Amid state scrutiny, layoffs and controversy, M&T Bank gives $6 million in grants to Connecticut nonprofits

Staff, Hartford Courant
Updated ·3 min read
Amid state scrutiny, layoffs and controversy, M&T Bank gives $6 million in grants to Connecticut nonprofits

M&T Bank has awarded its Amplify Fund grants, giving $6 million to 44 Connecticut nonprofits.

Announced in May 2022, the fund is aimed at addressing underserved, marginalized and overlooked communities.

The 44 nonprofits are part of the first round of grants. In total, the Amplify Fund will award $25 million in unrestricted, multi-year support to organizations. The grants will help organizations improve the lives of their communities through programmatic, capacity-building or policy-based work.

The fund was created after the merger of People’s United Bank and M&T Bank and serves Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.

“M&T is a community-focused bank, and we are proud to support and stand alongside these impactful organizations to help them do good in the communities which we all value,” said Mike Keegan, M&T Bank senior executive vice president. “This first round of Amplify Fund grants being invested in Connecticut is part of a broader commitment to initiatives that are focused on supporting local partners with more capacity to achieve their objectives.”

Grants were awarded based on proposals submitted earlier this year by the nonprofits. Priority was given to nonprofits that articulated the needs to be addressed, the strategies to be employed in response to those needs and a plan to demonstrate effectiveness. There was also a separate category for organizations addressing environmental justice and equity in communities.

Requests for the next round of grants will be announced at a later date.

Awarded grants include funding for projects that include but not limited to:

  • Helping low-income BIPOC individuals find new career pathways via job training and mentorship programs, and direct support to BIPOC and women owned small businesses to help develop and grow their businesses.

  • Funding and expansion of safe and stable mission-driven housing to low-income households, and expansion of physical and mental health services for homeless youth in Connecticut.

  • Hiring of additional staff and expansion of organizational capacity across numerous organizations of different types and missions.

The full list of Connecticut Amplify Fund recipients include:

  • Alliance for Community Empowerment

  • Arts for Learning CT

  • Barnum Museum Foundation, Inc.

  • Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders

  • Bridgeport Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO)

  • Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust, Inc.

  • Capital for Change

  • Cardinal Shehan Center

  • Career Resources, Inc.

  • Central Connecticut Coast YMCA

  • Community Action Agency for New Haven

  • Connecticut Association for the Performing Arts (Shubert Theatre)

  • Connecticut Community Outreach Revitalization Program (ConnCORP)

  • Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants

  • CT Council for Philanthropy

  • CT Students for a Dream

  • Eastern Connecticut Housing Opportunities Inc

  • Fairfield County’s Community Foundation

  • Forge City Works

  • Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County

  • Hartford Land Bank, Inc

  • HEDCO, Inc.

  • Housatonic Community College Foundation

  • Housing Development Fund, Inc.

  • International Hartford Ltd.

  • Junior Achievement of Fairfield County

  • LifeBridge Community Services, Inc.

  • Local Initiatives Support Corporation Connecticut

  • Make the Road Connecticut

  • Mutual Housing Association of Greater Hartford Inc

  • Mutual Housing Association of South Central Connecticut, Inc.

  • Mutual Housing Association of Southwestern Connecticut (Connecticut Housing Partners)

  • Neighborhood Housing Services Of New Haven, Inc

  • Our Piece of the Pie, Inc.

  • Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership (RYASAP)

  • SCSU Foundation

  • Sheldon Oak Central, Inc.

  • The Center for Family Justice, Inc.

  • The Open Door Shelter

  • The San Juan Center

  • The WorkPlace

  • United Way of Coastal Fairfield County

  • Women’s Business Development Council

The full list of Amplify Fund Equity and Environment Initiative recipients include:

  • Connecticut Green Building Council

  • Connecticut Zoological Society, Inc. (DBA Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo)

  • Greater Bridgeport Community Enterprises, Inc.

  • Groundwork Bridgeport

  • Save The Sound

  • The Trust for Public Land