Fairfield County”™s Community Foundation (FCCF) has awarded 18 grants to civic-minded organizations that are determined to energize and educate the community to vote as the state prepares for Election Day on Nov. 6. This new civic engagement grants program is an innovative nonpartisan initiative designed to fund efforts to increase voter registration and information access for all Fairfield County residents, particularly those who are historically disenfranchised.
“The Communty Foundation is ecstatic with the response for requests for Get Out The Vote grants,” said Mendi Blue-Paca, vice president of community impact for the foundation. “All the organizations that applied were dynamic and energetic. As a result of the high caliber of applicants and the large applicant pool, we had to nearly double our budget for this program in its inaugural year. Our heartfelt thanks go to our donors and suporters who make these types of high-impact initiatives possible.”
FCCF”™s objective for the Get Out the Vote (GOTV) program is to increase civic engagement and improve models for nonprofits to register and engage voters. The organizations selected to receive GOTV grants translates to engaging more than 5,000 people in the region to vote in the mid-term elections and for years to come.
The 18 grantees are from across Fairfield County; many serve multiple areas in the region. They include Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition, Bridgeport; Bridgeport Generation Now, Bridgeport; Burroughs Center, Bridgeport; CT Nonprofit Alliance, which is countywide and partners with 62 nonprofit organizations; Domus, based in Stamford; FaithActs, Bridgeport; Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County, based in Stratford serving Fairfield County; Housatonic Community College, Bridgeport with students from across the state; League of Women Voters Bridgeport, serving Bridgeport, Trumbull, Stratford, Shelton and Monroe; League of Women Voters northern Fairfield County, serving Danbury, Bethel, Brookfield, New Fairfield, Newtown and Sherman; League of Women Voters Norwalk, Norwalk; League of Women Voters Stamford, serving Stamford and Norwalk; Make The Road CT, Bridgeport; NAACP Norwalk, Norwalk; National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc., based in Bridgeport; Norwalk Community College, based in Norwalk with students from across the state; YWCA Darien/Norwalk, based in Darien; and YWCA Greenwich, Greenwich.
Domus”™ Executive Director Mike Duggan, shared his excitement for being awarded the Get Out the Vote Grant from FCCF, “As part of our work to combat racial injustice, we want to make sure the young people we work with understand the power of their vote. Often youth who struggle in our community feel they don”™t have a voice. It”™s our job to make sure they know they can have an impact in their community by voting.”
