Grants and Other Resources
Connecticut Foodshare Community Impact Grants
2025 Connecticut Foodshare Community Impact Grant
Previous Connecticut Foodshare Community Impact Grant Information
Additional Grant Resources Beyond Connecticut Foodshare
Foundation Fundraising and Grant Writing
Promotional Products Grant
4Imprint Promotional Products Grant: the One by One program offers $500 grants to nonprofits. Visit onebyone.4imprint.com/ to apply.
DoorDash Community Credits Program
The DoorDash Community Credits program provides support to nonprofit food assistance programs through DoorDash gift cards that can be distributed to the community the organization serves. Organizations are welcome to apply multiple times, but are advised not to apply more than once a quarter.
Click here to read about a recent grant award to a New Haven partner program.
Eversource Grant Opportunities
The Eversource Energy Foundation offers grant opportunities to support the communities in the Eversource service area. Applicants must be in the service area, have 501(c)(3) status, and fit a core focus area— which includes meeting a community's basic needs. Awards amounts vary between $1,000 - $10,000. Organizations can apply annually.
Visit Eversource to view all eligibility requirements, take the eligibility quiz, and apply.
Mansfield Paper Company Discount Program
Connecticut Foodshare offers a partnership with Mansfield Paper to help programs lower their supply costs. Mansfield Paper is veteran owned and the area’s oldest distributor of food service disposables, janitorial supplies, and packaging products. They are offering a special discount to Connecticut Foodshare partner programs.
ReThink Disposable
Reduce your costs by replacing disposable serviceware with reusable products. ReThink Disposable, a program of Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund, aims to minimize single use disposable packaging in food service to conserve resources and prevent waste.
New England Zero Waste Organizer, Amber Schmidt, can support any Connecticut Foodshare agency partner who wants to reduce their reliance on disposable products with logistics management and funding. Email jriberdy@ctfoodshare.org to get involved.
House of Bread, an agency partner and community kitchen in Hartford, decided to embrace a change in operations by switching to reuseable serviceware.
Tips for Finding Food and Funds
*NEW* Get Food from End Hunger New England
Get pre-packed, nutritious meals for free through End Hunger New England.
Part of The Outreach Program, End Hunger New England packs nutritious meals for distributions at pantries across New England. Packing events are hosted by volunteers in counties throughout Connecticut and then distributed to local pantries who can pick them up for free during or directly after the event. Pantries can also place orders to be picked up for free at their Pembroke, Massachusetts location.
Meals include rice and beans, cheesy rice, minestrone soup, spanish rice, apple cinnamon rice, pasta with tomato basil sauce, apple cinnamon oatmeal and more. Cooking instructions include pictures for wider accessibility.
Email matthew@outreachprogram.org with any questions or to join county specific event email lists.
Visit endhungerne.org and watch this video to learn more.
Tips for Raising Community Support
Watch a recording of a webinar on fundraising basics, presented by Connecticut Foodshare Senior Director of Strategic Giving, Kathryn Mastandrea. Learn basics of relationship building, solicitaton, and stewardship.
View a template acknowledgement letter mentioned during the presentation. More information about documentation and reporting is below in the section "Resources for Running a Strong Nonprofit."
Connecticut Foodshare Network Relations Representaives have complied strategies used by partner agencies across the state to raise local food donations.
Download Strategies for Partner Agencies to Raise Local Food Donations
There were many resources shared by agency partners at the 2024 Agency Partner Conference.
Diving into the “Donor Relationship Toolbox”
Cheshire Community Food Pantry's Executive Director, Dave DeFeo, shared the methods used to develop and stay connected to the donor community in Cheshire where there is an average of 250 discreet pantry item donations a month and near daily financial donations.
Cheshire Community Food Pantry brochure
Cheshire Community Food Pantry flyer
Leveraging the Letter Carriers/Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
Kristen Skulte, President of the Board of the Farmington Food Pantry (and Connecticut Foodshare Network Relations Representative), shared how their program increased donations from the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.
Community Fundraising – Simple Ways to Raise More Money
Al Marino, former Director of Corporate Giving and Community Giving at Connecticut Foodshare, shared ways to find funds in your community. Chambers of Commerce, Third-Party Events, Connecticut Foodshare Walk Against Hunger, Event Sponsorships are all ways to bring funds in-house.
