Give Now

The Corporate, Foundation and Government Relations staff works with faculty on research and travel grants, drafts proposals for institutional projects and priorities, and collaborates with hundreds of public and private organizations that support the College's mission.

Gifts and grant awards received by the College in the past three fiscal years:

Local Initiatives Support Coalition (LISC), $339,568 for Connecticut Early Childhood Facilities Construction and Renovation Grant Program. Kathryn O’Connor, Human Development.

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, $258,000 New Directions fellowship for “Visualizing Deafness: Art History in Dialogue with Deaf Studies.” Karen Gonzalez Rice, Art History.

MacArthur Foundation, $250,460 for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) fellowship program. Eileen Kane, History.

William Randolph Hearst Foundation, $250,000 for Palmer Auditorium Renovation. 

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, $249,398 for the project: “Toward an Equity-Minded and Trauma-Informed Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.” Mays Imad, Biology.

National Science Foundation (NSF), $223,136 for “Causes and Consequences of Early Quitting in Visual Search: Investigating the Role of Distractors.” Jeff Moher, Psychology.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), $211,750 for the Strategic Alliance Matching Grant. Mo White, Director of Athletics.

M. Keck Foundation, $200,000 for Summer Research Experiences in the Sciences.

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), $199,959 for “A Translation of the Gongyang and Guliang Commentaries to Spring and Autumn Annals.” Sarah Queen, History.

LEARN, $156,000 in FY24, $114,000 in FY23, and $96,000 in FY22 for Child Development Lab School (CDLS) School Readiness. Kathryn O’Connor, Human Development.

MacArthur Foundation, $140,000 for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) fellowship program. Eileen Kane, History

Davis UWC, $120,000 in FY22 and $110,000 each in FY23 and FY24 for Financial Aid to Davis United World College (UWC) Scholars.

SJS Charitable Trust, $100,000 in FY24, FY23, and FY22 for Financial Aid to Posse New York City Program Scholars.

Rands Foundation, $100,000 to the General Operating Fund of Connecticut College. 

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, $99,000 for the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) program. Erika Smith, Dean of the College, and Ann Schenk, Associate Dean of the College.

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), $94,923 in funding from the American Rescue Plan for Humanities Organizations.  

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), $86,312 for “Exploring ‘Living Shorelines’ As a Natural-Based Restoration Alternative in a Heavily Impacted Temperate Estuary.” Maria Rosa, Biology.

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, $80,000 for the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) program. Marina Melendez, Office of the Dean of the College.

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, $76,000 for the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) program. Erika Smith, Dean of the College.

National Institutes of Health (NIH), $74,046 for the project: “Structural Variation Analysis of Orofacial Cleft Associated Genomic Regions in African and Asian Populations.” Timothy Becker, Computer Science.

Perkins Charitable Foundation, $60,000 in FY23 and FY22 to support the programming and maintenance of Oliva Hall.

Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, $55,210 fellowship for research in Guatemala for the “Intellectual Property Rights, Gender, and Development” project. Joyce Bennett, Anthropology.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), $55,000 for STEM equity and mental health. Mays Imad, Biology.

American Chemical Society, $55,000 for “Rotationally Resolved Measurements of the Vibrational Overtones of Benzene using Dual Comb Spectroscopy.” Daniel Maser, Physics.

11th Hour Racing/Schmidt Family Foundation, $50,000 for Marsh Restoration Along a Highly Impacted Urban Estuary on the Thames River in New London, CT. Maria Rosa, Biology

Ingalls Foundation, $50,000 for Exploring “Living Shorelines” as a Nature-Based Restoration Alternative in a Heavily Impacted Temperate Estuary. Maria Rosa, Biology.

American Association of University Women, $50,000 for an American Postdoctoral Research Leave fellowship. Karen Buenavista Hanna, Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality Studies.

Ford Foundation, $50,000 for a Postdoctoral Fellowship for “The Color of the Army: Forts and Race-Making in the Nineteenth Century U.S.-Mexico Borderlands.” Kris K. Hernández, History.

U.S. Election Assistance Commission, $49,905 for the project: “Tracking the Implementation of Voter Education Programs Across the States.” Mara Suttmann-Lea, Government. 

Anne S. Richardson Fund, $45,000 to support the General Operating Fund of Connecticut College. 

MIT Election Data and Science Lab, $40,330 for the “Building Trust in Elections” project. Mara Suttmann-Lea, Government.

