded a total of $5,000 to the Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals to support EMDR & Trauma-Informed Therapies Training for Greenwoods Network Providers. From left to right, Northwest Community Bank Director of Business Services & Commercial Lender Margaret Warner; Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals Director of Development Marisa Johnson; Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals Executive Director John Simoncelli; and Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals Board of Trustees President Peter Aziz.
Stanley-Whitman House
Awarded $2,500 Grant
- Read Caption
In 2023, Northwest Community Bank Foundation awarded a total of $2,500 to the Stanley-Whitman House to provide free admission. From left to right, Stanley-Whitman House Executive Director Andres Verzosa and Northwest Community Bank Farmington Branch Manager Dena Martinelli.
Watertown History Museum
Awarded $1,000 Grant
- Read Caption
In 2023, Northwest Community Bank Foundation awarded a total of $1,000 to the Watertown History Museum for their Illuminating Our Past funding. From left to right, Watertown History Museum Curator Joann Barthelmess; Watertown History Museum President Ivan Cyr; and Northwest Community Bank Watertown Branch Manager Eileen Couture.
.
Avon Land Trust
Awarded $2,000 Grant
- Read Caption
In 2023, Northwest Community Bank Foundation awarded a total of $2,000 to the Avon Land Trust for Avon Land Trust programming and project support. From left to right, Northwest Community Bank Foundation President Paul McLaughlin; Northwest Community Bank President & CEO Maura Malo, Treasurer of Avon Land Trust Scott Lewis; and Northwest Community Bank Foundation Chairman Alan Colavecchio.
Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals
Awarded $5,000 Grant
- Read Caption
In 2023, Northwest Community Bank Foundation awarded a total of $5,000 to the Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals to support EMDR & Trauma-Informed Therapies Training for Greenwoods Network Providers. From left to right, Northwest Community Bank Director of Business Services & Commercial Lender Margaret Warner; Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals Director of Development Marisa Johnson; Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals Executive Director John Simoncelli; and Greenwoods Counseling & Referrals Board of Trustees President Peter Aziz.
Stanley-Whitman House
Awarded $2,500 Grant
- Read Caption
In 2023, Northwest Community Bank Foundation awarded a total of $2,500 to the Stanley-Whitman House to provide free admission. From left to right, Stanley-Whitman House Executive Director Andres Verzosa and Northwest Community Bank Farmington Branch Manager Dena Martinelli.
Watertown History Museum
Awarded $1,000 Grant
- Read Caption
In 2023, Northwest Community Bank Foundation awarded a total of $1,000 to the Watertown History Museum for their Illuminating Our Past funding. From left to right, Watertown History Museum Curator Joann Barthelmess; Watertown History Museum President Ivan Cyr; and Northwest Community Bank Watertown Branch Manager Eileen Couture.
.
$302,100 in grants awarded to 83 non-profit organizations in 2023
2023 Fall Cycle Recipients
Non-Profit Organization | Amount | Purpose |
---|---|---|
Avon Land Trust, Inc. | $2,000.00 | Avon Land Trust Programming and Project Support |
Bantam Civic Association | $2,000.00 | Playground improvements |
Beardsley Library | $5,000.00 | Tech Upgrade Including New Computers |
Canaan Child Care Center | $1,000.00 | Family Scholarship Funds/Healthy Snacks for Kids |
Canton Historical Society | $2,000.00 | Collins Company panoramic painting restoration |
Caring for Bethlehem, Inc. | $1,000.00 | Winter Is Coming! Feed the Families |
Connecticut Spokebenders | $2,000.00 | CT Spokebenders WC Basketball: Season Funding |
