In 2019, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving established a $100,000 Greater Together Community Fund for the Town of Bolton. In 2025, the Foundation added  $50,000 to the Fund to continue to support community needs. 

The purpose of the Greater Together Community Fund is to:

  • support the community in taking ownership around the needs in their towns
  • encourage broad and inclusive civic engagement and
  • anchor the Hartford Foundation in each of the 29 towns.

Bolton Greater Together Community Fund - 2025 Grant Cycle

We are pleased to accept grant applications from nonprofit organizations beginning June 1, 2025 for projects up to $7,500.

Project Criteria:

  • Provide a beneficial impact to a sizable group of Bolton residents
  • Address needs that can't be funded through normal means
  • Offer a likelihood of success, based on the plan design
  • Provide ongoing benefit / impact to town residents

Who is eligible to apply:

  • 501(c)(3)Non-profit organizations
  • Groups that partner with the Town of Bolton as the fiscal agent

Key Dates and Information:

  • Request for Applications:
    • Download application 
  • Applications, including a budget, due: Monday, October 6, 2025
  • Grants awarded by year end 2025
    • Committee members will notify you by December 31, 2025
  • Reports with project photos due when project is complete, no later than December 31, 2026

Questions and Concerns? Send email to: bolton@hfpgcommunityfunds.org

Bolton Greater Together Community Fund Grant Awards

In 2024, the Bolton Greater Together Community Fund awarded $36,752.59 in grants to eleven local nonprofits. This is the fourth round of funding for initiatives that strive toward the betterment of Bolton and its residents.

On May 15th, the Bolton Greater Together Community Fund Committee held an awards presentation/ceremony and reception. 

Grant History

Click below for a list of previously awarded grants.

2024 

Bolton High School Project Grad. $3,500

Operation Fuel. $3,500

Bolton Sr. Citizens Organization, Inc. $2,000

Bolton Scholarship Fund. $2,000

Friends of Bolton Lake. $4,975

Community Voice Channel. $3,319.96

CT Invention Convention, Inc. $1,500

Bolton Summer Cross Country Series. $1,430

Bolton Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. $5,000

Bolton Center School PTA. $5,000

Bentley Memorial Library. $4,527.63

2023 

Bolton Booster Club, Inc. To support baseball field renovations. $5,000

Bolton High School Project Graduation, Inc. To support Project Graduation Safe Night 2024. $5,000

Bolton Senior Citizens Organization, Inc. To support the Going Green project. $5,000

Community Child Guidance Clinic, Inc. To support the Welcoming Spaces project. $1,688

Hartford Interval House, Inc. To support Bolton clients of the Victim to Survivor: Empowering Clients at Interval House program. $5,000

Town of Bolton, Bentley Memorial Library To support the Healthy Air Quality at the Library project. $1,850

2022 

Bolton Heritage Farm Commission, Potable Water Project - to support the addition of potable water at the farm. $6,000

Bentley Memorial Library/Friends of Bentley Memorial Library - to add a new 30x30 concrete slab patio that will be wheelchair accessible, in front of the library. $10,000

Bolton Volunteer Fire Department - o construct a pitched roof top prop for firefighter training as well as practice, and to obtain firefighter Class II ladder safety equipment (harnesses). $6,778

Community Child Guidance Clinic - to support updating and enhancing the quality of therapeutic toys and materials at the agency. $1,000

Hartford Interval House - to continue supporting the “Victim to Survivor” program. $5,000

Bolton Scholarship Fund, Community Service Scholarship - to provide a scholarship to a student who goes above and beyond in support of the Bolton community. $1,000

Bolton High School Project Graduation - to support a drug and alcohol-free overnight celebration on graduation night to keep graduates safe. $3,500

Bolton Center School PTA, Fostering Friendship and Improving Grounds  $5,000

Bike Walk Bolton - to purchase (and have installed by DEEP) a bench on the Hop River Trail at the intersections of the Rose and Clarke Trails. $1,100

Friends of Bolton Lakes - to assist in purchasing water monitoring technology equipment that will be used to predict the level of toxicity due to harmful algae. $4,282

Community Voice Channel - to purchase a Lighting Kit for volunteers that benefits anyone who makes a show or movie that requires filming outside of the building. $2,514
 

2021 

Bentley Memorial Library - to purchase microphones and sound equipment for indoor and outdoor library programs. $1,536.23

Bolton Scholarship Fund - to support a Bolton High School senior with a track record of working to improve the community.  $2,500

Bolton Senior Center  - to support a collaborative program with the Bolton Volunteer Fire Department addressing the voluntary installation of Knox Boxes for emergency entry into senior's homes as well as to help pay for patio furniture for the center. $5,000

Hartford Interval House - to continue to support Bolton clients being served at the shelter. $5,000

GTCFs Committee Members

The role of the 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 Community Funds can have the greatest impact for the benefit of town residents.

The Committee members for Bolton are:

Melissa Wielandt and Shandra Scott-Brown (Co-Chairs)
Hazel Allen, Trish Brudz, Kelly Carini, Shannon Fairclough, Cathy Nystrom, Suzanne Shippee (Members)

If you are interested in joining the Bolton Greater Together Community Fund committee please complete the Greater Together Community Funds Volunteer Application.

For media inquiries, please contact Chris Senecal at csenecal@hfpg.org.