Men & Boys' Fund Grant

Men & Boys' Fund Grant is sponsored by Main Street Community Foundation. Supports nonprofit organizations in Connecticut's Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, and Wolcott areas, focusing on education, health, leadership, and workforce readiness for men and boys.

Men & Boys' Fund | Main Street Community Foundation Simple Concept, Big Impact The Men & Boys’ Fund at Main Street Community Foundation supports programs, initiatives and immediate response requests that benefit men and boys in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott.

Grants distributed from the Fund will help men and boys improve the quality of their lives, increase self-sufficiency and make a positive difference in their community. Joseph Mauriello, Vice Chair Dave Rackliffe, Secretary Rich Carmelich, Past Chair Men and boys have specific important needs that are not being met: Many boys lack a positive male role model.

Research shows that means they are: More likely to use and abuse drugs and alcohol More prone to anger and violent behavior More apt to be affected and influenced by peer pressure More likely to perform poorly in school Many boys view doing well in school as a negative. High school is challenging for boys as seen in class ranking: 1/3 of top 10% are boys, while 2/3 of bottom 10% are boys as ranked by GPA.

Men in need are less likely to ask for help. “Traditional masculinity” has been called harmful in an August 2018 report from the American Psychological Association Single-father households are growing. Nationwide, single father households have increased about nine-fold since 1960 now totaling more than 2.

6 million. In Connecticut, 24% of single-parent households are headed by males. Nearly one in four people age 25–34 live at home.

Lack of self-sufficiency for these males is a critical issue and negatively impacts their lack of purpose and value. 1 in 3 men over 25 with only a high school education are out of the labor force, which totals about 5 million men. Men account for 70% of opioid deaths in the US.

The age-adjusted suicide rate for males (20. 7/100K) is more than three times that for females (5. 8/100,000).

The percentage of men aged 25 to 54 who are unemployed has more than tripled since the late 1960s to 16 percent. 15% of males have no close friendships (2021 study), an increase from only 5% in 1990. Sources available upon request.

Simple Concept, Big Impact The Men & Boys' Fund seeks to: Increase: Resources and programs specifically geared toward men and boys Encourage: Philanthropic giving among men Educate: Residents on the unmet needs of local men and boys Support: Programs and immediate needs of men and boys Create: Positive male role models and paths to gainful employment and self-sufficiency In fulfilling immediate short-term needs and supporting long-term programs, the Men & Boys’ Fund seeks to partner with local organizations that are working to improve the lives of boys and men in the areas of education, health and wellness, leadership, life skills, and workforce readiness.

To learn more about the Men & Boys' Fund, visit Main Street Community Foundation's YouTube page to watch short videos on the history of the Fund, the need for the Fund and the hope for the future. The Men & Boys’ Fund is a community-based endowment established in 2016 at Main Street Community Foundation to improve the lives of men and boys in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, and Wolcott.

The idea was brought to the Foundation by a group of local residents. The group then began holding several community meetings with local leaders, social service providers and businesses to discuss and identify the unmet needs of local men and boys.

In 2017, the Men & Boys’ Fund held two community meetings, raised more than double the fundraising goal, awarded the Fund's first two programmatic grants and fulfilled eight immediate response requests. Since 2016, the Men & Boys' Fund has awarded nearly $99,000 in grants to organizations in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott.

In 2025, $16,000 in grants was awarded to 7 organizations: Boys and Girls Club of Bristol - $2,000 Whisper Beyond the Noise youth empowerment program for teenage males, ages 13-18, to uplift, inspire and provide guidance through mentorship, storytelling and leadership development.

Father & Son Build-A-Better Sandwich Challenge hosted by Plymouth Family Resource Center to promote nutrition and foster meaningful father-son connections for boys and their Dads. Outside Perspectives - $4,000 Continuation of the Youth Excellence Project (YEP) providing at-risk male teenagers with adult mentorship in outdoor spaces to promote health and build resiliency to the challenges in life.

Plymouth Parks and Recreation - $2,000 Lunch and Learn for Senior Men providing monthly educational sessions with speakers, to improve mental and physical health and support cognitive function through mental stimulation.

