2004 Community Engagement Annual Report

Transcription

1 INVESTING in our COMMUNITIES 2004 Community Engagement Annual Report

2 We help build communities through support of education, human services, the arts, and community development. We engage our neighborhoods through direct giving, employee volunteerism, executive leadership, and education outreach. THE HARTFORD was founded in 1810 and is one of the country s largest financial services companies. We are a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group and employee benefits; automobile and homeowners insurance products; and business insurance. On the cover: Rebecca Sullivan, foreground, joins dancers Jasmine Fairly, Genoveva Castro, Kiara Martinez, Anabely Ramos, and Shikara Dodd (left to right). Spectrum in Motion is a dance theater ensemble dedicated to people of color and the American experience. The 12 core dancers, aged 16 to 22, mentor younger dancers throughout the region. Spectrum in Motion is the resident dance company of the Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford, Conn., of which The Hartford is a major supporter.

3 A MESSAGE to our readers from CEO and Chairman Ramani Ayer After nearly 200 years of sharing a rich history and a name with the Hartford community, much is and should be expected of us by our Connecticut neighbors. As our business grows, these expectations to become and remain a vital part of the local community follow us into each neighborhood we join. Each year I take great pride in the stories of our employees contributions to the transformation of the communities in which we all live, work, and play. This past year was once again one of tremendous accomplishment. Our community engagement focuses on the most pressing issues of the neighborhoods surrounding our major offices, with our top priority being education in all its various forms. We believe that education will fundamentally change the life of a human being in a permanent, positive way, something we see each day through our ongoing support of Hartford s Boys and Girls Clubs and Gray Lodge, a provider of special education for young women, just two of the many educational programs we sponsor. In this year s report, we highlight our efforts to build upon our foundation of success in Hartford. In 2004, we focused on developing Community Giving Councils at The Hartford s facilities outside of Connecticut. These local Councils capitalize on what we have learned from our revitalization of Asylum Hill to address the needs of each community in which we live and work. Inside, you will read about Hartford employees in Oklahoma City, San Diego, and Brazil bringing wonderful changes to their own backyards. These are just examples of the contributions our employees make in many different neighborhoods. The Hartford s community engagement programs everywhere benefit from the strength and resources of our company and our people. For example, in this report you will read many stories, including how Hartford employees in Santee, Calif., taught children how to stop, drop, and roll with the help of The Hartford s Junior Fire Marshal program, the oldest corporate public education program in the United States. Our goals remain high. We seek to foster education and help build neighborhoods with the same vitality as our employees and businesses. Growing together with the neighborhoods in which we work brings to life the wonderful giving spirit of our employees, going beyond business to true citizenship. We look forward to even greater success in Corporate Giving Education $2,748,119 Arts and culture $873,150 Mature Americans $103,845 United Way corporate gifts $975,000 Community and economic development $832,949 Individuals with disabilities $70,690

4 EDUCATION: A permanent and positive difference Through learning, you enrich your future. This saying is displayed at the entrance to The Hartford School Wing at Gray Lodge, a small residential school just a block from The Hartford s world headquarters. For more than a century, Gray Lodge has provided special education for young women with few other alternatives, girls for whom homelessness or juvenile detention centers are among their likely futures. Gray Lodge offers a chance for the girls to form a close-knit family in a newly restored home overlooking downtown Hartford. Here, they rediscover education and, with that, possibilities for pride and self-sufficiency. A new chapter for Gray Lodge opened in 2004 after the completion of an ambitious two-year expansion and renovation. Dave Hawkins and Steve Miller, two volunteers from The Hartford s Corporate Real Estate department, partnered with Gray Lodge throughout the project. Steve helped Gray Lodge address countless technical issues, offering guidance and insight that helped complete the construction under budget. Dave, a member of the Board of Directors of Gray Lodge, applied his expertise in lease negotiation to find space for the school while the original building was being renovated. We at The Hartford have a duty to help. This is a neighborhood initiative, Dave said. These girls now see that what they have is a home. The new Gray Lodge School Wing has made a tremendous difference in the learning environment here for our students, says Gray Lodge school principal Pat Buxton, above left. Steve Miller s expertise in construction projects was invaluable to the Gray Lodge Capital Project. Steve, above right, a registered architect and manager of construction at The Hartford, describes his role more modestly: I was happy to donate my time. More than 56,000 hours of volunteer time logged in