New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), $40,000 for the Connecticut Higher Education Tech Talent Accelerator 2.0. Noel Garrett, Academic Resource Center.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC), $35,022 for Resilient Southeastern Connecticut. Maria Rosa, Biology.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), $35,000 for “Forums on Racial and Cultural Equity.Mays Imad, Biology.

National Institutes of Health (NIH), $29,622 for “The Economic Healthcare Costs of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) for Mexicans and Mexican Americans in México and the United States.” Mónika López Anuarbe, Economics.

Gerda Henkel Foundation, $28,888 for “Lifting Silences: The History of Africans and Afro-Andeans in Cuzco, 1500s and 1600s.” Leo Garofalo, History.

Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, $26,000 for “Mapping Creative Integration Strategies” in Estonia. Andrea Wollensak, Art.

Community Foundation of Eastern CT, $25,000 for the Summer Civic Leaders Program.

11th Hour Racing, $20,000 for Marsh Restoration Along a Highly Impacted Urban Estuary on the Thames River in New London, CT. Maria Rosa, Biology.

Wenner-Gren Foundation, $20,000 for “Our Clothing, Our Designs: Maya Women and Intellectual Property Rights.” Joyce Bennett, Anthropology.

American Public Gardens Association, $19,800 for Sprout Garden internships and FRESH New London collaboration. Eric Vukicevich, Botany.

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale, $15,000 for the project: “Afro-Andeans in Cuzco and a Black Pacific.” Leo Garofalo, History.

Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), $15,000 for “NetVUE: Exploring Vocation to Support Undocumented Students.” Erika Smith, Dean of the College.

Bennack-Polan Foundation, $15,000 to support Exploring Shorelines as a Nature-Based Restoration Alternative in a Heavily Impacted Temperate Estuary. Maria Rosa, Biology.

CT Office of the Arts, $14,300 for the Talking Artist Series. Rob Richter, Arts Programming.

Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA), $14,000 for the Child Development Lab School (CDLS) Kindergarten Readiness Family Initiative. Kathryn O’Connor, Human Development.

Wheeler Clinic, $11,679 for the CT Healthy Campus Initiative. 

Pearson Education—Biology Leadership Community program, $10,000 for the project “Investigating and Recasting the ‘Agreements’ That Govern STEM Teaching and Learning.” Mays Imad, Biology.

Chester Kitchings Family Foundation, $10,000 for the Louise C. Howe Scholarship Fund. 

Community Foundation of Eastern CT, $10,000 for the Child Development Lab School (CDLS)’s Kindergarten Readiness Family Initiative. Kathryn O’Connor, Human Development.

SJS Charitable Trust, $10,000 each in FY23 and FY22 for Posse Program Scholar Internships.

Rands Foundation, $10,000 to the General Operating Fund of Connecticut College.

Messler Family Foundation, $10,000 for equipment for Film Studies. Ross Morin and Greg Surman, Film Studies.

New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), $8,000 for the Soweto Gospel Choir performance. Robert Richter, Arts Programming.

DAAD, $7,900 to fund a residence at the University of Hamburg’s Research Center for German Exile Literature. Karolin Machtans, German Studies.

Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation, $7,700 for a travel grant for “West and East African Indigenous Approach to Addressing Youth and Young People’s Mental Health.” Mays Imad, Biology.

Van Sloun Foundation, $7,000 for Invasive Species Removal at Connecticut College Arboretum’s new offices at 33 Gallows Ln in New London, CT. Maggie Redfern, Director of the Arboretum.

John Carter Brown Library, $6,750 fellowship for “The Lives and Actions of Blacks in Cuzco from the 1530s to the 1690s.” Leo Garofalo, History.

Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation, $6,135 for a travel grant for “En Pleine Aire - Painting in the Footsteps of Cézanne and Van Gogh.” Chris Barnard, Art.

American Philosophical Society, $6,000 for the “Afro-Andeans in a Black Pacific” project. Leo Garofalo, History.

Bennack-Polan Foundation, $6,000 for Summer Research Experiences in the Sciences. Maria Rosa, Biology.

Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation, $5,501 for a travel grant for “Indigenous and African Freedom and Enslavement in Three Cities of the Atlantic World: Nova Scotia, New London, and Havana.” Leo Garofalo, History.

Dime Bank Foundation, $5,000 for the Child Development Lab School (CDLS) Kindergarten Readiness Family Literacy Initiative. Kathryn O’Connor, Human Development.

Brimstone Fund, $5,000 for the Bessell Endowed Fund. Melissa Ryan, Director of Walter Commons.