Shepard Meadows Equestrian Center - $2,000 Veterans Program designed to include interactive and experimental unmounted horsemanship to support male military veterans promoting mental, emotional and physical benefits through hands-on engagement with horses.

The Bridge Family Center, Inc. - $1,000 Recreational and Educational Activities for the Specialized Trauma-Informed Treatment Assessment Reunification (STTAR) Program for boys in Wolcott’s Hastings House. Veterans Strong Community Center - $4,000 Sleep Savants Program focusing on improving sleep in order to improve mental and physical health, reducing veteran suicide rates.

To view previous years' program grants awarded from the Men & Boys' Fund, visit the Foundation's Grants Awarded page and click on the various years.

In addition, since 2016, the Men & Boys' Fund has fulfilled nearly two dozen immediate response requests with small amounts that made big differences: After a family crisis, a teenager received groceries and clothes A single dad whose job was eliminated received rent help A promising athlete from a financially challenged family gained a sports opportunity Without a home for 10+ years, a man received the funds to qualify for housing A young homeless man received and then gave the gift of music An outstanding student was rewarded with funds to attend a national leadership conference Students took another step toward independence with a donated stove to learn to cook on Homeless men received free haircuts and other personal care services A teenage boy paid for his driver’s permit so he could drive to his job A U.S. military veteran received rent assistance After a financial hardship, a family received rental assistance A high school graduate was able to buy clothes for his job interviews A student gained enough funds to attend an “invention convention” A single dad and his daughter received help to pay their utility deposit April 2025 - Have a drink on us!

Learn more about the Men & Boys’ Fund at Main Street Community Foundation April 17 at The New Cambridge Project in Bristol from 5:30-7pm. Click here for more information. 10th Anniversary MVP Celebration The 10th anniversary of the Men & Boys' Fund will be celebrated at the MVP Celebration!

The 10th Anniversary MVP Celebration will be held on October 1, 2026 at 5:30pm at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. Seats are $75 per person and can only be purchased via cash or check . The guest speaker is Steve Pikiell, the Rutgers University men’s basketball head coach and a Bristol, Connecticut native.

Pikiell has led the resurgence of Rutgers men’s basketball both on and off the court, and with 35 years of coaching experience, Pikiell has been instrumental in program turnarounds throughout his career, achieving conference championships and NCAA Tournament berths.

As a player at UConn from 1986-1991 under head coach Jim Calhoun, Pikiell was a two-year captain and four-year letterwinner; he also earned his degree in finance during his time at UConn. Prior to college, he enjoyed a storied career at St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol; he had his No. 21 jersey retired by the school and ranks among its all-time leaders in points, assists and steals.

Pikiell was inducted into the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. Thank you to all who supported the past MVP Breakfast event and to all MVPs (Men of Value and Purpose) as we aim to build an even greater future to ensure the Fund can continue to address unmet needs of local men and boys. Proceeds from the events support grants to programs that assist men and boys in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, and Wolcott.

We invite you to partner with us during this milestone year by sponsoring the event and helping us create change for local men and boys. View the event Sponsorship Package here. View the event flyer, spread the word and save the date!

---------------------------------------------- A Big Thank You to the 10th Anniversary MVP Celebration Sponsors! Furey, Donovan, Cooney & Dyer P. C.

Bristol Association of Principals and Supervisors D'Amato Construction Company, Inc. Riverside Investment Services Janice and Rob Sanderford Michael and Jeanine Audette □ Be added to our email and/or mailing list □ Attend a Men & Boys’ Fund event □ Schedule a Men & Boys’ Fund representative to speak to your local organization or group □ Volunteer to serve on one of the Fund’s committees: Distribution, Community Engagement, Asset Development and Event Planning □ Visit our Facebook page To make a donation directly to the Men & Boys' Fund, please click here .

To contribute to any other funds, please visit our Donate Now page. This website made possible with grants from Confirmed in Compliance with Community Foundations National Standards. Main Street Community Foundation 120 Halcyon Drive - P.

O. Box 2702 - Bristol, Connecticut 06011-2702 - Phone (860) 583-6363 - Fax (860) 589-1252