Charitable foundations join forces

The Community Foundation of Southeastern Connecticut has merged with a smaller foundation serving Windham and Tolland counties, creating a $34.5 million charitable-giving powerhouse that will serve about a quarter of the state's towns and cities.

The New London-based foundation has absorbed the $1.5 million Community Foundation of the Tri-County Area, which served Norwich and Windham, along with 29 other towns across northeastern Connecticut.

"We're excited about this," said Laurel Butler, who is the community foundation's board chairwoman. "Combined, we're a lot stronger than operating separately."

The Community Foundation of Southeastern Connecticut is now the largest of Connecticut's 18 community foundations in terms of its geographic reach, and it is among the top five in terms of overall assets, according to foundation officials.

The newly merged foundation now includes New London and Windham counties and half of Tolland County. The other half of that county is served by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

The combined community foundation will oversee nearly 350 charitable funds, ranging from grants and scholarships to a growing segment called donor-based funds, which are managed by a third party - in this case, the foundation - on behalf of a family, an individual or even an organization.

The foundation's philanthropy will extend across a broad array of programs and services, from comprehensive literacy and reading programs to good works that will improve the lives of women and girls. There are even programs that will ensure the humane treatment, as well as the protection, of animals.

Alice Fitzpatrick, president of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Connecticut and a strong advocate of the merger, said the combined organization has created a new model for charitable works. The southeastern Connecticut operation will continue to offer "traditional" grants, she said, while the former tri-county foundation will focus specifically on donor-based giving.

The merged community foundation will be headquartered in New London on State Street. The merger, said Fitzpatrick, provides a new "unified voice" for philanthropy throughout eastern Connecticut. The community foundation, she said, will hire a division director whose mission will be to exclusively serve the 31 towns formerly part of the tri-county foundation.

The Community Foundation of Southeastern Connecticut traces its roots back 26 years, when it was first incorporated as The Pequot Foundation. This past year, the foundation distributed $1.6 million in grants. The Community Foundation of the Tri-County Area, which was two decades old, distributed $90,000 in grants in 2009.

Rheo Brouillard, who heads the Willimantic-based Savings Institute Bank & Trust Co. and is the former chairman of the tri-county foundation, welcomed the combined organization.

He said that after a year of research and "spirited discussion" about the merger, he's confident the newly combined community foundation can continue to grow the philanthropic good works already under way throughout eastern Connecticut.

a.cronin@theday.com