How to Apply
How to apply for a grant from the Hartford Foundation
Organizations seeking a grant from the Hartford Foundation can submit an inquiry, or apply to individual grant opportunities that align with their work.
Before applying for a grant, we recommend you read through our website to make sure you meet our eligibility criteria and understand our grantmaking practices and strategic priorities. This will put your organization in a stronger position when you apply.
Submit an inquiry
Organizations seeking funding can submit an inquiry through our online portal. After submission, a member of our Community Impact team will contact you for a discussion to determine next steps. Complete the brief questionnaire below to begin.
Is your organization a nonprofit?
The Hartford Foundation awards grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations - with the exception of private non-operating foundations, which we do not fund.
The Foundation will consider supporting projects led by organizations or residents without 501(c)(3) status, if they partner with a nonprofit fiscal sponsor.
Some grantmaking opportunities are available to faith-based organizations with a fiscal sponsor.
If you have questions about whether your project qualifies, feel free to contact us.
Do you serve Greater Hartford?
Does a significant portion of your organization's services benefit residents of the Hartford Foundation's 29-town funding region?
As a community foundation, we make grants that benefit residents in our funding region.
If your organization is located outside of our 29-town region, but a significant portion of your services go toward benefiting residents in our region, you may be eligible for a grant.
If your organization is in Connecticut but does not serve our funding region, you can find the community foundation that serves your town through the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy's directory of community foundations.
Does your organization engage in effective governance practices?
The Foundation seeks to support organizations that engage in effective governance practices.
A strong board is a true asset to an organization. High-performing boards have engaged members, understand their roles and responsibilities, and reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.
What we look for includes:
- Do you have a board that meets regularly?
- Does your organization keep minutes of board meetings?
- Does your board regularly review financial reports and approve the annual budget?
- Does your organization have idenitified strategic goals or a strategic plan?
Does your mission or your project align with our goal of dismantling structural racism?
The Hartford Foundation is committed to dismantling structural racism and advancing equity in social and economic mobility in Greater Hartford’s Black and Latine communities. Does your organization’s mission or your proposed work contribute to these goals?
In Greater Hartford, Black, Latine and other communities of color face persistent disparities, which are the result of decades of systemic factors and disinvestment in our communities, many of which are still woven into the fabric of our institutions.
We seek to support organizations whose mission or proposed projects help to dismantle structural racism and advance equity in social and economic mobility in Greater Hartford’s Black and Latine communities. This is reflected in our grantmaking.
We encourage grantseekers to consider projects and approaches that help reduce persistent disparities in our region. What can you do to positively affect the disparity in opportunity experienced by Black and Latine residents? We want to hear about your institutional experience and track record addressing these issues, as well as community perspectives, research and data that support your approaches.
If you’re unsure whether your project aligns with these goals, feel free to contact us and begin a conversation.
Your organization meets our basic eligibility requirements.
Click here to submit an inquiry using our online grant portal.
If you prefer to have a conversation, or would like assistance from our staff to submit your inquiry, email applications@hfpg.org.
Prefer a conversation? Our staff is happy to discuss your grant ideas before you submit an inquiry. We can also assist you through the inquiry process. Email applications@hfpg.org and a member of our Community Impact team will reach out to you.
Application process
After you submit an inquiry, our Community Impact team will help guide you through the rest of the application process. Here's what to expect (timelines and specifics can vary).
After you submit an inquiry, a member of our Community Impact team will contact you within a few business days to discuss your submission and gather any necessary additional information.
The goal of our CI team is to determine whether an inquiry meets our eligibility criteria and aligns with our strategic priorities. We also consider the extent of the community need and what makes your organization well-suited to address that need.
Some organizations will be invited to submit a full application.
Grantseekers who are invited to apply will receive a link to our grant portal, where they can complete the application.
The Foundation's review process for submitted applications includes internal discussions and due diligence work, and may require additional questions or conversations with the grantseeker. During this time, you will be assigned a dedicated Community Impact Officer. Our review process can take 30 to 60 days after receipt of the completed application.
Negotiating outcomes
As Foundation staff is reviewing an application, they may reach out to the grantseeker to negiotiate outcomes of the project.
This purpose of this friendly negotiation is to set reasonable expectations for outcomes related to the grant. We want to make sure that everyone is on the same page in terms of expectations, and that outcomes being set are achievable given the amount and timeline of the grant.
In some cases, the CI team may deem that the outcomes sumitted in the application are appropriate, and this stage of the process may not be necessary.
What if the inquiry doesn't move forward?
Not all inquiries move forward beyond the intial phase. In cases where the grantseeker is not invited to apply, we aim to be as transparent as possible. Our CI team will share the rationale behind our decision and any concerns that were raised.
If your organization is awarded a grant, your Community Impact Officer will contact you with the news. You'll also be issued a Grant Award Letter clarifying the terms of the grant, payment and reporting. Each grant is unique. The terms of your grant will be based on your application and/or conversations with your CI Officer, and therefore should not come as a surprise.
Once your grant is approved and you receive an Award Letter, you will receive payment via ACH, typically within 3 business days.
For grants issued after January 1, 2023: You can manage the entire lifecycle of your grant in our GLM Grant Portal.
For grants issued in 2022 and prior: You will be able to log into GLM to see your open grant. However, we will maintain the terms, payment schedule and reporting criteria agreed upon at the time your grant was awarded. This may include submitting forms outside of GLM. See our Current Grantees page for more information.
Grant Payment
Payment schedules will be determined as part of the application process, and laid out in your Award Letter.
The Hartford Foundation uses ACH electronic payments.
As of January 1, 2023, payments are no longer tied to reporting.
Reporting
Reporting and expected outcomes for your grant will be determined during the application process and laid out in your Award Letter. You will receive reminders through our GLM Grant Portal when reports are due.
For grants issued after January 1, 2023: Reporting can be managed in GLM.
For grants issued in 2022 and prior: Please follow the reporting guidelines agreed upon at the time your grant was issued. This may include submitting report forms outside of GLM. See our Current Grantees page for more information.
You are always welcome to contact your Community Impact Officer with questions. If you don't know who your CI Officer is, email applications@hfpg.org.
Requests for proposals
Visit our Grant Opportunities page for a list of current and upcoming Requests for Proposals, and instructions on how to apply.
Current grantees
If you are a current grantee of the Foundation, we recommend speaking with your Community Impact Officer before submitting an inquiry or applying to a new grant opportunity.
Nonprofit Support Program and Organizational Capacity Building Grants
We offer workshops and grants designed to strengthen the capacity of nonprofits. Organizations interested in joining these workshops or receiving a capacity building grant should begin by having a conversation with a member of our Nonprofit Support Program team.