Grants for Churches in Connecticut (2026 Guide)

For the national picture, including federal rules on what churches can and can't fund, start with our grants for churches guide. This page covers Connecticut. For programs beyond churches, see the Connecticut grants guide.

Foundation Grants to Connecticut Churches by the Numbers

Connecticut ranks 22nd among states, with 2,317 foundation grants to churches and ministries, according to Grantsights analysis of Form 990-PF grant records. That's 1.7% of the 139,417 faith-related grants in the national dataset, and they reached 870 different recipients.

Connecticut has the national median but about half the average. According to the same filings, the typical Connecticut church grant is $5,000, matching the national figure, while the average is about $13,400, roughly 54% of the national $24,700. The largest single gift in the state is $614,151. Massachusetts, next door, has a $3.75 million largest gift and about $19,100 per grant. Connecticut foundations give steady, mid-sized checks and few very large ones.

Fewer than one in five funders publish a way in. Per the same 990-PF records, only 158 of the 856 foundations, 18%, name an application route. Among states with 1,000 or more church grants in the data, only California's share (18%, on rounding) is lower, and it's the red flag for a congregation planning to send cold proposals.

Repeat givers are scarce. Only 74 Connecticut foundations gave to three or more different churches in the data, and the average funder made 2.7 church grants against 4.4 nationally. A congregation's best leads are foundations that have already given near it.

Based on that data, you can see how many foundations gave to churches in Connecticut for free, with two named and one shown in full. The Grantsights church funder list costs $39 and covers Connecticut and every other state. It names each foundation that reported church or ministry grants on its own IRS filings, with what it gave, to whom, for what, and a link to those filings. You pay once, there's no subscription, and refunds are available for 30 days.

Where Connecticut Church Grants Go

Eight ZIP areas hold 2,173 of Connecticut's 2,317 church grants, 94%, according to Grantsights analysis of the same filings. Recipients are grouped by the first three digits of their ZIP code, and each row is named for its best-known town.

Greenwich holds a quarter of the state. According to our analysis, the 068 area alone has 580 grants, 25% of Connecticut's total, from 284 foundations, a third of all the state's church funders. Only 48 of them name an application route, so most of that giving goes to congregations the donors already know.

New Haven is the surprise. The state's second-largest city has 94 grants, a $608,104 total, and a $2,723 median, the thinnest numbers of any Connecticut area. A New Haven church is better off with the state routes below than with local foundations.

Bridgeport's funders are closed. Just 9 of Bridgeport's 76 church funders, about 12%, name an application route. Waterbury looks different: 74 foundations made 276 grants, nearly four each, which means a few local funders give to many congregations there. A Waterbury church should find out which ones.

By stated purpose, community work dominates with 186 grants, far ahead of missions (49), building or repair (35), schools (35), and youth (19). Most purpose lines are blank, so all of these undercount.

Working the $39 List in Connecticut

The list covers all 856 Connecticut foundations above. Three ways to use it here:

1. Filter hard to the 158 that name an application route. In Connecticut that's fewer than one funder in five, so the filter does most of the work.
2. Stay in your ZIP area. Waterbury's funders give repeatedly to local churches. Greenwich's are many but mostly closed. The list shows which.
3. Frame requests as community work. Community is the stated purpose on 186 Connecticut church grants, almost four times missions. Funders here write church gifts up as neighborhood support.

Our guide to foundations that give grants to churches explains how to tell from a 990-PF whether a Connecticut foundation accepts requests, with a sample letter.

What the Connecticut Constitution Says About Public Money and Churches

Connecticut's religion clause protects individual conscience and equal treatment rather than banning aid. Grantsights read Article Seventh in the Connecticut Constitution on the Secretary of the State's site (opens in a new tab) on November 2, 2026. It says "no person shall by law be compelled to join or support, nor be classed or associated with, any congregation, church or religious association," and "No preference shall be given by law to any religious society or denomination in the state." Each denomination "may build and repair houses for public worship."

The constitution's other religion-adjacent clause, Article Eighth, Section 4, protects the School Fund for public schools. Neither text bars a general grant to a church for a public purpose, which is why the state's preservation and security programs can reach congregations. The "no preference" line still matters: a program open to churches has to be open on the same terms to every faith.

