Giving Opportunities Quick Links
Giving Opportunities
7 Ways to Help Transform Lives
Reaching out and caring for our neighbors in need can be simple and enjoyable when you use a little creativity. Consider these ideas, and your own, to benefit men, women and children served by our programs in Connecticut.
1. Sponsor a Collection Drive. Divide your office staff or group into two teams and hold a canned food collection drive contest. At the end of the drive, determine a winner according to how much food was collected (by weight or volume).
2. Give Up Something for a Month. Do you eat out several times a week? Play golf? Go to movies? Think of our neighbors in need who cannot afford any of these activities. Give up one of these every month and make a tax-deductible gift.
3. Have a Casual Day at Your Office. Set a price for employees to be able to wear jeans to the office one day a week or month and collect cash donations for The Connection's programs that serve individuals and families in need.
4. Save Your Change. It may surprise you to learn how quickly the change in your pocket can add up to a substantial amount of money over a month or longer! This is an easy way to give without noticing the money coming out of your budget.
5. Serve on Our Community Committee. This working group plans and produces special events; some to raise funds for projects, others to raise awareness of our communities' needs. A wonderful opportunity for the creative mind!
6. Invite Us to Speak. We have staff, clients and program graduates available to speak to places of worship, civic and community organizations, and corporations that have philanthropic interests. Invite us to inform and inspire your group. Learn more >>>
7. Sponsor a Volunteer Work Day. Contact us about opportunities to renovate rooms or contribute manpower to maintenance projects at one of our facilities throughout Connecticut. Schedule a crew of your colleagues to work for half a day one Saturday or at a time convenient to you.
Please contact us for information and support. We can provide agency materials to help you recruit support for your drive or event. Please contact Michael Woolworth in our Fund Development Office at 860.343.5500, ext. 2115, or via email at mwoolworth@theconnectioninc.org. For a downloadable one-page flier listing these 7 Ways to Help, click here. Thank you for caring.
Can you provide an item or two on our Wish List?
The Connection engages in life changing work every day, but we can't do it without your help. We regularly accept new and gently used items, including personal hygiene products, nonperishable foods, furniture and electronics, to assist us in our service to 6,000 children and adults whom we serve monthly in every part of Connecticut. We can provide receipts after items are dropped off if you itemize on your federal tax return.
Current items on the list include computers, diapers, outdoor recreational equipment, toys, bedroom furniture, pots and pans, alarm clocks and even the need for a repaved driveway.
To view the current needs list, please visit our Wish List page.
Ways to Give Financially
- A Charitable Lead Trust is a tax-advantaged way to pass assets along to your heirs. Fund a trust that pays income to The Connection for a period of time (such as your lifetime, or a set number of years). Then, at the end of the term, the remainder is returned to either you or your heirs.
- With a Retained Life Estate arrangement, you can make a gift of a personal residence to The Connection while retaining the right to live in it for life.
- We accept gifts of Real Estate, including single-family homes, condominiums, apartment buildings, farms, office buildings, open land and vacant lots, to name a few. Donors can be individuals, partnerships or corporations. For more information, please email Dawn Parker, Project Director.
- Donate your car or truck to The Connection. We'll arrange free pick up within a few days and get you the documentation you'll need for your tax return. For information, visit our car donation page.
- Transfer appreciated stocks, bonds and mutual funds and avoid capital gains taxes. Please click for information on tax benefits and simple transfer instructions.
- Remember a loved one with a gift, in memoriam, or for any special occasion like birthdays and anniversaries. Click here to download a Special Gift Form.
- Double your gift if your employer offers matching gifts to charitable organizations. Inquire to see if your employer has such a program, then furnish the matching gift form to us to complete.
- Please contact Michael Woolworth at 860-343-5500, ext. 2115, or via email, to see if you can provide a needed service or product as an in-kind donation to benefit both you and The Connection.
Volunteer Opportunities
We welcome your time and talents as a volunteer, either individually or part of a group from your place of employment, place of worship, or civic or community organization. Often, we have special needs that may be met by a dedicated group of volunteers, such as on-site work days and collection drives. Please contact these program staff at our locations throughout Connecticut to inquire about volunteer openings:
Eddy Shelter of Middlesex County
Mackenzie Tyson at 860-343-5520 or via email
Supportive Housing for Families (Statewide)
Betsy Cronin at 203-789-4427 or via email
Mother's Retreat, Groton
Sherrie Weaver at 860-405-2107 or via email
Hallie House for Women & Children, Middletown
We recommend that you consult with a professional advisor before making any complex donation to a charity, and always consult a tax advisor about current tax laws regarding any kind of charitable giving. The Connection, Inc., does not render tax or legal advice for any purpose. The agency is registered as a 501(c)(3) organization with the Internal Revenue Service.
For More Information
We welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your charitable giving interests or about any of the information shared on this section of our website. From assisting with the transfer of appreciated stock to accepting a memorial or honorary gift or providing agency info for a bequest, our Fund Development Office is prepared to personally speak with you.
Please contact Michael Woolworth, Director of Fund Development, at 860-343-5500, ext. 2115, or via email at mwoolworth@theconnectioninc.org.
For information on charitable giving standards, visit the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance and GuideStar
For helpful guidance on legacy giving,
The Connection has been one of Connecticut's most fiscally-responsible nonprofit human service and community development organizations since 1972. We regularly exceed fundraising standards established by the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance by directing 89 cents of every revenue dollar to programs and services that serve adults and children throughout Connecticut.
During these difficult times, will you consider joining with us
as a financial partner to improve the human condition in our state? Tax deductible contributions of $25, $100, $250 and $1,000, and charitable legacy gifts will ensure that The Connection will be here for individuals and families in need of a helping hand to get back on their feet. Please peruse this page for helpful information on giving.
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Visit VolunteerMatch.org to learn about current volunteer opportunities with The Connection, including Collection Drive Leaders in communities throughout Connecticut where we serve adults and children. A fun, rewarding role!
- Create a legacy of giving in your family by remembering The Connection in your will. Click here for helpful information on a bequest to the agency.
- Designate the agency as beneficiary of living trusts, life insurance, retirement plan proceeds and annuities. In doing so, gift, estate and income taxes may be avoided.
- A Charitable Remainder Trust is a tax exempt trust that pays income to your designee over a period of time. When the trust terminates, the remaining assets would be paid to The Connection.
