The purpose of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut Foundation is to provide grants to 501(c)(3) organizations recognized by the Internal Revenue Service that enhance and enrich education and economic opportunities, especially for children and families, in the Chamber service area.

It is the intent of the Foundation to provide such organizations with resources to assist in pilot programs, expansion or sustainability of programs, research, etc., rather than the day-to-day operations of that organization.

In general, the Foundation will grant funds for special purposes that do not commit the Foundation to recurring expenses.

For a summary of grants awarded in the 2025 cycle, read last year’s press release.

Please read the application outline, policies, and guidelines before applying.

Apply for a 2026 Grant

Deadline:
Friday, February 27, 2026
11:59 pm

Application Outline

Please read the outline for each section of the application below. The application form is designed to allow you to save and resume work later, but we highly recommend drafting/saving all of your content, especially narrative answers, in another document such as Word or Google Docs, then simply copying answers into the application. If you have any questions please email foundation@chamberect.com or call the Chamber office at 860-701-9113.

1: Organization Information

  • Contact Information
  • Mission statement (A mission statement and current goals for the organization or organizations, if this is a collaborative effort. A brief description of the organization or each collaborating organization including history, current services and how this project supports those missions.)
  • Fiscal Agent Information (if applicable)

2: Project Narrative

  • Amount requested
  • Project dates
  • Questions you will need to answer:
    • In a few sentences please explain the specific purpose for which the grant is to be used.
    • Please describe the demonstrated regional need for your project (i.e. what problem/issue you are addressing) and the anticipated community impact, considering both short-term and long-term/systemic benefits.
    • Please describe the specific actions or activities you will undertake to achieve your project goals.
    • If applicable, what are your organization’s specific plans for supplemental and/or future funding of this project?
    • In the event that you are awarded a partial grant (i.e. the Foundation cannot fund the full amount requested but can provide a smaller sum), will your project still move forward?

3: Populations Served

  • Geographic area served
  • How many people will benefit
  • Anticipated demographics – age range, percent minority, percent female, percent at or below 125% FPL

4: Employees and Board

  • Number of employees, volunteers, board members

5: Required Documents

Financial statements (document upload): An audited financial statement for the most recent year from existing Organizations. Where an audited Statement is unavailable, a Treasurer’s Report will be acceptable.  For an organization in the formative stage, a projected budget is required.

501c3 Tax Exemption Letter (document upload) : A new or updated Federal Tax Exemption Letter may be obtained through:

Internal Revenue Service Customer Service Unit
P.O. Box 1680, Brooklyn, NY 11202-1680

List of Board members (document upload): List each participating organization’s current Board of Directors with their names, addresses and affiliations.  A brief bio of each board member is very helpful.

Form 990 (document upload): If an agency is not required to file a 990 Form, please explain and document.

Letters of Commitment (if applicable)(document upload): If a collaborative effort, letters of commitment signed by the President or Chairman of the respective governing boards must be attached. The letters should indicate that the proposal has been reviewed and approved by the respective governing board and specify the agreed upon FISCAL AGENT for the project.

Supplemental Narrative (not required): You may submit additional written materials in support of your application. This is not required. Narrative questions will be asked during the “project narrative” portion of the application.

Attachment Checklist

You will be required to upload the following documents.

  • Financial Statements
  • 501 (c)(3) certification letter
  • Board List
  • Letters of Commitment (if applicable)
  • Form 990 (if applicable)

Policies and Guidelines

  1. Grants will be made on an annual basis, generally in a lump sum. However, the Directors reserve to themselves the option of paying large grants over a multi-year period.
  2. Grants shall be limited to tax-exempt 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organizations recognized as such by the Internal Revenue Service.
    • Churches, civic and fraternal organizations, school groups, political advocacy groups: Requests must demonstrate that the primary beneficiaries are the broader community and that benefits are provided without regard to membership or affiliation with any such organization. Funds may not be used for religious worship, proselytizing, sectarian instruction, club or school operations/meetings, or political campaign activity.
  3. The grantee must demonstrate financial responsibility.
  4. No single grantee shall receive all of the available funding in any one calendar year.
  5. Partial grants may be awarded at the discretion of the Directors.
  6. Special consideration may be given to grantees whose programs offer the possibility of matching grants.
  7. Grantees must prioritize requests should more than one item be requested.
  8. Grants will not be made to individuals, for endowments, for deficit financing, or for reimbursement for any items purchased prior to grant request approval.
  9. Applications made for a project or program in cooperation with another agency(ies) must include letters of commitment to the project or program from the involved agency(ies).
  10. Complete original applications, including all required supporting data, for grants must be submitted by February 27, 2026 at 11:59 pm.
  11.  A letter or email will be sent to all applicants, whether their application was approved or denied.
  12. A report of the expenditure of each grant is required by February 1 of the following year. If for any reason you are unable to use the full amount of the grant during the period of time for which the grant was approved, or for the purpose intended, etc., you must immediately report your circumstances to the Foundation Directors and unused funds may need to be returned. Acknowledgements are not considered a report.

Apply for a Grant