Case law. Grantsights didn't find a pending Connecticut case on grants to churches on November 2, 2026. At the federal level, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (opens in a new tab) (2017) that a state can't exclude a church from a generally available grant solely because it's a church. Federal money that Connecticut agencies pass through, including NSGP, TEFAP, and EFSP, still bars spending on worship, religious instruction, or proselytizing. Our government grants for churches guide sets out what a Connecticut congregation can and can't buy with that money.

Connecticut Security Grants for Churches

Connecticut has spent $5 million of state money on each round of its own Nonprofit Security Grant Program, and the 2026 round is under review now. According to the governor's June 9, 2026 release (opens in a new tab), the new $5 million round offers up to $50,000 per site, prior rounds were awarded in 2021, 2023, and 2024, and eligible groups include faith-based organizations and houses of worship.

Grantsights checked both security routes on the DEMHS pages on November 2, 2026:

The ownership rule is the red flag. Specifically, the CT-NSGP page says applicants for its $50,000-per-site grants must own the building at application and through project completion. A congregation that rents worship space from a school or another church can't use the state program, so it should ask DEMHS whether the federal track fits and look at local funders. The DEMHS news page (opens in a new tab) carried both 2026 deadlines and the July and August webinars.

Plan for reimbursement. The state program reimburses expenses for security infrastructure, so a church pays first and gets repaid. According to FEMA, the federal NSGP (opens in a new tab) splits its FY2026 money evenly, $150 million each for the urban-area and state tracks. Our church security grants guide covers vulnerability assessments and quotes. The next state round's dates weren't posted on November 2, 2026, but the 2026 cycle opened in July after a June announcement.

Historic Preservation: The Historic Restoration Fund and Preservation Connecticut

The State Historic Preservation Office's Historic Restoration Fund awards $5,000 to $200,000, and active Connecticut churches have been on its funding agenda. According to SHPO's Historic Restoration Fund page (opens in a new tab), the program funds "maintenance and repair of historic building fabric and character defining features" for 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(13) nonprofits and municipalities.

Churches on the council's agenda. The Historic Preservation Council's March 1, 2023 agenda (opens in a new tab) listed these Historic Restoration Fund items for congregations:

The Woodbridge item stands out: unlike Maryland and Massachusetts, whose state preservation programs generally exclude interior worship spaces, Connecticut's council considered interior plaster and floors for an active church. Ask SHPO how it treats your project before you assume the same.

Rules that matter, per the program page:

• Property. Listed on the State or National Register, individually or as a contributing building in a district, and owned by the applicant or under at least a 20-year lease.
• Match. One to one. Federal funds and other non-state funds can count, and the grant is paid as a single reimbursement after the project is finished.
• Easement. A preservation easement or restriction is filed on the land records.
• Timing. The 2026 cycle took letters of intent by the end of March, held a mandatory workshop in mid-June, and closed applications at the end of October 2026. Applicants hear in late November, the council votes in January 2027, and the next round opens in January 2027. Every applicant must first book a 30-minute meeting with SHPO.

A common mistake is waiting for the application form. The letter of intent comes months before the application, and SHPO invites only some applicants to apply. A church planning 2028 work should book its meeting soon after the January 2027 round opens.

Preservation Connecticut's religious-property grants. The statewide nonprofit's Maintenance and Repair Grant for Religious Properties (opens in a new tab) offers 1:1 matching grants of up to $15,000 at least once a year to 501(c)(3) organizations listed on the State or National Register. Its page said "This grant is currently unavailable" on November 2, 2026. Its Circuit Riders also review Historic Restoration Fund applications with SHPO, so they're worth calling before you apply to either. For national building funders, see our grants for historic churches guide.

Food: TEFAP at 300%, Connecticut Foodshare, and EFSP

Connecticut sets TEFAP eligibility at 300% of the federal poverty level, well above the 185% that Maryland and Arizona use. The Department of Social Services' TEFAP eligibility page (opens in a new tab) lists annual gross income limits from $46,950 for one person to $162,450 for eight, plus $16,500 per additional person. Households on SNAP, WIC, TANF, HUSKY or Medicaid, SAGA, SSI, energy assistance, or Section 8 qualify, and people eating at a soup kitchen or shelter need no proof.

How a church pantry joins. DSS says on its TEFAP page (opens in a new tab) that it partners with Connecticut Foodshare to supply pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens, and that it doesn't administer TEFAP directly. A church pantry joins through Connecticut Foodshare's partner network, not through the state.

EFSP. Connecticut's Emergency Food and Shelter Program allocation for Phase 43 (FY2025) totals $1,238,775, according to the EFSP National Board's Phase 43 allocation table (opens in a new tab). Connecticut's awards are made by planning region, not county.

