Working Cities Challenge

Connecticut Connecticut

Completed

The Connecticut Working Cities Challenge is a grant competition that supports collaborative, community-wide leadership and promotes ambitious initiatives to improve the lives of low-income people in Connecticut’s small and mid-size cities.

The initiatives extend over a three-year period and aim to spur workforce development and job creation. Each initiative team receives technical assistance and shares best practices with a community of experts and like-minded groups and organizations.

Download Mt. Auburn CT presentation

What makes a community eligible?

A population exceeding 25,000

Median family incomes below the state's median family income

Poverty rates above the state poverty rate

Implementation Grant Winners

Danbury
Connecticut

Danbury
East Hartford
Connecticut

East Hartford
Hartford
Connecticut

Hartford
Middletown
Connecticut

Middletown
Waterbury
Connecticut

Waterbury

Design Grant Winners

  • Bridgeport
  • New Britain
  • New Haven
  • Norwich
  • Torrington

Eligible Communities

  • Bridgeport
  • Bristol
  • Danbury
  • East Hartford
  • Hartford
  • Manchester
  • Meriden
  • Middletown
  • New Britain
  • New Haven
  • New London
  • Norwich
  • Torrington
  • Waterbury
  • West Haven
  • Windham

Steering Committee

  • Lissette Andino, Eversource
  • Jessica Cabanillas, State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management
  • Karla Fortunato, CT Council for Philanthropy
  • Nicole Grant, The Avangrid Foundation
  • Erin Haberman, Travelers Foundation
  • Marybeth McGuire, Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals / BI Cares Foundation
  • Tim Perra and Abby Dreher, Stanley Black & Decker
  • Richard Porth, United Way of Connecticut
  • Alice Pritchard, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities
  • Judy McBride, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
  • Chantel Rush, The Kresge Foundation
  • Joanie Straussman Brandon, NeighborWorks America
  • Michelle Volpe, Blue Hub Capital
  • Commissioner Kurt Westby, State of Connecticut Department of Labor

Advisory Committee

  • Becca Allen, Secure Jobs CT, Melville Charitable Trust
  • Dean Andrews and Jill Hutensky, Bank of America
  • Greg Butler, Eversource
  • Jim Horan, Local Initiative Support Corporation
  • Melissa Kaplan-Macey, Regional Plan Association (RPA)
  • Kathy Luria, Webster Bank
  • Sue Murphy and Glenn Davis, Liberty Bank Foundation
  • Karrin Smoley, Charter Communications
  • Betty Sugerman Weintraub, CT Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA)
  • Rosa Rada, Director, State of CT ‘2Gen’, Office of Early Childhood

Funding Partners

Philanthropy