Thursday, October 8, 2020
www.berlincitizen.com
Volume 22, Number 32
Catalyst Fund grants $11,864 to nonprofits
ART THROUGH ADVERSITY
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, The Catalyst Giving Circle at the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain awarded five grants to local nonprofits.
Shop local, earn ‘Berlin Bucks’ The Town of Berlin and local businesses have teamed up on a new endeavor: FALL Back In Love With Shopping Berlin. Spearheaded by business owners from Dragonfly Home & Gift and Dynasty Jewelers, FALL Back In Love With Shopping Berlin became a reality with help
from Economic Development Director Chris Edge. While most businesses have re-opened, many are struggling, as customer traffic has been slow to return. This is why the FALL Back In Love With Shopping Berlin effort is so vital to local businesses.
It works like this: A customer comes into a participating Berlin business and purchases an amount of goods or services, totaling, say, $31.24. The customer would receive $3 in Berlin Bucks, which can be used at the business where they were received. See Shop, A14
This year, the topic of focus was small to midsize arts organizations affected by COVID-19. The impact of the pandemic on arts and cultural organizations has been devastating and millions of dollars have been lost in revenue from events, pro-
grams and fundraising. The Catalyst grants focused on helping organizations to adapt their business models and practices in order to continue successful operations in the current climate. Due to the nature of Catalyst meetings being in-person, the first meeting of the year was held virtually to discuss this year’s topic. On Sept. 22, a very generous anonymous donor sponsored the meeting held at the outdoor pavilion of Tunxis Country Club in Farmington. The membership voted to award five grants to local nonprofits including: $1,864 to the Art League of New Britain for a virtual figure drawing class to enhance their online gallery exhibit. See Catalyst, A18 R233461
Berlin High School has added new student art installations to the halls and walls of the school. These pieces were created during quarantine and distance learning in the spring of 2020. Pictured: A piece by Caroline Kendrick at the entrance to the Tech Ed. wing at BHS. See more of the artwork on Page 12.
The Catalyst Fund is comprised of a group of community-minded citizens interested in improving the quality of life in Greater New Britain. Members collectively make a gift to the Catalyst Fund. They then gather three times a year to learn about a member-chosen issue facing the community, and to consider funding requests from charitable organizations addressing the issue. The year concludes with a grant award to a nonprofit organization.