2011 Grants
- Family Life Education -$10,000 Support for the Teen and Young Parent Support Program with a focus on education, career planning, leadership development and teamwork.
- Grace Academy -$6,250 Continued funding for the extended day enrichment programs which develop the creativity and awareness of students by offering opportunities beyond their neighborhoods and lead them to career choices or life-long interests. (Partial funding for this request was provided by the MacDonald Family Trust).
- Shelter for Women (Grey Lodge) -$5,000 Support for the gender- specific G.E.D program which targets young women and girls with children who cannot attend school.
- Saint Agnes Home -$5,000 Program to ensure that teen mothers continue with academic and vocational education through assessment of career goals, job readiness, training and workplace education.
- Boys and Girls Club of Hartford -$2,000 Funding for a SMART Girls Career Launch Conference to expose girls to job training skills through workshops, while providing career- building skills.
Information regarding Aurora Foundation Grant Applications for 2012 will be posted shortly.
2009 Signature Event, Speaker Helen LaKelly Hunt
(Photo by Bill Shea)
“We are focusing more of our investment on women and girls, who are critical to advancing social, economic, and political progress. Women and girls are one of the world’s greatest untapped resources. Investing in the potential of women to lift and lead their societies is one of the best investments we can make.”
- U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton
2012 Grants Application Process
Aurora Women & Girls Foundation Announces New Grant Application deadline in Spring 2012.
Aurora Women & Girls Foundation has begun accepting applications for grants for Hartford area programs which will help invest in and inspire women and girls in 2012.
To be eligible for a grant, programs to be awarded grants in 2012 through 2014 must have a goal of developing a skilled workforce through education or job training, with, where appropriate, job placement. The program must directly benefit only women and girls. Grants may be renewable for multiple years.
The deadline for grant applications is now April 30, 2012 and all applications must be electronically submitted by this date via email to Cheryl@aurorafoundation.org . The subject line of your email should read: “Grant Application: (name of your non-profit)”. The awards will be announced in late fall 2012. All electronic submissions must be carbon copied to Kathleen Bornhorst at kbornhorst@pepehazard.com . You should receive back an email confirming receipt of your electronic application within three business days.
APPLICATION FORM
Aurora accepts the Common Grants Application and Common Report form that can be found on the CT Council for Philanthropy website: www.ctphilanthropy.org .
GRANT SEEKERS LUNCHEON
A lunch meeting of representatives from all organizations and groups interested in learning more about the Aurora grant process will be held on Wednesday March 7th from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Aurora offices at 80 South Main Street, West Hartford. For more information or to attend, please contact Cheryl Dumont-Smith at (860) 881-4926.
Questions should be referred to Cheryl Dumont-Smith, the Executive Director, at 860-881-4926 or via email to Cheryl@aurorafoundation.org
Aurora Women & Girls Foundation Program Grants 2002-2010
Since 2002, Aurora Women & Girls Foundation has funded over 30 grants in four categories:
Leadership Development and Teamwork Skills
The Children’s Museum of West Hartford for its Women in
Science Girl Scout Camp-In which is intended to promote life
sciences as a career opportunity. Grant awarded in honor of Agnes
Peelle, 2006 Aurora Women & Girls Foundation Woman Philanthropist of the Year.
Girl Power After School Program through the Shelter for Women teaches leadership, teamwork, academic and social skills to at-risk girls.
The Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF) to support its Girls and Tech Expos designed to help spark girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (this award was given in two different years).
The Cultural Dance Troupe of the West Indies works with 150 youth teaching diversity, pride in heritage and self-confidence through music and dance.
The Women’s Campaign School at Yale teaches political and leadership skills to women with the goal of increasing the number of women running for and holding political office.
Young Women’s Leadership Corps – YWCA of the Hartford Region promotes academic perseverance, the development of job skills, and community involvement for 8th -10th grade girls.
