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June 25, 2020

CHEFA doles out $3M for coronavirus recovery under modified grant program

By Matt Pilon

A quasi-public authority that finances healthcare, education and nonprofit projects in Connecticut has announced $3 million in grants to 14 organizations to help respond to the impacts of COVID-19.

The Connecticut Housing and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) said Wednesday that the grants, most of which are in the six figures, will help hospitals purchase COVID-19 related equipment, provide relief funds for undocumented college students and residents, fund facility safety improvements for community programs, among various other uses.

“CHEFA is one of only a few major philanthropic entities providing funds statewide to assist Connecticut nonprofit organizations or public educational units with major program or capital expenditures in response to the COVID-19 crisis,” the agency said in a statement. “While the state begins to reopen, this critical funding will help important organizations and institutions respond to the new challenges posed by the pandemic.”

The COVID-19 grants for the coming fiscal year that starts July 1 replace CHEFA’s typical three grant programs for the year, though they are still targeted at the same sectors.

CHEFA also recently announced increased flexibility for grant recipients from the prior two annual rounds. CHEFA will allow those grantees to use the money as general operating funds, if their programs were disrupted by the crisis.

Betty Sugerman Weintraub, CHEFA's grant manager, said Thursday that the money for the grants is generated by the agency's tax-exempt financing transactions.

"CHEFA has never received any state/taxpayer dollars, we are a self-sustaining, quasi-public agency," she said.  
 
The latest round of grants includes:

  • $486,000 to the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut for increased COVID-19 testing at Federally Qualified Health Centers, additional medical equipment and patient care kits.
  • $400,000 to Hartford HealthCare to provide testing supplies, PPE and staffing for 10 mobile testing sites across the state.
  • $350,000 to Connecticut State Colleges and Universities to support a relief fund for undocumented CSCU students.
  • $304,200 to the 4-CT Fund to support the 4-CT Card Initiative, which provides emergency funds to undocumented state residents.
  • $300,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of Connecticut to support summer and fall youth programming with increased safety protocols, staffing and support for families.
  • $250,000 to Trinity Health of New England to support a convalescent plasma therapy clinical trial for COVID-19 patients.
  • $220,000 to Connecticut After School Network to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) and other resources to after-school programs.
  • $150,000 to the Connecticut Early Childhood Funder Collaborative for a family childcare partnership with the Office of Early Childhood.
  • $150,000 to United Way to support its COVID-19 emergency response fund for individuals and families.
  • $100,000 to Connecticut Humanities for a partnership with the Connecticut Office of the Arts to provide support to arts and cultural organizations affected by the pandemic.
  • $99,000 to Connecticut Association for Community Action to modify facilities for social distancing and to acquire PPE.
  • $75,000 to the Hospital for Special Care to purchase two ventilators, pulse oximeters and other equipment, as well as for virtual visits and creation of an autism video series.
  • $75,000 to Oak Hill (Connecticut Institute for the Blind)- $75,000 for education programs for individuals with disabilities and a food coordination program for group homes.
  • $40,800 to Gaylord Hospital to acquire an ultraviolet cleaning machine and intubation equipment for COVID-19 patients.


 

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