5 PATHWAY to success Zehrudin Mujcinovic of The Hartford s Information Systems Department is a model employee. He s bright, well-liked, and always striving to advance his skills as he builds his career at The Hartford. All this, and he just turned 16. Zehrudin, (pictured below left with STAG student Elena Mendez and STAG program manager Patrick Curry) moved to Hartford from Bosnia five years ago. He is one of 1,600 public high school students from the city of Hartford who have, since 1966, gained valuable job experience through the student intern program STAG, Successful Training Achieving Goals. Our educational support for Zehrudin and other students continues into college and beyond through The Alliance for Academic Achievement. Founded by The Hartford in 1999, the Alliance Program has continued the STAG school-to-career path for 82 college students, offering them scholarships and challenging summer internships at The Hartford. Zehrudin plans to become one of The Hartford s Alliance students at Trinity College. The STAG and Alliance programs set our interns sights on the financial services industry, preparing local talent like Zehrudin for success at The Hartford. MAKING THE MOST of our education dollars Dozens of companies have helped fuel the revival of the Hartford city school system, contributing millions of dollars to local academic programs. In 2004, The Hartford, along with 15 other funders, seized an opportunity to align our efforts with the most pressing needs of the schools and formed the Hartford Education Collaborative. The Hartford and its Collaborative partners have agreed to focus their resources on the school system s top priorities. Already, the Collaborative has begun placing college and career counselors in each of the city s high schools. We modeled these counselors after Jeff Bartlett (above), whom The Hartford hired to help Hartford Public High students form college plans and secure financial aid. Jeff s guidance has contributed to a significant increase in the number of students going on to twoand four-year colleges. More than 1,600 STAG student interns since

6 HUMAN SERVICES: Meeting basic needs The Hartford sponsors charitable giving programs in 40 locations across the country, all focused on the communities that surround our major offices. From New York City to Omaha, priorities vary. To shape local strategies, Giving Councils have formed in many of The Hartford s offices, including San Diego, San Antonio, and Charlotte. In Oklahoma City, employees of our AARP Service Center have formed the Community Action Network, a group charged with allocating funds where they will help the most. In 2004, grant recipients included Red Rock, a mental health services provider, and Christmas in April, a home repair program for lowincome elderly and disabled homeowners. The Community Action Network also coordinates employee volunteer activities, such as office-wide support of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. Three times a year, Oklahoma City employees gather items for 50 of these families. In August, they collect school supplies; for Thanksgiving, a full spread of food; and for Christmas, gifts for the children and their grandparents. The Hartford s Oklahoma City office is a committed supporter of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. Hundreds of employees gather items for families in which grandparents are raising grandchildren with limited resources. $975,000 granted 4 to the United Way by The Hartford in 2004

7 STRENGTHENING our commitment Photo courtesy of Chris Hamilton Photography As one of the country s leading providers of group disability coverage, The Hartford believes in focusing on abilities, not limitations, in helping individuals reach their full potential. That s why we recently renewed our founding partnership with the U.S. Paralympics, continuing the longest, most significant corporate commitment to the Paralympics to date. The Paralympic Games are the Olympics for athletes with physical disabilities. The Games occur in Photo courtesy of John Carideo conjunction with the Olympics, in the same host city and the same athletic venues. Four thousand athletes attended the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece, making it the secondlargest sporting event in the world, second only to the Olympics. The athletes of U.S. Paralympics exemplify the success that is possible in sports, at work, in all aspects of life, with the right attitude, resources, and support. STEPPING UP support Each year, an army of volunteers gathers on The Hartford s campus in Hartford, Conn., for the Walk Against Hunger. The event draws 5,000 walkers and raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for Foodshare, a regional food bank that supports more than 300 community kitchens, food pantries, and shelters in Connecticut. The Walk is one of the year s most popular events for employee volunteers. More than 75 employees make the 3-mile Walk; another 25 help to register walkers, hand out Junior Fire Marshal helmets, and coordinate the event. Alyce Deangelo, a volunteer from our personal insurance lines office in Southington, Conn., even dresses up as a clown to entertain the youngest walkers. In addition to sponsoring the Walk Against Hunger for the past 12 years, The Hartford is a major contributor to Foodshare s new facilities, which will enable the non-profit to nearly double its yearly distribution to 15 million pounds of food. The Paralympics are the second-largest sporting event in the world The Hartford has giving programs in 40 communities across the country 5

