Nine Stamford-based nonprofits serving various causes for children, young families and older adults in Fairfield County recently received a total of $70,000 in grants from the First County Bank Foundation.
“The First County Bank Foundation continues to support these important children and family oriented agencies as the need for their services has grown,” said First County Bank Foundation Vice President Katherine Harris. “Many of these nonprofits are geared toward helping children better prepare for life as young adults. In fact, Starfish Connection, a new recipient of grant money this year, helps academically talented youth from low income families reach their potential and their dreams of attending college. What better cause is there than those of helping people improve their lives?”
Established in 2001 in honor of the bank’s 150th anniversary, the First County Bank Foundation was created to distribute funds annually to nonprofit organizations that support community and economic development for children and families. As a mutual bank with no shareholders, First County Bank considers contributions made by the foundation a means of paying dividends back to the local communities it serves. Through 2009, the foundation has been able to award 343 grants totaling $3.5 million to various community organizations.
To be eligible, organizations must have nonprofit tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; be located in Stamford, Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk or Westport; have community support; address community needs; have measurable outcomes; and demonstrate fiscal and administrative responsibility. Special consideration is given to those agencies or programs benefiting low to moderate income populations.
Although the deadline for applying for First County Bank Foundation grants has passed, a new short-form application, available April 1 until the end of the year, can be downloaded at http://www.firstcounty.com/Foundation_Application_r3.pdf. Short-form applications are defined as grants of $2,500 or less for applicants who fit the regular grant criteria, and $1,000 or less for applicants that do not fit regular grant criteria.
The following Stamford-based organizations received grants from First County Bank Foundation:
Organization
Grant Amount
Cause
Boys & Girls Club of Stamford
$10,000
The Boys & Girls Club of Stamford is a dedicated youth facility that is open daily. It has provided after school activities and youth development services to the youth of Stamford, Conn. since 1927. It serves more than 1,500 disadvantaged children, ages 6-18, offering programs and services that promote and enhance their development. The grant money will be used for counselor in training programs for 100 teens throughout the year.
Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut Inc.
$10,000
The Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut is a mental health resource, serving children and teenagers in Greenwich, Stamford, Darien and New Canaan, both self referred and through referrals from schools, physicians, courts, and public and private human service agencies. Foundation money will be used to fund Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services.
Exchange Club Parenting Skills Center
$10,000
The Exchange Club enhances family and community life through its Child Abuse Prevention Center and program services: patterns of abusive behaviors are replaced with effective skills of non-violent parenting; positive and healthy parent-child relationships are strengthened; juvenile delinquency and other youth-related problems are prevented; and parents' potentials in resolving their difficulties are developed and maximized.
The Salvation Army
$10,000
The Salvation Army has been supporting those in need for 129 years in the U.S. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. Eighty-two cents of every dollar spent is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide.
Senior Services of Stamford Inc.
$10,000
Senior Services of Stamford is a private 101-year-old independent, not-for-profit agency providing information and financial assistance to the over-60 population of Stamford, Conn. The First County Bank Foundation grant is being used to support the privately run transportation program.
First Tee of Metropolitan New York
$7,500
The mission of the First Tee of Metropolitan New York is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. Foundation money will be used for in-school lessons.
The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education
$5,000
Serving the eight towns of lower Fairfield County since 1979, The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education provides free, 24-hour confidential help to men, women and children who have experienced sexual assault. Additionally, the center provides age-appropriate personal safety classes for children ages 4 – 18 to reduce their risk of becoming a victim, and education/awareness programs for the community at large.
Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship – Fairchester Region
$5,000
The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship provides entrepreneurship education programs to young people from low income communities. Its vision is that every young person will find a pathway to prosperity. Since 1987, NFTE has worked with nearly 232,000 young people. NFTE Fairchester, launched in 1999, has served more than 7,000 young people in Westchester and Fairfield counties. Foundation money will be used to sustain the Stamford High School entrepreneurship education program.
Starfish Connection Inc.
$2,500
Starfish Connection’s mission is to help academically talented youth from low income families reach their potential and their dreams of attending college by providing mentorship and support in education along with enrichment and extracurricular activities. Foundation money will be used for after school and summer enrichment programs.