Creative Fundraising Tips
Chelsea French, Resource Developer at Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment Group (TEEG), shared innovative ways to engage the community in supporting your mission and work. TEEG has a long-standing partnership with the communities it serves and relies on each partnership to help keep their markets stocked with food. Through donation and drives at local churches, schools, and municipalities they have been able to increase the number of people they serve and the number of days they are open.
Building a Diversified Revenue Stream While Supporting Clients Served
Executive Director of Bread for Life, Missy Cipriano, shared how a community garden and apiary offer a way of growing community and supplying additional income to the nonprofit, while offering fresh farm to table meals for those served.
Community Relationship Building
Dona Ditrio of New Opportunities of Greater Meriden shared how communities have potential opportunities in their areas to build relationships with other potential contributors to pantry operations. Learn about Operation Pantry and Meriden Public Schools working partnership to address food security and other partners identified to support the community.
Give Healthy Fundraising Tool
#GiveHealthy is an online platform for raising food for your program that helps you get the foods you need, when you need them. The tool is easy to use and helps your community provide support through food purchases delivered to your organization on a schedule that works for you. Hear from partner program Neighbor to Neighbor’s Interim Director Duncan Lawson and #GiveHealthy representative Nora Noll about how the program works and how your program can get started.
Produce Vendor: Carbonella & DeSarbo
Carbonella & DeSarbo is a local produce vendor based in Branford. View a product list on their website.
Orders must be placed 24 hours in advance over the phone or by email.
There is a 10 case minimum per order and a $3 delivery fee. They deliver within their service area Monday through Friday, with some exceptions on Wednesdays. View their service area here. Red highlighted towns cannot recieve delivery on Wednesdays. If a town is not highlighted it is not within their service area.
Payment accepted: cash, business check, ACH, or credit card. Credit application required for invoicing.
Click here for contact information to set up an account.
Simplified Hydroponics: Increasing Access to Healthy Food
Levo International, a hydroponics nonprofit, joined the 2024 Agency Partner Conference to share a simple and effective way to provide more fresh food to your community.
Food Finds Facebook Page: Pantry Deals for Nonprofits
Visit the Food Finds: Pantry Deals for Nonprofits Facebook page to find products to stock your shelves for less money.
Resources for Running a Strong Nonprofit
Training and Development
Finance 101 for Nonprofits, presented by Connecticut Foodshare CFO Jeff Bartholomay. Review the slides from the presentation here.
Access resources you can shared from the presentation that you can adapt for your use:
- Donation acknowledgement letter
- Gift acceptance policy
- Record retention schedule
- In-kind gift processing form
- Conflict of interest policy
- Budget reforecast sample
- Privacy policy
The Alliance for Nonprofit Growth and Opportunity (TANGO)
Connecticut Nonprofit Alliance
Social Media Strategies
Connecticut Foodshare staff have gathered a list of strategies used by network partners to help raise food, funds, and awareness for their programs. Download the list.
Watch the recording from Connecticut Foodshare Marketing and Communication Director Merry Renduchintala and network partners from Enfield Loaves and Fishes and Norwalk Open Doors to learn about getting started or upping your game in social media. View the slides from the presentation.
New to Facebook? This video brings you through how to create a Facebook Page for your organization step-by-step.
Canva for Free Graphic Design
Canva is a powerful design tool to create logos, graphics, flyers, and more. There is a free version and a premium version. Nonprofits can apply to receive Canva premium features for free.
Watch this Video on How to Get Started
Welcome to Canva Instructional Video
Canva’s YouTube Channel has a playlist of 11 short videos (approx. 3 minutes each) on how to use different aspects of Canva.
Volunteer Management
There were many resources shared by agency partners at the 2024 agency partner conference.
Caring for Bethlehem, Enfield Loaves and Fishes, and Connecticut Foodshare's Volunteer Services Department shared tools and strategies for managing volunteers.
View or download presentations:
Share Best Practices
Connecticut Foodshare Network Connection is a free online discussion tool that helps connect you to your peers. It can help you share information, inspiration, and tips to support your work and create a more accessible and welcoming experience for your neighbors. Read an introduction and read the Network Connection User Guide.
Log in or sign up here.
Developing Mission, Vision and Values Statements
Strong Mission, Vision, and Values statements can attract volunteers and donations, provide a leg up when applying for grants, guide decision making, and to inspire and motivate staff and volunteers. Download an interactive guide in English or Español to create these essential statements. Do you want additional guidance or to bounce ideas off someone? Email gkennedy@ctfoodshare.org to schedule time to work through these sheets together, discuss your completed worksheets, or work on other capacity building projects with a Connecticut Foodshare representative.