8 THE ARTS: Spotlighting cultural assets Each spring during the five days of Arts Week, local theater groups, dance troupes, and other performers bring films, food, and more to three Hartford offices to raise money for area arts organizations. We look at Arts Week as building our future in a different way, said Tom Marra, president and COO of The Hartford s Life operations and Chair of the 2004 United Arts Campaign for the Greater Hartford Arts Council. The arts are integral to the success of our region; arts and culture fuel our economy and help us retain our best employees. Run entirely by employee volunteers, Arts Week features everything from a screening of animated films in our main theater to a lunchtime demonstration by an artist who painted the landscape outside The Hartford s Simsbury, Conn., campus. Each year dozens of volunteers give their time to Arts Week events, generating hundreds of employee donations. With a company match, employees in our Hartford, Simsbury, and Southington offices raised more than $100,000 in five days. All funds went to the Greater Hartford Arts Council, which supports more than 100 arts and heritage organizations in the region. Photo courtesy of the Sphinx Organization Trevor Ochieng performs with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra at I Have a Dream, an annual concert celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Symphony is one of 100 arts and heritage organizations supported by the Greater Hartford Arts Council, to which The Hartford is a major contributor. The arts and cultural offerings in Hartford, Conn., rank in the top 6% nationwide 6

9 PLAYING a part While The Hartford helps major arts organizations such as the Greater Hartford Arts Council, we believe it is equally important to support emerging non-profits. Originally the state s oldest synagogue, the Charter Oak Cultural Center has recently been revived as an arts center that reflects the diversity of the region. For example, an estimated 60 percent of Hartford residents are of Latin American descent, many of them first- or secondgeneration from Puerto Rico or Peru, Colombia, and other Spanishspeaking countries. But despite the prevalence of Spanish in the streets and shop windows, theater targeting a Spanish-speaking audience was nowhere to be found. In 2004, with the help of The Hartford, Charter Oak was able to solve this problem. Now, twice a year, crowds cheer as Charter Oak lifts the curtain on Telón, the only Spanish-language theater series in New England. BEYOND the workplace Top leaders at The Hartford know that their role encompasses not only on-the-job excellence, but also sustained engagement with the communities that surround our major offices. Many executives serve as directors of non-profit boards, sharing the skills they have developed in business with community organizations. Sonja Larkin-Thorne (above), Vice President, Government Affairs, is a natural fit as Chair of the Government Relations Committee for The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. She applies her professional expertise to form positive relationships between The Bushnell and legislators. Sonja also chairs the Community Advisory Board for the Partnership for Breast Care at Hartford Hospital, and serves on the board of The Discovery Center, bringing suburban and urban children together for education in diversity. Sonja s colleagues share her passion for community service. In the Hartford area alone, we have executives on more than 50 nonprofit boards. Over $100,000 in five days for the 2004 United Arts Campaign raised Executives on more than 50 non-profit boards 7

10 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Building Community engagement often unfolds behind the scenes. This was not the case on July 18, 2004, when it came in the form of a three-story, 300-ton Victorian house, coasting gracefully on wheels through the streets of Hartford s Asylum Hill neighborhood. Asylum Hill, a 30-block neighborhood surrounding The Hartford s headquarters, is home to high-profile cultural centers, bustling corporate offices, and intricately detailed Victorian architecture. The potential of this community has been held in check by a homeownership rate of just 9 percent, well below a city-wide average of 24 percent and far from the national average of 66 percent. Homeownership is a key component of strong, safe, stable neighborhoods. The Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance (NINA), a coalition between The Hartford and five other neighborhood institutions, came together to revive homeownership in Asylum Hill. The Victorian Lady, as we came to call her, was saved from demolition and towed a mile and a half to Ashley Street, where she was set down on a vacant lot for a fresh start. Saving the Victorian Lady was one piece of NINA s multi-million dollar homeownership initiative. She joins three brick Italianates and two Queen Anne structures that were once abandoned, but are now being restored by NINA for Asylum Hill homeowners. Spectators gather to watch the three-story, 300-ton Victorian Lady travel a mile to its new home in Hartford s Asylum Hill neighborhood. The Hartford and its partners in the Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance saved the 1890 house from demolition as part of NINA s homeownership initiative. $825,000directed to the 8 Asylum Hill neighborhood in 2004

