DERBY — The Valley Community Foundation (VCF) has awarded $350,000 in new 2026 multi-year grants to eight nonprofit organizations serving the Valley, reinforcing the foundation’s long-term investment in organizations addressing some of the region’s most pressing needs.
The grants, approved as part of VCF’s newly renamed Multi-Year Grant Process, represent three-year funding commitments designed to provide nonprofits with greater financial stability and the confidence to plan for sustained impact. While the total commitment is $350,000 over three years, $160,000 will be distributed during the first year, with the balance paid in scheduled installments over the following two years.
This year’s grantmaking also reflects VCF’s ongoing commitment to nonprofits that received multi-year awards in previous grant cycles. In addition to the eight new grants, VCF is continuing to fulfill 21 second- and third-year grant commitments approved in 2024 and 2025, totaling $440,000. Combined with the new grants VCF’s 2026 multi-year grant-making total is $600,000.
“Multi-year funding for advocacy and core support changes the conversation for nonprofit organizations,” said Sandra Arburr, VCF’s Grants & Nonprofit Support Manager. “It gives organizations the confidence to focus on advancing their mission, knowing that funding is secure rather than facing an annual application process that can be especially demanding for nonprofits with small staff.”
“With stable, multi-year support, organizations can dedicate more time to strategic planning, advocate more effectively for community needs, strengthen programs, build organizational capacity, and better serve the people who rely on them,” Arburr said. “This approach creates stronger nonprofits — and stronger nonprofits create a stronger Valley.”
The 2026 grant recommendations span a wide range of community priorities, including arts and culture, basic human needs, children and youth, economic success and health, with most of the funded organizations serving residents of Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton.
The Valley Council for Health and Human Services (VCHHS) received the largest grant award this year, reflecting its vital role as the Valley’s primary convener of health and human services partnerships. The $120,000 grant, given over the next three years, will help VCHHS strengthen collaboration among nonprofits, government agencies and community partners while continuing to connect residents with critical services and resources throughout the Valley.
The eight nonprofit organizations receiving new 2026 three-year grants are:
- Connecticut Hurricanes Drum and Bugle Corps — $35,000
- Housatonic Council, Boy Scouts of America — $30,000
- Operation Fuel, Inc./Generation Power CT — $25,000
- Partnership for Strong Communities — $30,000
- Rape Crisis Center of Milford, Inc. — $30,000
- Shelton Economic Development Corp. — $50,000
- St. Vincent de Paul of the Valley — $30,000
- Valley Council for Health & Human Services — $120,000.
The grants support a combination of Core Support for Valley-based organizations and Civic Health initiatives serving Valley residents through organizations with broader regional reach. Six grants provide core operating support, while two support civic health programming benefiting the Valley. Four recommendations are also partnership grants with The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (TCF) because those organizations serve both Greater New Haven and the Valley. VCF and TCF continue to administer a joint grantmaking process under their longstanding affiliation agreement.
For 2026, the process evolved from the former Responsive Grants Program into the Multi-Year Grant Process, reflecting VCF’s emphasis on sustained investment and longer-term impact. Applicants could request either one-year or multi-year funding, with awards ranging from $10,000 to $40,000 annually.
This year’s review of multi-year grant applications revealed several notable trends impacting Valley nonprofits including organizations undertaking strategic planning for long-term sustainability, expanding community leadership initiatives, increasing food insecurity, rising housing challenges, growing energy assistance needs and continued demand for accessible health services.
“Our nonprofit partners continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience while responding to increasingly complex community needs,” said Sharon Closius, VCF’s President and CEO. “These grants represent much more than financial support. They are a commitment to helping organizations think beyond the next fiscal year, innovate with confidence and build the long-term capacity needed to serve Valley residents well into the future.”
“When nonprofits have dependable support over multiple years, they can retain talented staff, strengthen partnerships, pursue larger opportunities and focus on mission instead of uncertainty,” Closius said. “That ultimately benefits every community across the Valley.”