Strategies, ideas shared at well-attended funding workshops

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Some of the 40 people who attended the March 7 workshop at UConn Avery Point listen to one of the presentations.
Some of the 40 people who attended the March 7 workshop at UConn Avery Point listen to one of the presentations. Judy Benson / CT Sea Grant

By Deb Abibou

Two Sustainable and Resilient Communities Regional Funding Workshops took place in March 2024, one in Groton in Eastern CT and the second in Bridgeport in Western CT.

The workshops attracted 86 attendees representing a diverse range of stakeholders, including state and other funding agencies, municipal officials, local nonprofits, regional planning entities, conservation organizations, and academic institutions.

The workshops provided a much-needed platform

Deb Abibou, CTSG assistant extension educator-sustainable & resilient communities, left front, introduces one of the panels at the March 21 workshop in at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport.
Deb Abibou, CTSG assistant extension educator-sustainable & resilient communities, left front, introduces one of the panels at the March 21 workshop in at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport. Sarah Schechter / CT Sea Grant

for productive discussions on funding strategies, allowing attendees to vet new project ideas and gain insights from both funders and experienced award recipients. Participants appreciated the opportunity to engage directly with funders, gaining valuable facetime and hearing their perspectives on resilience-related funding.

Shehela Begum of the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund gave one of the "lightning talks" at the March 7 workshop.
Shahela Begum of the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund gave one of the “lightning talks” at the March 7 workshop. Judy Benson / CT Sea Grant

A highlight of the events were the Funder Lightning Talks sessions, where attendees received a comprehensive overview of available funding opportunities and gathered actionable insights to support their resilience projects.

Overall, the workshop was hailed as a helpful forum for networking, learning, and collaboration, reinforcing the importance of continued dialogue and coordination in advancing sustainability and resilience initiatives in the region.

Thanks to all who attended and contributed to making these workshops a success!