CREATE Independence | $1,000.00 | CREATEur Makerspace "Where Creativity meet Inclusion" |
Gifts of Love | $2,500.00 | Food for Seniors |
Girl Scouts of Connecticut, Inc. | $5,000.00 | Making Girl Scouting Accessible in Torrington |
Healing Hoofbeats of CT, Inc. | $1,500.00 | Animal Welfare Fund |
Helping Hands Chore Service | $3,000.00 | Program Development & Capacity Building; Medical Transportation for Seniors |
Holcomb Farm, Inc. | $5,000.00 | Enhance the Soil to Grow More Food |
Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford | $2,000.00 | In-Depth Support for Holocaust Survivors and Older Refugees From the Former Soviet Union |
Litchfield Hills Adult Day Care | $3,000.00 | Replacing Dining Room Chairs |
Litchfield Hills/Northwest Elderly Nutrition Program | $2,500.00 | Keep our Winsted Routes Rolling |
Litchfield Historical Society | $2,500.00 | Matching Funds – “To Come to A Land of Milk and Honey”, 2-year Exhibition and Programming |
Litchfield Performing Arts, Inc. | $2,000.00 | Jazz After Work |
Little Britches Therapeutic Riding, Inc. | $1,000.00 | Little Britches at Shepaug Fall 2023 |
McCall Behavioral Health Network | $3,500.00 | Personal Care Items for Residents in Recovery |
Morris Historical Society | $2,500.00 | New electrical panel for the Old Town Hall Museum |
Morris Public Library | $1,500.00 | Listen, Read, and Explore with VOX Books |
New Hartford Volunteer Ambulance | $3,000.00 | Personal Protective Equipment - Extrication Gear |
New Hartford Women's Club | $1,500.00 | Project Community Support |
Open Cupboard at Granby Congregational Church | $2,000.00 | Open Cupboard at Granby Congregational Church, UCC |
Rebuilding Together Litchfield County, Inc. | $5,000.00 | Rebuild Day 24 |
Rivers Alliance of Connecticut | $2,000.00 | CT Watershed Conservation Network Roundtables |
Simsbury Performing Arts Center, Inc. | $2,500.00 | 2024 Circus Smirkus Benefactor Ticket Subsidy Program |
Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association, Inc. | $3,000.00 | Ambulance Equipment Replacement and Expansion |
SpiritHorse Therapeutic Riding Center of Canton, Inc. | $1,500.00 | Therapeutic Winter Riding Program |
Sundown Ski Patrol | $1,000.00 | Replace Patrol Radios |
Susan B. Anthony Project | $5,000.00 | Rebuilding Lives Program |
The Arc of the Farmington Valley, Inc. | $2,500.00 | Favarh Players Theatre Program |
The Avon Historical Society | $1,000.00 | Production of Interpretive Panel Displays for the new Avon History Museum |
Town of Canton Fire & EMS Department | $2,500.00 | New Station Fitness Room Fitness Equipment |
Town of Morris | $1,500.00 | Park Benches |
Traprock Ridge Land Conservancy | $1,500.00 | Accessible Trail from Seymour School to Howard Preserve / Nourish My Soul Farm / Salmon Brook |
Watertown History Museum | $3,000.00 | Mapping Our History |
Winsted Senior Center | $3,000.00 | Relaxation Stations |
YMCA Camp Mohawk | $5,000.00 | Day Camp Tent |
2023 Spring Cycle Recipients
Non-Profit Organization | Amount | Purpose |
---|---|---|
American Mural Project | $3,000.00 | AMP Education Programs |
American Museum of Tort Law | $2,500.00 | Audio Narration for the Museum Exhibits |
Brooker Memorial | $3,000.00 | Building Equity Through Interpretation |
Burlington Volunteer Fire Department | $2,500.00 | Upgrades needed for CPR Program with latest Standards for American Heart Association |
Canaan Child Care Center | $2,500.00 | Family Scholarship Funds/Healthy Snacks for Kids |
Canton Main Street, Inc. | $2,500.00 | High St. Junction (Train Station) Rehabilitation Project |
Civic Family Services aka The Clothes Tree | $3,000.00 | Consignment Software |
Connecticut News Consortium | $2,500.00 | The Winsted Citizen |
Covenant to Care for Children, Inc. | $3,000.00 | Basic essential goods for children |
CREATE Independence | $5,000.00 | Summer Life Skills program to develop & improve daily independence & community participation. |
