The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut on Tuesday announced a $2 million addition to its charitable endowment, which will create an annual stream of about $80,000 to help disadvantaged youth in Norwich.

The New London-based regional foundation said the $2 million comes from two bequests that had been with the now-closed YMCA of Southeastern Connecticut based in downtown Norwich.

Community foundation officials said they have been working closely with the state attorney general's office on the transfer of funds to their organization, which has a permanent endowment of some $33 million.

The news of the $2 million to help Norwich youth was disclosed Tuesday during the community foundation's first annual meeting since changing its name in September to reflect the merger of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Connecticut with the Community Foundation of the Tri-County Area. The annual meeting was at The Spa at Norwich Inn.

The merged community foundation now serves 42 towns and cities across eastern Connecticut - a quarter of the state's total - and covers the largest geographic area of any of the state's 18 community foundations.

Alice Fitzpatrick, the foundation's president, welcomed the $2 million addition to the organization's permanent endowment and said the combined organizations' new name and expanded region "are wonderful new chapters" in their history of giving.

The Norwich YMCA closed its Main Street facilities in April 2009 after facing insurmountable financial woes. Its aging building faced a host of costly problems, including the need for a new heating and ventilation system to much-needed roof repairs and other upgrades.

This past month, Chelsea Groton Bank filed foreclosure actions on the YMCA building as well as the organization's former YMCA camp on Button Road in North Stonington. At the time, the bank said it would foreclose on mortgages dating to 2007 and totaling about $645,000.

Community foundation officials said the $2 million was earmarked to help disadvantaged youth because of the Norwich YMCA's longtime commitment to assisting area youth with its programs and services.

While the Norwich Probate Court still must take final action on the transfer of one of the bequests, community foundation officials said the $2 million would be used to create the Grace and Lewis Sears Memorial Fund and the Frisbie-Chapman Memorial Fund, which were created by Norwich-area benefactors.

Officials are anticipating these two new funds will eventually provide roughly $80,000 each year to specifically fund grants to organizations providing programs or services for economically disadvantaged Norwich youth.

a.cronin@theday.com