Attention, Manchester! Have you ever had a great idea for a project that you thought would benefit the Manchester community if only you could get some funding? Well, here is your chance!

The Manchester Greater Together Community Fund is pleased to announce the opening of the 2023-2024 grant cycle as of September 1, 2023. The Community Fund’s Advisory Committee welcomes proposals that will improve or enhance the quality of life of Manchester residents or otherwise contribute to solving a direct need of the Manchester community. Individual grant awards will range from $250 to $5,000. All projects must benefit the residents of Manchester, and any nonprofit registered as a 501(c)(3) organization that serves the residents of Manchester is eligible to apply. Groups of town residents may also prepare an application in partnership with a registered 501(c)(3) or municipality that has agreed to serve as a fiscal sponsor for the proposed project. For further details on project guidelines and how to apply, please visit www.hfpg.org/manchestercf. Project applications or grant proposals will be accepted until 11:59 P.M. on October 15, 2023.

In 2019, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving established $100,000 Greater Together Community Funds for each of the twenty-nine towns in the Foundation’s region, which includes the town of Manchester. The purpose of the community funds is to support residents in taking ownership around the needs in their towns, encourage broad and inclusive civic engagement and anchor the Hartford Foundation in each town. In 2020, Manchester’s Greater Together Community Fund Advisory Committee was selected. In 2021, the Foundation provided an additional $50,000 to each of the twenty-nine community funds to support their grantmaking. The Advisory Committee manages the selection process.

During the first grantmaking cycle in 2022, Manchester’s Advisory Committee awarded eight local organizations grants from $365 to $5,000 to support projects that addressed a diverse array of community needs. “Last year’s grant awards supported the provision of basic needs for local families, invested in local community gardens, and supported families facing drug addiction,” shares Advisory Committee Chair Bambi Mroz. “We look forward to receiving more innovative proposals in this year’s grant cycle and to seeing how these projects improve the lives of Manchester residents.”

The community funds program also creates an opportunity for organizations and individuals to make tax-deductible contributions to the Manchester Community Fund. All donations are welcome, both large and small. Visit www.hfpg.org/manchestercf for more information or to donate.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and twenty-eight surrounding communities. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $948 million since its founding in 1925. For more information about the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, visit https://www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.