EdAdvance | $1,000.00 | Business Education Series for Local Childcare Providers |
Explorations, Inc. | $5,200.00 | Board Development for Capacity Building. Increase unique learning opportunities for students. |
Farmington Land Trust Inc. | $2,500.00 | Renovation of the Post & Beam Barn and Workroom at the Wilcox-Bushley Homestead |
FOCUS Center for Autism, Inc. | $7,500.00 | FOCUS Autism Spectrum Unplugged Panel |
Friend to Friend, Inc. | $7,000.00 | Friend To Friend Food Pantry support |
Friendly Hands Food Bank, Inc. | $7,000.00 | Replenishing the Shelves for the Hungry |
Girls on the Run Greater Hartford | $5,000.00 | After-school Girls on the Run Program for girls in 3rd-8th grade |
Goshen Fire Company Inc | $3,400.00 | Acquisition of two electronic life signs (vitals) monitors. |
Greenwoods Counseling Referrals Inc. | $5,000.00 | EMDR & Trauma-Informed Therapies Training for Greenwoods Network Providers |
Healing Meals Community Project | $10,000.00 | Healthy Meals and Wellness for Low-Income Neighbors |
Hill-Stead Museum | $3,000.00 | Visual and Performing Arts Summer STEAM Academy |
KidsPlay Children's Museum, Inc. | $25,000.00 | Finishing Funds for KidsPlay’s 57 Main Street Expansion |
McCall Behavioral Health Network | $4,000.00 | Internal Family Systems Therapy Training |
McLean | $2,500.00 | Kitchen fixture replacements |
Morris Fire Company | $1,000.00 | Morris Fire Company hose replacement project |
Prime Time House | $7,500.00 | Next Steps to Independence |
Salisbury Housing Committee Inc | $5,000.00 | Anne Kremer Capital Campaign |
Simsbury Historical Society | $1,000.00 | Project Name: Repairing The Meeting House |
Simsbury Main Street Partnership Inc. | $2,500.00 | Program Grant for SMSP |
SpiritHorse Therapeutic Riding Center of Canton, Inc. | $2,500.00 | Therapeutic Summer Riding Program |
Stanley-Whitman House | $2,500.00 | FREE ADMISSIONS |
Summit Adaptive Sports Inc. | $2,500.00 | Summit Adaptive Sports Summer Programming |
Talcott Mountain Science Center for Student Involvement, Inc. | $10,000.00 | Capacity Building: Strategic Planning |
The Community Kitchen of Torrington Inc | $5,000.00 | Freezer and Pantry Spring Restocking |
The Kids of Summer Foundation | $1,000.00 | Immersive Fishing Experience |
The Robert C. Geer Memorial Hospital, Incorporated | $5,000.00 | Go Geer program |
Town of Morris | $2,000.00 | Boat launch Handicap Access |
VNA Valley Care, Inc. | $20,000.00 | Technology Grant |
Watertown History Museum | $1,000.00 | Illuminating Our Past |
Westley’s Wish K9 Rescue | $2,500.00 | Ongoing Vet bills |
Winchester Land Trust | $5,000.00 | Cannavo Spring Watershed Protection Initiative |
Winchester Youth Service Bureau branch of the Northwest CT YMCA | $3,500.00 | Rising Star Camp Scholarships |
Wisdom House Retreat and Conference Center | $5,000.00 | Sunporch Revitalization Project |
Investment Focus Areas will include, but will not be limited to the following:
Education That Fuels
Future Economic Success
Our education grants help empower people to build personal assets and skills to take charge of their futures.
- Youth development including early childhood education
- Financial education
- Employment skills/workforce development
- Women’s empowerment
Safe and Affordable Housing
Our affordable housing grants support access to safe, clean and affordable places to live.
- Community development projects
- Maintenance and renovation projects
- Homebuyer programs
- Foreclosure and eviction prevention programs
Basic Human Services
Our basic human services grants support organizations that meet the immediate needs of individuals and families while also supporting prevention and long-term solutions for people living in difficult economic circumstances. (Food Pantries are encouraged to request support through Northwest Community Bank’s Corporate Giving programs.)
