2023 IMPACT REPORT STORY

A historic funding opportunity. Ecologists use the term “light gap” to describe a phenomenon that occurs when a forest canopy is broken by light, usually when a full-grown tree falls. As a result, light reaches the forest floor where it hadn’t before. New growth appears in that light, regenerating and often diversifying the forest, making it a stronger ecosystem.

In the dark days of the pandemic, it was hard to imagine the changes that might come and make a community stronger. There is no doubt that every segment of society has been affected. How we learn, work, and interact have changed, and our priorities have shifted for many. Those shifts caused ripple effects for nonprofits as needs were magnified while resources diminished.

Indeed, four years after the first strains of COVID-19 reached the Connecticut shoreline, the community is still discovering all the impacts of the pandemic. However, in 2023, the light gap appeared when the Town of Guilford partnered with The Guilford Foundation (TGF) to distribute $1 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021.

The Town received $6.5 million and allocated the bulk of those funds to schools, social services agencies, and the health department to address the most pressing needs. The only qualification for federal funding is that it be used to respond to the negative economic impacts of COVID-19. When First Selectman Matt Hoey III and TGF Executive Director Liza Janssen Petra invited nonprofit organizations to discuss those impacts, the response was overwhelming, passionate, and enlightening.

“It first occurred to me what a challenge it would be to determine needs. Secondly, I wanted to remove politics to make it fair and equitable. Lastly, I knew that reviewing applications would be even more taxing on the town staff,” Hoey says.

“The Guilford Foundation is such a wholeheartedly respected organization — its integrity, mission, objectivity, and experience in assessing needs and distributing funds. We saw it as the perfect opportunity to utilize the foundation. This is what they do, on an annual basis,” he adds.

After the initial workshop with nonprofit leaders, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to double its original allocation and asked TGF to disburse $1 million. A committee that included TGF board members, an ARPA consultant, and community representatives was formed to review applications detailing the impacts of the pandemic, ranging from canceled fundraisers and lower contributions to higher costs and greater demands. The committee also considered the impact on the culture, character, and joy that are unique to Guilford.

The result was 34 grants, ranging from $5,000 to $75,000, to organizations such as Guilford Art Center, the Women & Family Life Center, and Guilford Interfaith Volunteers. For some, the funding infusion provides a stopgap to keep them running smoothly. For others, like the Branford-based regional Community Dining Room, which will use the funds to purchase a vehicle, provides the light to grow in a new direction.

To read the 2023 Impact Report, click here.