Grantmaking

The Perrin Family Foundation is currently engaged in developing new grant strategies post the launch of the strategic framework process. At this time, all our current grant commitments are with current grantee partners and we will not be engaging in new grant opportunities at this time. If you are engaged in youth-led racial and social justice movement efforts in Connecticut, and would like to share your work with us, please connect with us via email info@perrinfamilyfoundation.org.

Field Building

Our field building strategy aims to:

Engage in educational outreach and communications to raise awareness about the practice, benefits, and impacts of youth-led social change.
Deepen the capacity of youth organizing groups and strengthening the social change and community organizing infrastructure necessary for ensuring those working in the field are connected, in meaningful relationship with each other, and developing innovative and intersectional strategies for advancing change.
Develop partnerships with local and national funders to co-invest in a movement for youth-led social change in Connecticut, and advancing philanthropic practices that create a funding culture and climate more responsive to community leadership and conducive for social justice.

Funder Organizing

We engage in funder organizing through:

Hosting briefings that create opportunities for CT-based funders to learn from other foundations across the country that embrace youth-led change as a critical strategy in pursuit of their broader missions.
Founding and convening Supporting Organizing Work CT (SOW-CT), a network of local and regional funders interested in identifying areas and opportunities of alignment, partnership, and collaboration in service of strengthening the organizing field across CT and creating space for funders to reflect on how the dynamics of race, class, power and privilege interface with foundations’ desire and efforts to nurture social change.
Engaging as an active member of the CT Council for Philanthropy, including serving as a tri-chair of the Program Officer Network.
Serving on the Board of the Funders’ Collaborative for Youth Organizing, a national collaborative dedicated to increasing resources to the field of youth organizing and promote the leadership of low-income young people and young people of color in social justice organizing.
Active membership in affinity groups such as Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, and the National Center for Family Philanthropy.