The SBM Charitable Foundation recently awarded $487,241 to area nonprofits in its final fourth quarter grants of 2010, for a total of $1,522,591 grant awards for the year.
A total of 43 organizations were beneficiaries of the foundations “We’re Pulling For You” Grants in the quarter ending Dec. 31, bringing the 2010 total to 122 grant recipients. The foundation supports a wide range of community services, primarily east of the river programs.
The SBM Charitable Foundation Inc. was established in 2001 by Connecticut Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of the former Savings Bank of Manchester. The foundation focuses on five primary categories of funding — health, housing and human services, education and arts. Since the foundation’s inception in 2001, $15,776,332 has been awarded.
Lincoln grants support training
Lincoln Financial Foundation recently awarded $79,400 in workforce and economic development grants to seven local nonprofits providing adult education and job training for Hartford’s workforce.
The largest grants went to Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford, which received $15,000 to meet the growing demand for technology-based instruction. Dress for Success Hartford will use a $12,000 grant to support its employment retention programs for women. A $10,000 grant to Hartford Public Library will allow the library to expand its adult education resources to include graduate equivalency degree preparation and college math.
These workforce and economic development grants are a portion of Lincoln Foundation’s $950,700 in overall support for Hartford nonprofits in 2010. Lincoln Financial Group allocated more than $10.3 million last year to Lincoln Foundation for philanthropic activities in the communities where its employees work.
Among the other local grants are $12,400 to Knox Parks Foundation for the Americorps Green Crew program; $10,000 to Billings Forge Community Works for Job Training @ The Kitchen; $10,000 to HART for the Home Ownership Made Easy (HOME) program; and $10,000 to Jubilee House for the Esperanza Academic Center.
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Free legal aid for Holocaust claims
Shipman & Goodwin LLP is donating free legal services and coordinating a pro bono effort to assist eligible Holocaust survivors in Connecticut in receiving pensions from the German government.
This new effort was made possible by decisions issued in 2009 by the German Federal Social Court that allow survivors who worked in German-controlled ghettos to apply or reapply for pensions under more liberalized requirements. Those court decisions should dramatically increase the number of approved applications.
Previously, the German government interpreted the rules strictly and made eligibility nearly impossible. Shipman & Goodwin participated in a 2008 initiative to assist former ghetto residents to apply for reparations, which resulted in a number of individuals receiving a one-time payment of 2,000 Euros.
A volunteer team of 12 attorneys and three paralegals from Shipman & Goodwin’s Hartford and Stamford offices, along with members of Aetna Inc.’s corporate law department, recently participated in a training session to become well-versed in the new requirements and application process.
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Henkel aids Village
Henkel Corp. in Rocky Hill partnered with Columbia Sportswear Co. to outfit the residential children at the Village for Families & Children with winter coats and also donated $5,000 to purchase individual gifts that were distributed at the annual holiday party.
This is the third year Henkel — the maker of well known brands that include Loctite adhesives, Dial soaps, Purex laundry detergents, and Right Guard antiperspirants — has supported the holiday party at the Village.
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Easter Seals board elects
David Radanovich has been elected chairman of the Board of Trustees at Easter Seals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut. Radanovich, the communications manager at Connecticut Light & Power, has been a trustee for six years and most recently served as vice chairman.
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Autism triathlon Feb. 19-20
Jocelyn’s Run, an indoor triathlon benefiting the Connecticut autism charity, will be held Feb. 19-20 at the New York Sports Club in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square.
The triathlon will include 15 minutes of swimming with a 10-minute transition; 30 minutes of stationary biking with a five-minute transition and 30 minutes of running or walking on a treadmill. Participants of all skill levels are welcome.
Jocelyn’s Run gets its name from Jocelyn Pardi, a school nurse at an education facility in Hartford which provides specialized care for children with autism spectrum disorders. In 2008, she fulfilled a lifelong dream to run in the New York City Marathon. The event became about much more than running a race. In the process of preparing for the marathon, Jocelyn raised nearly $25,000 for autism support and services. This is the second year the event has been held at New York Sports Club.
The triathlon runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and from 7 a.m. — 1 p.m. on Sunday. Registration is $40 for New York Sports Club members and $50 for non-members. For information, visit www.jocelynsrun.org.
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Grant applications due March 1
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts is accepting applications through March 1 for grants to be awarded in the second quarter.
To qualify for funding, projects must address and have a measurable impact on children in Connecticut or Western Massachusetts. Grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations that provide a brighter future for children by opening doors, creating opportunities, and offering on-going support that will have lasting effects on their lives. The focus is on education, health care and civic and social services.
For more information or to apply for a grant, please call Carole Bowman at 860- 659-0514 or visit www.rmhc-ctma.org. .
