The Connecticut Social Equity Council, the body charged with ensuring that revenues from legal cannabis sales benefit marginalized communities, is soliciting applications for its relaunched community grants program.
The Reimagine & Revitalize (R2) Program, a $36 million community reinvestment initiative, is designed to expand opportunity in communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs, according to the council.
The program, which makes grants to community organizations, was paused in 2024 amid tensions within the council and concerns from legislators. Gov. Ned Lamont’s office and the legislature’s Black and Puerto Rican Caucus questioned a lack of strategy and accountability in the grant-making process.
Through the R2 Program, the council now says it will invest the money over three years in projects aligned with three core priority areas: economic development, reentry initiatives and youth initiatives.
The council has opened applications for eligible organizations in its 10 designated R2 regions. Funding in each region is expected to support approximately 18 community-based organizations, with grant awards ranging from $75,000 to $300,000.
“This investment is about more than funding programs,” said Brandon L. McGee Jr., CEO of the Council. “It is about creating long-term opportunity, supporting community-led solutions, and ensuring resources reach the communities they were intended to serve so that they may prosper and thrive.”
The R2 Program will be administered through designated grant managers, mostly community foundations and United Way chapters, serving 10 targeted regions across Connecticut. Each manager will oversee the local application process, administer funding, conduct information sessions, and support awarded organizations within their assigned region.
Applications close July 15, 2026.
