The Greater New Haven COVID-19 Community Fund

The Greater New Haven COVID-19 Community Fund was established on March 20, 2020 by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven in partnership with the United Way of Greater New Haven as a community-wide effort to raise money to help Greater New Haven’s nonprofit organizations and the thousands of people in our region they serve affected by COVID. The two institutions are working together in promoting the fund to donors and in decision-making as to grants from the fund.

Total dollars distributed from the COVID-19 Community Fund between March 2020 and April 2021 were $4.4 million. Grants made at the height of the pandemic were largely directed toward individuals most disproportionately impacted by COVID, including many within communities of color, seniors and low-income and high risk populations.

The Boys and Girls Club Learning Hub, Higher Heights Virtual Academy and Junta for Progressive Action’s Neighborhood Place were among several programs with learning, tutoring and mentoring services for children and youth that were recently supported by the Fund.

A grant to the Arts Council of Greater New Haven supported the Greater New Haven Creative Sector Relief Fund, which distributes financial assistance to low-income individual creatives and small-budget arts institutions whose incomes vanished when venues closed during quarantine.

CT Hospice in Branford created accessible free vaccine clinics, distributing more than 1,000 vaccines to a primarily elderly population. It collaborated with the East Haven Health District to help increase vaccination rates among East Haven residents, and met people with mobility impairments in their cars.

Other grants to nonprofits supported the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) for nonprofit staff and volunteers, food and other basic needs, assistance with rent and utility bills and access to vaccines.

View more grant impact stories and grants recipients.