Five Newtown organizations are among hundreds of in-state groups that will benefit from Connecticut Cultural Fund Operating Support Grants (CTCFOSG) from Connecticut Humanities (CTH), the statewide, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Awards totaling $16,000,500 will be dispensed among 624 grants across the state. Fairfield County organizations account for just shy of $4.5 million through 146 grants. The recipients have been unveiled in recent weeks.

Locally, Edmond Town Hall will receive a grant for $39,400; EverWonder Children’s Museum, $5,000; NewArts/The 12.14 Foundation, $15,200; Newtown Cultural Arts Commission, $7,400; and Newtown Historical Society Inc, $6,000.

CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grants are part of $30.7 million of support allocated to arts, humanities, and cultural nonprofits through CTH over the next two years by the CT General Assembly and approved by Governor Ned Lamont. The CTCFOSG will assist organizations as they recover from the pandemic and maintain and grow their ability to serve their community and the public.

The grants were administered by CT Humanities, with funding provided by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature.

One of multiple forms of grants issued by CT Humanities, CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grants are general operating support grants for museums and 501(c)(3) non-profit, municipal, Connecticut state, or Connecticut-based tribal nation organizations that provide cultural-, humanities-, and arts-based projects and activities for the public (i.e., museums, historic houses, historical societies, arts organizations, cultural centers, and other organizations that offer activities such as exhibitions, performances, art classes, public programs, or walking tours to the public).

Eligibility applied to organizations whose core mission, vision, focus, and legal purpose – as stated in their Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws – articulate a commitment to conduct museum, cultural, humanities, and/or arts activities and at least 51 percent of their annual fiscal expenditures is allocated specifically to support cultural, humanities, and arts activities, programming, services, or initiatives.

The minimum grant award amount was $5,000 and the maximum award amount was $500,000. All eligible applying organizations received funding support. Award amounts were determined based upon an organization’s budget size and in consideration of other sources of state funding.

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Associate Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.