While kids are often excited about the start of summer vacation, for many working parents and caregivers, summer presents a logistical and financial challenge to secure reliable care for their children. For low-income families, finding affordable childcare that also provides summer enrichment opportunities can feel unattainable.

In 2024, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving awarded $772,567 in grants to allow more than 6,200 school-age children and youth in the City of Hartford and individuals with disabilities across Greater Hartford to participate in free and reduced-cost summer learning programs. The grants supported 32 programs, including enrichment, tutorial, and counselor-in-training programs. Many of these opportunities ran four to eight weeks, with shorter sessions available.

These programs provide young people with an opportunity to explore new environments, learn new skills, and make new friends while offering overall positive, out-of-school time structured activities that research suggests can mitigate summer learning loss and improve academic engagement.

The Foundation is currently seeking applications for programming opportunities to Hartford youth as well as people with disabilities in our 29-town region during the summer of 2025. Requests of up to $50,000 for activities implemented during the summer of 2025 a will be considered with the Foundation expecting to award up to $750,000 in total across all grantees.

The deadline to apply is Monday, January 13, 2025. Grants will be announced in April 2025. 

Before you apply, please review our Request for Proposals document to learn about requirements and other key information. Applications must be submitted no later than Monday, January 13, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.

“For many years, the Hartford Foundation has recognized the value in investing in summer learning programs,” said Hartford Foundation Community Impact Officer Alexis Safo-Agyeman. “They provide thousands of families with the opportunity to ensure that their children have a safe and enriching experience while allowing parents and caregivers to continue working. Summer programs also offer older youth with paid employment and skill-building opportunities to enhance their academic, social, and emotional well-being. We encourage nonprofits that offer this type of programming to apply for a grant this year.”

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding towns. Through partnerships, the Foundation seeks to strengthen communities in Greater Hartford by putting philanthropy in action to dismantle structural racism and achieve equity in social and economic mobility. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $998 million since its founding in 1925. For more information, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.