All nine planning regions qualify, so the $0 State Set-Aside isn't a gap the way it is in states with unfunded rural counties. The Northwest Hills and Northeastern regions each hold under 3% of the total, though, so a church pantry in Litchfield or Windham County is competing for about $35,000 across its whole region. Our church food pantry grants guide lists the records a Connecticut food bank partner or EFSP board will want to see.

Community Foundations and Denominational Funds in Connecticut

Connecticut's largest community foundation changed its rules to fund religious organizations. Grantsights checked each Connecticut funder's guidelines on its own site on November 2, 2026.

The Hartford Foundation's 2021 grants went to faith organizations helping residents hit by COVID-19 and to congregations working on racial, ethnic, and economic disparities. That's a precedent, not a standing program, so ask the foundation which of its current funds a congregation can apply to.

Grantsights didn't verify Episcopal, United Church of Christ, Catholic, or Baptist judicatory grants in Connecticut, nor the religious-organization rules of the state's other community foundations. Read each foundation's exclusions before writing a request.

What Connecticut Church Grant Lists Don't Tell You

Most Connecticut church grant lists stop at national foundations. Five things they miss:

1. The state pays for church security, but only for owners. CT-NSGP offers up to $50,000 per site, and the applicant must own the building.
2. State preservation money may reach church interiors. A council agenda listed $142,637 for interior plaster and floors at an active church.
3. Most foundations are closed. Only 18% of Connecticut's church funders name an application route, and 12% in Bridgeport.
4. New Haven is thin. 94 grants and a $2,723 median, the weakest area in the state.
5. Big gifts are rare. The largest single grant in Connecticut is $614,151, and the average is about half the national figure.

A 90-Day Plan for a Connecticut Church

1. Now through mid-December: security. If you applied to CT-NSGP by September 14, watch for the mid-December status notice. If you didn't, confirm you own your building, arrange a vulnerability assessment, and get quotes for the next round.
2. January: preservation. When the Historic Restoration Fund round opens in January 2027, book the 30-minute SHPO meeting and check your State or National Register status on SHPO's map. Call Preservation Connecticut about its next religious-property round.
3. Weeks 4 to 8: foundations. Use the funder list to find the foundations in your ZIP area that name an application route, and frame requests as community work.
4. Weeks 9 to 12: food. If you run a pantry, contact Connecticut Foodshare about partner status, and ask your planning region's EFSP board when it next takes applications.

Choosing among these routes? The free eligibility checker matches an organization to open programs, and the church grant path index groups options by project. For small congregations, our grants for small churches guide and how to apply for church grants cover the paperwork.

Limits of This Data

Read each Connecticut foundation figure as a minimum. The counts cover only filers in the Grantsights dataset, 990-PF filings arrive a year or more after grants are paid, and name matching misses churches recorded under other names. ZIP areas follow the recipient's mailing address, which can be a diocesan office. The Historic Preservation Council items above come from a 2023 agenda, which lists items for a vote, not final awards. Grantsights couldn't confirm the 2027 CT-NSGP dates, the federal NSGP maximum per site for Connecticut applicants, whether SHPO still funds interior work at active churches, the year of the DSS income table, or the religious-organization rules of Connecticut community foundations other than Hartford's.

Sources Checked

All Connecticut sources were checked on November 2, 2026:

• Connecticut Constitution, Article Seventh and Article Eighth, on the Secretary of the State's site (opens in a new tab); Trinity Lutheran (opens in a new tab)
• DEMHS: CT-NSGP page (opens in a new tab), federal NSGP page (opens in a new tab), news and announcements (opens in a new tab); governor's June 9, 2026 release (opens in a new tab); FEMA NSGP page (opens in a new tab)
• State Historic Preservation Office Historic Restoration Fund page (opens in a new tab); Historic Preservation Council March 1, 2023 agenda (opens in a new tab); Preservation Connecticut religious-property grant (opens in a new tab)
• Department of Social Services TEFAP page (opens in a new tab) and eligibility page (opens in a new tab); EFSP National Board Phase 43 allocations (opens in a new tab)
• Funder pages: Hartford Foundation for Public Giving (opens in a new tab), National Trust grants (opens in a new tab)
• Grantsights analysis of Form 990-PF grant records to Connecticut churches and ministries, tax years 2020 to 2025, pulled October 29, 2026