In 2019, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving established a $100,000 Greater Together Community Fund for the Town of Avon. Since then, the fund has received another $60,000 totaling in an investment of $160,000.

The Avon Greater Together Community Fund Advisory Committee supports the community in addressing the needs in Avon, connects Avon to the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and encourages broad and inclusive civic engagement in Avon by striving to reach as many diverse groups as possible. This is accomplished by combining the input of a disparate group of committee members with the Avon community at large with the goal to deliver a stronger, more equitable Avon.

Avon Greater Together Community Fund Announces Second Round of Grant Awards

The following organizations were recipients of grant awards during 2023:
  • Greystone Foundation ($10,000) - to support the Greystone Foundation’s mission of directly assisting households that are financially struggling by providing monetary assistance, free financial assessments, and budgetary counseling.
  • Avon Free Public Library ($8,700) - support a children’s educational program that provides enrichment opportunities for age groups K-3 in Avon by incorporating cultural holidays, diversity calendar celebrations, multicultural events, art, literature, and STEM activities (led by two Avon residents, sponsored by the AFPL).
  • Avon Lions Club ($5,000) - to support Avon Lions Club’s town-wide Hometown Festival this September 2023, a tradition that stopped after COVID.
  • Special Olympics Connecticut ($2,500) - to support a 12-month long Special Olympics program for the Farmington Valley (Avon, Canton, and Farmington) and shape the attitudes around the way people with intellectual disabilities are treated on a day-to-day basis.
  • Avon High School Booster Club ($10,000) - to support the Avon Public Schools’ Family and Student Supports Coordinator’s planning of a Community Walk (5K) for Avon in Hartford to help bridge the gaps between the students residing in Hartford and the students residing in Avon.
  • Avon Land Trust ($4,000) - to support the continuation of an environmental/conservation education speaker series at the Avon Free Public Library and help with purchase of materials and coordination for new bridge decking at Oakes Preserve.
  • Farmington Valley American Muslim Center ($5,000) - to engage the Farmington Valley community in the Farmington Valley American Muslim Center’s food packing event this October 2023, when meals will be distributed to local food banks (in Avon, Farmington, Simsbury, and Collinsville).
  • Gifts of Love ($3,700) - to support the startup of a new program aiming to assist senior citizens in the Avon community by operating a mobile food pantry twice per week at the Avon Senior Center.
  • U.S. Horse Welfare Organization Inc. ($1,100) - to fund two children’s (ages 12-17) participation in a 6-week Equine-Assisted Learning program to strengthen important life skills, teamwork, leadership, stress relief, self-regulation, and more.
The following organizations were recipients of inaugural grant awards during 2021:

Applying to Become an Advisory Committee Member

Are you interested in joining the advisory committee to help fund effective, efficient projects that benefit our Avon community? Complete the application below and send to avontogetherfund@gmail.com.

Download the application

Inaugural Grantee Reception

The Avon Greater Together Community Fund Advisory Committee hosted a reception on November 14, 2022 to honor the six 2021 inaugural grant award recipients. The event was open to all community members to celebrate the work of the recipients and learn more about Avon's Community Fund and its impact on Avon. The committee also shared information about future grant opportunities. Click here to see pictures from the event.

Advisory Committee Members

The role of the Advisory Committee is to design and lead an inclusive process to identify the needs in your community, and design a grantmaking process aimed to ensure that the Greater Together Community Funds can have the greatest impact for the benefit of town residents.

The Advisory Committee members for your town are:

Vincent Blea, Abigail Chiu, Dorothy (Dee Dee) Dew, Carrie Firestone, Haleigh Guerrera, Gregory M. Jones, Lisa Levin, Kathryn Mastandrea, Elizabeth Ann Pavlakis, Lori Shield

Click here to read the Advisory Committee Conflict of Interest Policy.
For more information about the Advisory Committee, please review the FAQ.

Questions? Please contact the advisory committe at avontogetherfund@gmail.com. 
For media inquiries, please contact Chris Senecal at csenecal@hfpg.org.

Background Research

The Avon Greater Together Community Fund Advisory Committee conducted a survey in April 2022 in addition to their research in February 2021 to identify what was important to Avon residents. The surveys and focus group report are available here:

2023 Grant Process

The Avon Greater Together Community Fund Advisory Committee completed its second grant cycle in March 2023. The committee awarded $50,000 in grant funds to 9 nonprofits serving Avon residents. The application period was open from January 10, 2023 through March 1, 2023. Below are the documents used as reference.