Applications are being accepted until Friday, March 1. Information session is scheduled for Feb. 7.
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is accepting applications for grants of up to $25,000 each through the Amiel and Mary Anne Zak Public Service Fund. Approximately $75,000 will be awarded to community-based organizations, civic associations, volunteer groups and public agencies. Over the past 21 years, over $1.5 million has been awarded through 174 grants from the fund.
Information Session:
Interested organizations are invited to an informational meeting on February 7, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. at the Suffield Police Department – Zak Community Room. Hartford Foundation staff will present information on the Amiel and Mary Anne Zak Public Service Fund and answer questions on the application process. Attendance is not required to apply.
Application:
Each year the Hartford Foundation invites grant proposals designed to improve the quality of life for the residents of Suffield. Interested organizations may attend the information session on February 7 or contact Betty Ann Grady, Senior Development Officer at the Hartford Foundation, at bagrady@hfpg.org for the application information. The application deadline is Friday, March 1, 2024.
Eligibility Criteria:
Grants will be considered that benefit the general public as well as specific populations such as youth or the elderly. Grants will be considered for a broad range of civic needs. The successful project will demonstrate one or more of the following elements:
- Expand resources for residents of Suffield;
- Improve the quality of life for residents of Suffield;
- Promote community service in the town or the surrounding area;
- Inspire community spirit by motivating citizens to feel connected to, and responsible for, their community.
Proposals are encouraged for capital needs and specific items, and for program needs that are finite in duration or will become self-sustaining over time. Requests that will leverage other support are encouraged. Proposals for funding planning activities, salaries and general operations are not encouraged. Projects that are viewed as the town’s responsibility will generally not be considered for support. This fund is not intended to replace governmental funding of projects or needs that properly should be funded through the municipal appropriations process.
The Amiel and Mary Anne Zak Public Service Fund, formerly known as the Amiel P. Zak Public Service Fund, has a long history of supporting programs that benefit the community of Suffield. Established in 2002 by Michael Zak to honor the service of his late father, a teacher at Suffield High School for 35 years and who also served on numerous town boards as well as many civic and public associations, the fund name was changed in 2022 to also honor his mother, Mary Ann Zak, who was also a former teacher, committed volunteer and respected townswoman in the town of Suffield.