The Lillian and Henry Konopacke Fund

Lillian and Henry Konopacke; Courtesy of the Konopacke Estate

Grant opportunity for nonprofit animal shelters; grants available year-round

Thanks to Lillian and Henry Konopacke, nonprofits providing shelter to homeless cats and dogs in Greater New Haven are getting some extra support. The Lillian and Henry A. Konopacke Fund was created in 2013 at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven by bequest of New Haven native Henry Konopacke, who worked as a machinist at the Winchester Repeating Arms Factory.

Nonprofit animal shelters serving the Greater New Haven area may be eligible to apply for up to $7,500 in funding from the Konopacke Fund. The Fund's intent is to assist nonprofit animal shelters in the Greater New Haven area in performing the services for which they have been established.

Depending on the funding need, nonprofit shelters can apply for either project support (defined as a grant made for a specific new or existing project) or capacity building (defined as a grant for short-term financial assistance to build the infrastructure of an organization for long-term success, such as board development, strategic planning, evaluation and capital expenditures including equipment (not technology), and building renovations or relocation).

Applying for a grant from the Konopacke Fund is a competitive process; the average size grant is typically between $3,000 and $5,000.

To be considered for a grant, all applicants must demonstrate a commitment to a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of age, sex, religion, national origin, and sexual preference in all aspects of organizational operations—hiring, leadership, and service provisions. Typically, the application review process takes six to eight weeks.