Connecticut Humanities (CTH) has been awarded a grant in the amount of $100,000 to partner with the CT Office of the Arts (COA) to provide support for arts and cultural organizations in Connecticut. The grant, awarded by the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) Board of Directors, is part of an overall $3m in grants from CHEFA’s newly established FY 2021 CHEFA COVID-19 Grant Program.
“Connecticut Humanities is grateful for this funding to help expand and increase the impact of our COVID-19 granting,” says Dr. Jason Mancini, Executive Director at CTH. “Our vibrant cultural sector has been devastated in Connecticut and it is through funders like CHEFA that we can continue providing statewide coordinated financial relief to the cultural, heritage, and arts organizations most affected by the pandemic. These organizations are our state’s most significant and cherished places, serve as the locus of local interactions, as the keepers of Connecticut’s stories and storytellers, and as organizations with a clear understanding of their communities’ needs. They represent the cultural diversity of the state, reach broad audiences, and speak to the needs of urban and rural populations.”
CTH and COA will form an unprecedented and expanded collaboration between the arts and humanities to bring much needed dollars to Connecticut’s cultural organizations experiencing hardships due to the pandemic including significant loss of revenue, loss of venue, loss of paid staff or reduction in staff hours, and temporary closures or reduced hours of operation.
Elizabeth Shapiro, Director of the Connecticut Office of the Arts, states, “This funding partnership between a government agency, a statewide nonprofit and a quasi-public agency that supports nonprofit organizations with financial assistance, including philanthropic grantmaking, may be an unprecedented collaboration to support the critical mission of arts, culture and humanities organizations in the state. The Office of the Arts is committed to working across sectors to support coordinated relief to nonprofits working to sustain the cultural richness of Connecticut’s communities.”
CHEFA’s much needed financial support for cultural organizations will contribute to the stabilization of Connecticut’s arts and humanities sector and afford some measure of financial relief to those most in need during these unprecedented times.
“CHEFA is proud to support Connecticut Humanities with this significant grant from CHEFA’s FY 2021 CHEFA COVID-19 Grant Program. The grant will have a meaningful impact on Connecticut’s arts and cultural sector, supporting the vibrancy of the state for all residents. CHEFA is one of only a few statewide entities providing philanthropic resources to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. We value our partnership with the nonprofit community, as we seek to facilitate important efforts addressing the pandemic” stated Jeanette W. Weldon, CHEFA’s Executive Director.
The guidelines and application period for the CTH CHEFA Cultural Relief Grants will be announced next month. To receive notification, subscribe to CTH’s e-news and follow @CTHumanities on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Connecticut Humanities
Connecticut Humanities (CTH) is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations and gifts from private sources.
About Connecticut Office of the Arts
The Office of the Arts is the state agency charged with fostering the health of Connecticut’s creative economy. Part of the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development, the Office of the Arts is funded by the State of Connecticut as well as the National Endowment for the Arts.
About the Connecticut Health and Education Facilities Authority
The Connecticut Health and Education Facilities Authority (CHEFA) is a quasi-public organization that provides access to tax-exempt financing, grants and other financial assistance to educational institutions, healthcare providers, childcare providers and other qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations. CHEFA has issued over $21.3B in bonds since 1965 and awarded more than $38M in grants since 2002. CHEFA is a self-supporting entity; receiving no state funds or taxpayer dollars.
