On January 22, 2026, the Women & Girls Fund at Main Street Community Foundation held its Annual Meeting & Grantee Reception to acknowledge the accomplishments of the Fund as well as recognize and celebrate the local organizations that were awarded grants from the Fund last Fall. This annual event promotes conversations between the grantee organizations, donors, and volunteers to highlight the many programs supported by the Fund and their impact on communities.

The grants awarded support programs serving women and girls in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, and Wolcott. These grants were made possible through annual distributions from the Women & Girls Fund endowment, the John & Gloria DiFrancesco Fund for Women and Girls, the Barbara Hackman Franklin Fund for Women, and the proceeds from the annual Wonder of Women (WOW) event.

This year, MSCF will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Women & Girls Fund and its mission to advance opportunities for local women and girls. Since the Fund’s establishment in 2001, a total of $921,000 has been awarded in grants. In 2025, $59,150 in grants supported 12 organizations as follows:

• Boys & Girls Club of Bristol - $5,000 - SMART Girls: Giving Girls Confidence program for girls ages 8-12 to teach responsibility and to develop a healthy attitude and lifestyle by engaging in discussions and activities that reinforce positive behavior.
• Bristol Family Resource Centers - $7,000 - Expansion of the Girl Up! program, a targeted small-group intervention to build leadership skills in girls ages 6-12 in three Bristol Public Schools: Greene-Hills School, South Side School and West Bristol School.
• BristolWORKS! - $6,150 - Ready to Rise: Confidence, Leadership & Wellness for Rising Women, a series of interactive workshops for early-career woman that combines leadership development, confidence building, and wellness strategies.
• Community Counseling Centers of Central Connecticut - $1,500 - Holistic Wellness and Self-Care Retreat at Pillwillop Therapeutic Farm, a three-day immersive experience designed for women mindfulness practices, self-care workshops, and expressive arts sessions, participants will learn practical wellness tools to enhance emotional resilience, manage stress, and support ongoing mental health and well-being.
• Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut - $1,550 - Women’s Outdoor Adventure Series at Indian Rock Nature Preserve, a four-day program to empower women and girls, ages 8 through adult, by providing opportunities to connect with nature and engage in a variety of outdoor activities.
• PARC - $5,000 - Golden Gang Senior Women's Program, a year-round program designed to increase and improve the quality of life for senior women with developmental disabilities.
• Plainville Youth Services - $4,000 - A Space to Shine program which will empower young girls to reach their fullest potential and develop confidence, leadership and coping skills using arts and humanities workshops.
• Plymouth Community Food Pantry - $2,500 - Access to Personal Care Items for Senior Women (APCISW) program to provide senior women with personal care products falling into four categories: hygiene, incontinence, dental, and other, which SNAP benefits cannot be used to purchase.
• Prudence Crandall Center, Inc. - $5,000 - Domestic Violence Counseling and Support Groups for Women and Girls program offering counseling services focused on women’s mental health and wellbeing, providing emotional support and practical assistance to address the complex impact of domestic violence on their lives.
• Shepard Meadows Equestrian Center, Inc. - $6,250 - Women’s Equine Gestalt Group, an on-going program to strengthen mental health, well-being, and self-esteem for mature women
• The Carousel Museum - $5,200 - The OWL Society: Older Women Learning - New Skills, New Joy, Lifelong Learning, a six-month program to enrich lives of women 55 and older by fostering connection, lifelong learning, and a sense of belonging.
• The YWCA of New Britain - $10,000 - The Sexual Assault Crisis Service program for women and girls provides free and confidential services to survivors of sexual violence. Services include: 24-hour crisis hotlines, individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, accompaniments and advocacy to medical, police, and court proceedings, campus services, information and referrals, state certification training for Counselor Advocates, prevention education for all ages/groups, and outreach events in the community.

For more information on the Women & Girls Fund, contact the Main Street Community Foundation at 860.583.6363 or visit mainstreetfoundation.org/women-girls-fund.