Thank you for your interest in the CHEFA grant programs.
CHEFA is proud to have provided more than $14 million in grant funding to Connecticut nonprofits in the furtherance of the Authority’s mission.
At this time, the Authority has suspended the awarding of any new grants until further notice. The Fiscal Year 2009 State of Connecticut Deficit Mitigation Plan, approved by the Connecticut General Assembly and signed by Governor M. Jodi Rell, required the transfer of $13.1 million from CHEFA's reserve funds to the State of Connecticut's General Fund.
CHEFA grants have been funded through prudent use of Authority reserves and operating surpluses since FY 2003. The Board of Directors hopes that the CHEFA Grants Program will resume and we recommend that you check our website periodically for updates.
Please contact us if you have any questions or comments
Q: Where does the CHEFA grant money come from?
A: CHEFA grant funds are derived from the Authority reserves and surplus earnings, and are not from the State.
Q: What are the award amounts?
A: We accept applications for up to $100,000.
Q: What if we aren't a CHEFA client?
A: The community foundations of Connecticut provide up to two nominations of eligible applications per year to us for consideration for the Open Grant Program. More information on community foundations is available at www.ctphilanthropy.org.
Q: Is the process complicated?
A: From start to finish, we try to make our grant application process the least cumbersome possible. We know you have significant demands on your time and resources, and because of that we strive to continually improve our processes.
Q: When would we get our grant check?
A: Grant payments are typically made within 20 days of the award decision.
Q: What if we've never prepared a grant application before?
A: Preparing your paperwork for a grant application can help you to identify areas of governance and management that could use improvement.
Q: What is a 501(c)(3) organization? Aren't all nonprofits 501(c)(3)s?
A: The Internal Revenue Code defines a 501(c)(3) organization fully. These are charitable organizations that exist for a public purpose and derive a significant amount of their support from public funds. Contributions to these organizations may be tax-deductible under the law. An organization must formally apply for, receive and maintain their 501(c)(3) status with the IRS. For more information, visit the charities section of the IRS website at:
http://www.irs.gov/charities/index.html
Q: Isn't a town department, school or library a nonprofit?
A: A town department is part of the structure of a municipality and does not qualify for CHEFA grant funds, unless the organization has the IRS 501(c)(3) determination, or is a Client of the Authority (has an outstanding bond issue with us).
Still have questions? Give us a call at 860-761-8428.
