The Basics on Connecticut’s Lena Benas Memorial Fund

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An excellent resource for low-key, under-the-radar funders is Bank of America Philanthropic Solutions. Not only does it assist donors with their charitable giving; it also connects nonprofits to accessible funders they otherwise might never have heard of. On the organization’s website, you can search for foundations by name, program type and area served in many states across the country, including Connecticut. One such Connecticut funder to know is the Lena Benas Memorial Fund, a supporter of local health and human services causes. Today, Bank of America’s Connecticut office manages the fund.

Here are some details to know about the Lena Benas Memorial Fund for grantseekers in Connecticut.

A focus on housing and human services

The primary objective of the Lena Benas Memorial Fund is to “provide for the health, human services and housing needs of underserved people living in Litchfield, Connecticut, and its surrounding communities.” Benas was a resident of Litchfield. Other nearby towns of interest are Cornwall, Goshen, Harwinton, Morris, Thomaston, Torrington, Warren, Washington and Watertown.

The fund gives special consideration to organizations that provide housing maintenance and human services programming to needy populations in these towns. Example grantees include Greenwoods Counseling, Food Rescue, the Litchfield Community Services Fund and Rebuilding Together in Litchfield.

A resource for unrestricted general operating support

The Lena Benas Memorial Fund is a good grantmaker to know for unrestricted general operating support, something that nearly every local nonprofit needs. The typical grant range is $5,000 to $25,000. The fund usually awards less than a dozen grants per year, so total annual giving is often around $100,000. This fund has been supporting the local community since 1986.

Open to unsolicited grant requests

Grantseekers can submit proposals to the Lena Benas Memorial Fund before a November 1 deadline each year. The fund offers one-year grants rather than multi-year funding. It notifies applicants of grant decisions in letter form by January 1. The application process goes through the Bank of America online system, and online application help is available via PDF form. Applicants can reach out to Connecticut’s Bank of America team directly by email with any questions about the process or about the fund in general.

You can learn more about this funder in IP’s full profile of the Lena Benas Memorial Fund, which is part of our Connecticut funding guide.