New Grant Program Good for Nonprofits, State

A not-so “secret weapon” in the effort to control state spending and improve human services in Connecticut is the state’s nonprofit provider community.  Hundreds of nonprofits are providing a wide range of vital services to Connecticut residents at often substantially lower costs than the state.
But nonprofits often struggle to keep up with the latest technologies and equipment, and can’t always afford to expand or renovate their facilities.
To address that problem, Gov. Malloy this week announced a $20 million grant program for nonprofits that provide health and human services through contracts or agreements with state agencies. 
Grants from the bond pool will help eligible nonprofit organizations take care of their critical operational needs so they can keep concentrating on doing what they do best–providing high quality services.
In our “Turning the Tide” report earlier this year, CBIA recommended bolstering Connecticut’s nonprofit community as one way to streamline state government and address critical public needs. Here are those and other recommendations.
Eligible projects
Project guidelines and applications (available soon on the OPM and Department of Administrative Services websites) will be subject to the review and approval of the Office of Policy and Management (OPM).  
Examples of eligible projects include:

• Facility alterations, renovations, improvement, additions, purchase and new construction
• Health, safety and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Energy conservation 
• Information technology projects
• Technology that promotes client independence
• Purchase of vehicles
• Acquisition and upgrades to electronic health or medical records and other health information technology systems
• Converting use of property to address mutually agreed state agency service needs

Applications for the first round of funding must be received by Oct. 4.
“Partnering with our nonprofit organizations is a smart fiscal investment to ensure that these agencies can continue to provide services while doing so in an efficient, cost-effective way,” said the governor.