The Guilford Foundation (TGF) recently awarded 14 grants through our regular Competitive Grant making process, although this year’s process was anything but normal. These grants are made annually through our endowment funds based on our spending policy. TGF’s original grant deadline was March 12—the Thursday of that fateful week that initiated a national shutdown.

While we had already received a number of applications, we made two decisions in response to the coronavirus:

1. We extended the deadline to May 1, 2020.

2. We reprioritized our grant making to focus on the impact of COVID19 on our community.

Organizations who had already submitted an application were given the chance to resubmit based on the changing landscape, and many did. Organizations were also encouraged to apply for funding through our new COVID19 Response Fund for Guilford, and many did that as well.

The resulting grants through our Competitive Grant making process are as follows:

$500 Tail to Paw Animal Support for financial assistance to those pet owners who couldn’t otherwise provide medical and general care to their pets.

$1,000 Vista Life Innovations to support Vista’s “A Shared Stage” productions of All Shook Up.

$1,000 Special Olympics CT to purchase new equipment.

$1,150 Guilford Special Education Parent Teacher Organization (SEPTO) to host a series of events on anxiety, raising awareness and coping tools and techniques for anxiety.

$2,000 Bare Necessities to continue to supply diapers and wipes monthly to Guilford babies in the program.

$2,400 St. George Transitional Housing Committee to provide one-year of rent subsidies for a family in transition.

$2,500 Guilford Housing Authority to support costs relating to replacing maintenance sheds for the properties located at Guilford Court.

$3,000 Lifelinx to support their Recovery Management Support Program to reduce relapse and encourage sustainable long-term recovery.

$3,000 Shoreline Arts Alliance for general operating support in response to the impact of COVID19.

$5,000 Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter to support the building of a Pet Food Pantry room, which provides pet food and supplies.

$5,000 Guilford Keeping Society for repairs to the Thomas Griswold House Museum.

$5,000 Women and Family Life Center for general operating support.

$6,000 Guilford Center for Children for operating fund support and financial aid for families.

$8,000 Guilford Before and After School Care for operating fund support and financial aid for students to attend the program.