- Food and nutrition programs
- Fuel assistance
- Domestic violence programs
- Temporary housing, shelter
- Basic necessity assistance e.g., clothing
- Health Services
Community Impact
Our community impact grants support the overall well-being of individuals within the community
- Disaster relief
- The Environment
- The Arts
- Animal Welfare
Guidelines and Eligibility:
Eligibility for Grants:
To apply for a grant from the Northwest Community Bank Foundation applicants must be:
- A registered 501(c) 3 organization that demonstrates significant local Municipalities will be considered.
- An organization whose mission or services align with Northwest Community Bank’s investment focus
- An organization providing services within Northwest Community Bank Communities*
*While preference is given to organizations primarily serving the aforementioned cities and towns, the Foundation Board will also consider funding for programs which reach a broader, more regional area, as long as that area incorporates services provided to Northwest Community Bank Communities.
The Foundation does not provide financial support to political organizations or candidates, activities for religious purposes, individual endeavors or organizations which are discriminatory in their practices. Additionally, it will not fund organizations which utilize a fiscal agent.
Geographic Preference:
Avon, Barkhamsted, Berlin, Bethlehem, Bloomfield, Bridgewater, Bristol, Burlington, Canaan, Canton, Colebrook, Collinsville, Cornwall, East Granby, Falls Village, Farmington, Goshen, Granby, Hartford, Hartland, Harwinton, Kent, Lakeville, Litchfield, Morris, New Britain, New Hartford, Newington, New Milford, Norfolk, Plainville, Rocky Hill, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, Simsbury, Southington, Suffield, Terryville, Thomaston, Torrington, Warren, Washington, Watertown, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor, Windsor Locks, Winsted and Woodbury.
Grant Programs:
The Foundation will consider the following types of funding requests from organizations that fit our investment focus areas.
- Program Grants to support the delivery and/or expansion of the direct services core to the mission of local organizations.
- Capacity Building Grants aimed at strengthening an agency’s ability to make a greater impact, improve effectiveness and efficiency or adapt to address changing community needs. e.g., strategic planning, staff and board development, technology upgrades, and marketing.
- Capital Grants and Campaigns will be considered by the Foundation but may also be selectively considered by Northwest Community Bank’s Corporate Giving programs.
*Capital projects are typically defined as major building purchases, new construction, expansion, renovation, and/or land acquisition.
Frequency:
Organizations may apply to one grant cycle and total annual grants awarded will not exceed $25,000. Extenuating circumstances may be considered.
Deadlines and Review Process:
Grants will be reviewed by the Foundation’s Board of Directors in an impartial manner based upon an evaluation of each grant request. Some key elements examined in our grant evaluation process include an organizations’ financial sustainability, leadership, impact and collaboration within the community.
2024 Phase I: Application Available February 15th | Due March 15th | Notification May 15th |
2024 Phase II: Application Available August 15th | Due September 15th | Notification November 15th |
Average Grant Request:
The average grant amount distributed in 2023 was $3,500.
Additional Eligibility Guidelines:
Although there are many worthy endeavors, the Foundation generally does not invest in the causes listed below. If you fall into one of these categories, we suggest you submit your request to Northwest Community Bank’s Corporate Giving program which may possibly consider your request.
- Individuals including those seeking scholarships, fellowships, or sponsors for a particular cause
- Alumni organizations
- Endowment campaigns
- Fundraising dinners or events and tickets to fundraising events
- Individual sports teams including youth sports teams and leagues
- Advertising and promotional items or merchandise
- Organizations designed primarily for lobbying, Political Action Committees, candidates, and lobbying
- Travel, including conferences, seminars, tours and student trips
- The Foundation does not make grants to organizations for which program services are contingent on participation in religious services or events or adherence to religious doctrine.
- Other Foundations
Northwest Community Bank Foundation Board Members
- Alan Colavecchio, Chair
- Jane Hinkel
- Raimie Webber
- Brian McCormick, Co-Chair
- Jessica Bragg
- Susan Atkins
- William Shea
- Charles Joseph
- Kevin Sullivan