CT State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), $5,000 for a Survey and Planning Grant. Anthony Graesch, Anthropology.

Chester Kitchings Family Foundation, $5,000 for the Louise C. Howe Endowed Scholarship. 

CT Humanities, $5,000 for CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant in support of the onStage series. 

Chelsea Groton Foundation, $5,000 for the Child Development Lab School (CDLS) Kindergarten Readiness Family Initiative. Kathryn O’Connor, Human Development.

CT Humanities, $4,999 for One Book One Region. 

Public Agenda, $4,843 for “Restoring the Health of the Election Information Ecosystem.” Mara Suttmann-Lea, Government

New England Foundation for the Arts, $4,118 for the Agathe & Adrien performance at the onStage guest artist series. Rob Richter, Arts Programming.

CT Office of Higher Education, $4,048 for the Connecticut Open Educational Resources grant program. Martha Grossel and E. Carla Parker-Athill, Biology.

Dime Bank Foundation, $4,000 in FY23 and $3,000 in FY22 for the Child Development Lab School (CDLS) Kindergarten Readiness Family Initiative. Kathryn O’Connor, Human Development.

Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation, $3,705 for “Finding Islam in Europe’s ‘Great Christian Pilgrimage’: A Study of the Camino de Santiago.” Eileen Kane, History.

Eccles Centre, $3,668 for a visiting fellowship at the British Library for “Revealing Afro-Peruvian Christian Identity, Religious Practice, and Spirituality in Highland Cuzco and the Early Spanish Transpacific.” Leo Garofalo, History

New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), $3,072 for the “Rhapsody in Black” performance by Leland Gantt and Estelle Parsons. Robert Richter, Arts Programming.

Shea Perpetual Trust, $3,000 for Child Development Lab School (CDLS) mental health support. Kathryn O’Connor, Human Development.

American Philosophical Society, $3,000 fellowship at the APS library for “Lifting the Silences on Afro-indigenous Histories.” Leo Garofalo, History.

Pfizer, $2,610 for the “Pop UP STEM: Changing the Image of Science” project. Carla Parker-Athill and Martha Grossel, Biology.

University of Chicago, $2,500 Platzman Fellowship at the rare books library for “Slaveholders’ libraries in Cuzco 1500s-1600s.” Leo Garofalo, History.

American Political Science Association, $2,500 for the project “Dismantling the School to Prison Pipeline.” Daniel Moak, Government.

Chelsea Groton Foundation, $2,500 for the Child Development Lab School (CDLS) Kindergarten Readiness Family Literacy Initiative. Kathryn O’Connor, Human Development.

FACE Foundation, $2,200 for the French Film Festival. James Austin, French.

KidsGardening, $2,100 in funds and garden equipment for the Child Development Lab School (CDLS)’s Teaching and Learning Garden. Kathryn O’Connor, Human Development; and Monica Henry-Seifert, CDLS.

Eversource Energy, $2,000 for New London elementary school classroom library funding. Karen Pezzetti, Education.

Bates College RIOS Institute, $2,000 for the working group on “The Inner Landscape of Critical Thinking.” Mays Imad, Biology.

Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, $2,000 for the Genesis High School Mentoring Program. 

Bodenwein Public Benevolent Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee, $1,500 in FY24 and $1,000 each in FY23 and FY22 for the Child Development Lab School (CDLS) Kindergarten Readiness Family Initiative. Kathryn O’Connor, Human Development.

Project SHARE, $1,400 for funds for Narraguagus River, ME field expenses. Doug Thompson, Environmental Studies.

CT Office of Higher Education, $1,250 for the Connecticut Open Educational Resources grant program. Ariella Rotramel, Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality Studies.

Community Foundation of Eastern CT, $1,000 for One Book One Region (OBOR). Erika Smith, Dean of the College.

Eversource Energy, $1,000 for Intergenerational Play and Learning at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. Katherine Kwong and Monica Franzone, Human Development.

Ricci Institute, $1,000 travel grant for “Revealing Afro-Peruvian Christian Identity, Religious Practice, and Spirituality in Highland Cuzco.” Leo Garofalo, History.

CT Office of Higher Education, $1,000 for the Connecticut Open Educational Resources grant program. David Chavanne, Economics. 

New England Foundation for the Arts, $700 for travel funds for the Association of Performing Arts Professionals conference. Joe Matovic, Arts Programming.

New England Presenters, $500 for travel funds for the Association of Performing Arts Professionals conference. Joe Matovic, Arts Programming.