Funding Goals

Every three years, The Community Fund conducts a thorough Needs Assessment to determine that our grants are funding the most critical local needs. In the fall of 2017, we revised our funding goals to reflect our recent Needs Assessment. All grants must correspond with the funding goals described below:

2018-2020 Grant Funding Goals

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View the summaries of our needs assessments here: Food Insecurity, Homelessness, Immigration, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Youth Success.

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Grants Eligibility

The Community Fund of Darien invests in the community by making grants to vital, nonprofit human services organizations that meet our eligibility criteria and our funding goals of Basic Needs, Youth Success, and Self-Sufficiency. Large grants ($10,000) minimum are made at the end of our June fiscal year. New grantees can apply for a small grant (under $5,000) in our fall grant cycle. All grants are by invitation only.

To qualify for a grant, an organization must:

• Be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
• Serve human services needs of residents in Darien, Stamford or Norwalk
• Request funding for a program
• Provide measurements of outcomes to demonstrate impact
• Adhere to a non-discrimination policy on the basis of age, race, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental disabilities, gender or national origin or any other characteristic protected by law in all aspects of organizational operations including hiring, leadership, and service provision
  
  

Grant applications must conform to the format and content specifications provided in the application form. Late or incomplete applications may not be considered. The Community Fund will evaluate all grant applications based on the criteria outlined by the Grants Executive Committee. The Community Fund may not approve a request even though it meets the established criteria and the organization was invited to apply. The Board reserves discretion to award or deny grants as it deems appropriate, acting in the best overall interest of The Community Fund’s donors, staff and volunteers.

Eligibility for a Community Fund Small Grant:
Small Grants will provide funding for general operations and special initiatives for programming and/or activities that demonstrate a positive impact in meeting identified human services needs in the Darien, Norwalk and Stamford community. These needs must fit within the 2018-2020 funding goals in the categories of Youth Success, Basic Needs, Self-Sufficiency. Maximum funding amount: $5,000. Applicants will not be eligible for a repeat award more often than once in every three years

Ineligibility: The Community Fund of Darien generally will NOT fund grants for:

• Individuals (except Touch a Life Fund)
• Annual appeals or membership drives
• Fundraising events or capital campaigns
• Religious activities, projects or organizations which do not serve the general public on a nondenominational basis
• Political or lobbying efforts
• Endowment campaigns
• Scholarships or conference fees
• Any purpose not fitting within the 2018-2020 Community Fund funding goals

Small Grants

In December 2019, The Community Fund of Darien awarded $14,500 in small grants (grants under $5,000) to seven local nonprofits):

$2,500 ABC Darien
$1,000 Darien YMCA
$3,000 Food Rescue
$2,500 Horizons at NCCS
$1,500 Norwalk ACTs
$2,500 Norwalk Grassroots Tennis
$1,500 Stamford Cradle to Career