Economic Self-Sufficiency, Through Job Training and Financial Literacy
Catholic Charities for its Homelinks program at Southside Family Center where 24-30 low-income women learn to become self-employed, licensed home day care providers and thus, also increase the availability of daycare options for all working women and families in the community. $1,000 of this Grant awarded in honor of Nykesha Sales, Aurora Woman Philanthropist of the Year 2009.
Center for Professional Development/University of Hartford
helps women explore life choices and empowers them to attain
career goals through counseling, education and training.
Co-Opportunity provides financial training services and one-on-one financial counseling to 40 women participants providing them with skills and opportunities to improve their lives and their community.
The Institute for Community Research for a new collaborative project with the Hartford Public Library. Provides small business training workshops for 20-25 immigrant and refugee women artists who have expert traditional skills, such as weaving and needlework, but lack the resources to pursue their crafts and earn an income from them.
Junior Achievement for the “It’s My Business” program at New Britain’s YWCA. “It’s My Business” inspires and prepares roughly 50 underprivileged teenage girls to make their way in the world, to be responsible citizens and community leaders and to be money-smart for life.
Loaves and Fishes Ministries’ Business Initiative Micro-
Enterprise Program supports and trains qualified, low-income
women to prepare them for self-employment.
Money Matters Program through the Boys and Girls Club of Hartford is specifically tailored to teach female members about financial literacy and financial independence.
STRIVE/SAND, a three week intensive program, combines specific instruction for women on job searches, work-site behavior, time and financial budgeting and computers.
YWCA of New Britain’s Certified Nurse Assistant Training
Program provides opportunities for low-income women students to
become certified nurse assistants.
Positive Character Development and Achievement
The Bridge Family Center’s Sisterhood Program serves middle school girls by targeting at-risk behaviors for prevention and by encouraging positive youth development activities.
Covenant to Care’s Mentor Program matches teenage girls and teen mothers with volunteer mentors and provides case management services to program participants.
Eleanor House, a program of the Bridge Family Center to start a small library at the new therapeutic group home.
GOODWorks, Inc. for its New Beginnings Mentoring/Coaching Program provides educational and vocational training materials and mentoring to non-violent women who were recently released from prison, helping these women successfully adjust to their new lives.
The program “Always on Saturdays” keeps approximately 20 Latina girls from the Frog Hollow and South Green neighborhoods in school through high school graduation without having a child.
Hartford’s Camp Courant Girl Talk 2007, a program to deter the development of at-risk behaviors among underprivileged girls aged 9-12 residing in the Hartford area by discussing themes related to body image, self respect, anger, stress management, peer pressure, bullying, exercise and nutrition.
Interval House’s Domestic Violence Counseling Program deploys trained and certified crisis counselors to provide information, encouragement and coping tools for battered women.
The Shelter for Women (Gray Lodge and Alison Gill Lodge) for the after-care program helps ensure the approximately 50 girls who have been discharged from the shelter make a successful transition.
STRIVE Youth Education Program – YWCA of New Britain serves middle school girls focusing on character development, academic performance, and pursuit of healthy recreational outlets.
Trust House’s Nurturing Teen Parents Program delivers education, support and parenting skills to young parents in collaboration with Hartford Hospital.
YMCA for its Girl Power Summer Program teaches girls goal setting, learning how to make healthy choices, empowerment, team building, and journaling. This grant awarded in honor of Laura Estes of West Hartford, Aurora Women & Girls Foundation Woman Philanthropist of the Year 2008.
Opportunities for Women and Girls to Participate in Philanthropy
Connecticut Valley Girl Scout Council’s Strength in Sharing Program teaches high school girls about philanthropy through their participation on an allocations committee for Girl Scout service proposals.
Do Something, a company that helps young people change the world through its internet space where “young people learn, listen, speak, vote, volunteer, ask and take action,” and by granting awards to young leaders who want to make the world a better place. Grant awarded in honor of Nancy Lublin, keynote speaker at 2007 Signature Event.
Habitat for Humanity Women Build Program which helps women become homeowners and inspires women’s participation in building homes and communities, Grant awarded in honor of Cheryl Chase Aurora Woman Philanthropist of the Year 2007.