CFMC Meaningful Monday Episode 59 – Lisa Bousquet
Episode 59 – Middlesex County has amazing people – of all ages – who give of their time and talent to causes and issues across a wide range of areas. We’re celebrating Community Connections, Community Leaders, and Community Champions. Lisa Bousquet, photojournalist and portrait photographer, shares how she started as a photographer and what she has learned “through the lens” about people and places over the years. Locally, Lisa works with nonprofits to showcase the many remarkable people who work and live in our community, helping tell courageous stories of meeting challenges and celebrating successes. Her travels have taken her…
CFMC 2026 Fall Competitive Application Information Session
An overview of the Community Foundation of Middlesex County’s Fall 2026 call for funding applications. Eligible organizations considering submitting an application are required to watch the information session recording, review the materials and information on the CFMC website, and contact staff with further questions. Organizations who are interested in submitting an application and did not attend an information session must contact CFMC. Further information about the application process and timeline is available the Grants Program page. The PowerPoint slide deck from the information session is available HERE.
Grantee Update: Middletown Adult Education
CFMC is proud to support a wide array of organizations providing so many great programs and services. And we always appreciate when one of our grantees stops by to provide an update on the impact your generosity has helped make in our community. Meet Ralph D’Amato, Director, Middletown Adult Education. Ralph stopped by the CFMC offices to show off the newest addition to the Middletown and Old Saybrook sites … new laptops for both remote learning labs. The remote learning labs are designed to serve Credit Diploma, GED, GED Spanish, and ESL students who need flexible, asynchronous pathways, while also providing…
CFMC Meaningful Monday Episode 58 – Aryana
Episode 58 – Middlesex County has amazing people – of all ages – who give of their time and talent to causes and issues across a wide range of areas. And some of the most amazing are young people – those teens and tweens who love where they live, are determined to give of their time and talent, and truly inspire us all to do more. We’re celebrating Community Connections, Community Leaders, and Community Champions. This week, Aryana joins Cynthia Clegg, CFMC, to share how she spends her days – academically and socially – and more importantly, a special project…
CFMC Meaningful Monday Episode 57 – Grant Sanborn
Episode 57 – We are celebrating Community Connections. Our community has incredible leaders and champions who spend their time finding great ways to “connect the dots”. Grant Sanborn is truly one of those “community-minded” ambassadors, giving his time to support organizations and needs throughout Middlesex County. Grant Sanborn has great experience in business and in community connections. A valued member of the CFMC Board of Directors, Grant is always listening and thinking of ways to help connect his local community to one another and to CFMC. Grant shares what drew him to CFMC and how he is using his past…
CFMC Meaningful Monday Episode 56 – Chief Peter Tyc, Middlefield Volunteer Fire Company
Episode 56 – We are celebrating Community Connections. We are surrounded by remarkable people doing incredible things to support our community – in so many ways. We know that there are so many incredible volunteers in our 15 town footprint – and some of the most incredible volunteers are those individuals who participate in our volunteer fire service. These special individuals answer the call to help no matter the time of day or the weather outside. This week Chief Peter Tyc shares his experiences with the Middlefield Volunteer Fire Company, looking back at how he got involved, how the volunteer…
CFMC Meaningful Monday Episode 55 – Chief Jim Trzaski, South Fire District
Episode 55 – We are celebrating Community Connections. We are surrounded by remarkable people doing incredible things to support our community – in so many ways. This week Chief Jim Trzaski joins Cynthia Clegg, CFMC, to share some interesting history and community connections at South Fire District. Chief Trzaski and his team at the South Fire District are deeply committed to helping their neighbors … and it’s not just the “usual” calls for service a fire department experiences. Chief Trzaski and his fellow fire fighters host spring flower sales to trainings and educational outreach to collaborating on special community-wide drives…
CFMC PR & Evaluation Workshop (Summer Session 2026)
Congratulations to all the nonprofits that received grant funding during the Community Foundation of Middlesex County Spring application cycle. Our nonprofits joined us as we reviewed the CFMC PR & Evaluation requirements for grant awards. This recording includes information about the Community Foundation’s grant acknowledgement expectations, tips and suggestions for publicly acknowledging funding and celebrating programs and services, and a review of the final grant evaluation requirements.
CFMC Meaningful Mondays Episode 54 – Sarah Gadsby, River Valley Services
Episode 54 – Our community has incredible leaders and champions. Sarah Gadsby is a community champion of mental health. Sarah is CEO of River Valley Services (RVS), a community mental health center serving Middlesex County and the towns of Lyme and Old Lyme. RVS is operated by the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). RVS’s goal is to provide the highest quality crisis intervention, case management, and residential and clinical services to adult citizens, 18 years of age and older, who suffer from serious mental disorders and who lack the financial means to secure such services in the private sector. Sarah…
Generative AI with Rachael Barlow Wesleyan University
A CFMC Nonprofit Resource Center Webinar AI – it’s on the news and in countless articles. Commentaries and opinions seem to appear everyday. We already use it so the next big questions are … where is it headed and what should we know? Deciphering myth from legend from everyday reality can be a bit confusing. Well, no more! Dr. Rachael Barlow, Wesleyan University, joined CFMC for an insightful and educational look at Generative AI, its uses, and its possible next steps. Dr. Barlow removes the science fiction from our understanding of real world AI and provides some helpful tools and…