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The J. Walton Bissell Foundation is a private foundation providing funding to non-profit organizations that advance change and deliver direct services to individuals and families primarily in Metro Hartford.
Organizations that are 501(c)(3) entities and leaders of fiscally-sponsored New Initiatives may apply via our simple online form.
We who are privileged to be servants of J. Walton Bissell’s mission are led by the humility which he exemplified, and the dedication to inclusion, to which he was committed.
We are determined to use the resources Mr. Bissell gave in ways that match his stand.
We are focused on the aspirations of others who have gone unseen and excluded.
We are at others’ disposal.
We concern ourselves not with what is easy but with what is possible.
(Bethany Meilani Hamilton)
We are seriously examining what our partners are teaching: meaningful lessons and relationships are incorporated into 2025 designs and goals.
******* PLEASE READ WORDS BELOW *******
IMPORTANT:
THE APPLICATION FORMS AND APPLICANT PORTAL ARE BEING RE-BUILT IN MARCH AND APRIL, AS NECESSITATED BY UPDATES ROLLED OUT BY OUR VENDOR. WHILE NEW TO US ALL, THE FORMS WILL ENABLE GREATER COLLABORATION ON YOUR TEAMS (multiple sign-ins to one form will be possible) AND OFFER ADDITIONAL NOVEL FEATURES THAT ARE INFORMED BY USERS' FEEDBACK.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU:
(a) ON 3/11/25, THE OLD [AKA "LEGACY"] APPLICATION FORMS WERE DEACTIVATED IN OUR GRANTMAKING SYSTEM. YET, EVEN THOUGH THE FORMS WERE DEACTIVATED, SHOULD YOU HAVE BEGUN AN APPLICATION ON OR AHEAD OF THE 3/11/25 DATE, YOU CAN 'ACCIDENTALLY' MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE ESSAY QUESTIONS. THE SYSTEM DOES NOT HAVE A WAY TO MONITOR FOR THIS ACTIVITY. THUS, PLEASE TAKE CAUTION NOT TO CONTINUE WORK ON ANY APPLICATION WHICH YOU MAY HAVE AIMED TO SUBMIT FOR THE SECOND TERM IF YOU BEGAN THE FORM ON OR BEFORE 3/11/25. WE WILL ANNOUNCE ON OUR HOMEPAGE WHEN THE NEW FORMS ARE PUBLISHED THIS SPRING AND AVAILABLE TO COMPLETE.
(b) THOSE WHO APPLIED IN THE FIRST TERM OF GRANTMAKING (AHEAD OF 2/28/25 AND ITS ASSOCIATED GRACE PERIOD) WITH THE OLD APPLICATION FORMS WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THIS CHANGE AT THIS TIME. YOUR APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED WERE RECEIVED AND ARE BEING REVIEWED. YOUR APPLICATIONS ARE VISIBLE TO YOU UNDER THE "SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS" TOGGLE. [SEE MINUTE 5:08 IN VIDEO TUTORIAL ON WEBSITE.]
(c) MANY OF YOU HAVE ACCESSED PRIOR APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY YOUR AGENCY SINCE 2016. THEY ARE PRESERVED IN YOUR PORTAL. IF TEN YEARS OF RECORDS ARE NOT THERE, YET APPLICATIONS DID OCCUR, IT MEANS YOUR SIGN-IN CREDITIALS CHANGED. SEND US WORD IF YOU WANT OLDER APPLICATIONS TRANSFERRED TO YOUR PRESENT PORTAL. YOU WILL NEED TO DOWNLOAD THESE PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED FORMS BEFORE 8/15/25 AND STORE THEM IN YOUR FILES SHOULD THEY BE IMORTANT TO YOU TO KEEP. THE THEN 'OLD' PORTALS WILL BE INACCESSIBLE AFTER THAT AUGUST TIME.
WATCH THIS SPACE:
WE WILL PROVIDE NEW INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT HOW TO CREATE YOUR NEW PORTALS AND HOW TO MANEUVER WITH EASE WITHIN NEW APPLICATION FORMS ONCE THEY ARE PUBLISHED IN THE LATER SPRING. THE LINKS WILL BE ACCESSED FROM THIS HOME PAGE JUST AS BEFORE. (AFTER THEY ARE READY AND PUBLISHED, THEY WILL REMAIN ACTIVE ONLINE ALL YEAR LONG SO YOU AGAIN MAY ACCESS THEM AND WORK ON THEM AT A TIME THAT SUITS YOU BEST.) THANK YOU FOR PALPABLE WILLINGNESS TO ADJUST IN THE MIDST OF CHANGE.
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TWO [2] TERMS OF GRANTMAKING IN 2025
APPLICATION DEADLINE 1 of 2:
February 28, with a grace period through March 5
Decision-making about applications will occur by May 31
APPLICATION DEADLINE 2 of 2:
August 31, with a grace period through September 5
Decision-making about applications will occur by November 30
Important Links for your Grant Applications:
[If you are looking for the link to being an application, read the words above to gain a fuller understanding.]
Click here to access your portal so that you can see all prior submitted applications.
Useful beginning places:
The grant application forms are shorter than before. The online portal has not changed so your emails and passwords remain the same.
Rely on the links above. After completing the initial eligibility questions, at the bottom of the same page, you will be directed to choose either the:
- Wellbeing General Operating Support application form -or-
- Seed Investment application form if yours is a new organization.
When an organization has a pre-existing relationship with the J. Walton Bissell Foundation and is launching a new initiative and seeking start-up investments to get your innovation off the ground, you will need to choose the General Operating Support application form. There you get to isolate the new initiative for which the funding is sought. The Seed Investment application form has distinct questions designed for recently created organizations.
All organizations are equally eligible to apply should they have a fiscal sponsor or should they have independent non-profit status.
We remain committed to making General Operating Support grants a priority in 2025 for new and existing leadership.
We’ve refined requirements with the intention of broadening your access to us.
(Lastly, if project support is what you seek, you have the opportunity to tell us so in dedicated spaces on each application form.)
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We’re continuing to refine how we hear your story.
Reporting may be sought in specific circumstances.
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WE URGE YOU TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO THE VIDEO TUTORIAL ON THIS WEBSITE BEFORE
BEGINNING YOUR GRANT APPLICATIONS. IT WILL ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FORM.
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