11 strong, stable neighborhoods PROTECTING a new generation FROM RIO to Tokyo Since 1947, children across the country have learned how to stop, drop, and roll with the help of The Hartford s Junior Fire Marshal program, the oldest corporate public education program in the United States. This past year, The Hartford revised the Junior Fire Marshal curriculum, updating materials in both Spanish and English to keep the content fresh and fun for its discriminating audience children aged 5 to 8. In October 2004, The Hartford s Santee, Calif., office drew a crowd of aspiring firefighters to the annual Santee Fire Safety Fair, during which volunteers and local firefighters gave students lessons in finding safe escape routes and handed out Junior Fire Marshal hats and coloring posters to 750 children. The Hartford s international presence grew swiftly in As we launched our business in the United Kingdom, our offices in Brazil and Japan strengthened their commitments to their communities. In Brazil, Icatu-Hartford enhanced its financial support of the Mangueira Complex, a fullservice social support center for residents of the low-income Mangueira neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. Additionally, Icatu-Hartford implemented a Write to Win training course (pictured above) that prepares 200 Mangueira students for professional careers each year. The success of the community engagement has resulted in four young neighborhood residents joining our Brazil office. In Tokyo, Hartford employees launched fundraising campaigns for two natural disasters the Niigata Earthquake of October 2004 and the tsunamis of late December. The Hartford matched all employee contributions to tsunami relief in Japan and in the United States. 110 million Junior Fire Marshal helmets distributed since students each year in our Rio de Janeiro Write to Win program 9

12 Grant RECIPIENTS HARTFORD AREA Education Antiquarian and Landmarks Society The Artists Collective Boy Scouts of America Connecticut Rivers Council Camp Courant Capital Community College Capitol Child Development Center Chamber Music PLUS Connecticut Academy for Education Connecticut Historical Society Connecticut Humanities Council Connecticut Opera Connecticut Policy and Economic Council Connecticut Pre-Engineering Program Connecticut Valley Girl Scout Council Connectikids The Discovery Center Families in Crisis Family Life Education Foundation for Excellent Schools Greater Hartford YMCA Guakia Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Hartford Action Plan on Infant Health Hartford Conservatory Hartford Consortium for Higher Education Hartford Public Schools Hartford Stage Company Jewish Coalition for Literacy Junior Achievement The Learning Corridor The Mark Twain House & Museum The National Conference for Community and Justice Salvation Army Science Center of Connecticut The Shelter for Women Gray Lodge Southend Community Services University of Connecticut University of Hartford Village for Families and Children The West Indian Foundation YWCA of the Hartford Region Arts and Culture The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts Charter Oak Cultural Center Connecticut Classical Guitar Society First Night Hartford Garden Area Neighborhood Council Greater Hartford Arts Council Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz Hartford Symphony Orchestra Hill-Stead Museum Real Art Ways TheaterWorks Wadsworth Atheneum Community and Economic Development Amistad Foundation Connecticut Forum The Cove Center for Grieving Children Farmington Avenue Alliance Foodshare Greater Hartford Legal Aid Foundation Hartford Economic Development Corporation Local Initiatives Support Corporation The Neighborhoods of Hartford Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance Nutmeg Big Brothers/Big Sisters Riverfront Recapture Youth United for Survival Aid to Individuals with Disabilities American School for the Deaf Disabled Sports USA U.S. Paralympics Mature Americans Alzheimer s Association, Connecticut Chapter Connecticut Radio Information System Hartford Food System Leadership Greater Hartford Seniors Job Bank VNA Healthcare/Meals on Wheels Every winter, volunteers from The Hartford teach students from Hartford, Conn., how to skate and play hockey. Participants are chosen based on attendance, academics, and enthusiasm, making Learn to Skate a powerful incentive for students to achieve. 10

13 COUNTRYWIDE GIVING Arizona AASK Arizona America Reads: Arizona State University Foundation American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter The Arizona Community Foundation Junior Achievement of Arizona Labor s Community Service Agency Maricopa Foundation Phoenix Children s Hospital Foundation Scottsdale Foundation for the Handicapped Sun Cities 4 Paws Rescue Westside Food Bank California ALS Association Citrus Valley Health Foundation Community Housing Works El Dorado Women s Information Center The Foothill Foundation Insurance Educational Association Insurance Industry Charitable Fund/EBCF Insuring the Children Orangewood Children s Foundation Pacific Youth Lodge Services Rio Seco School Santana High School Special Olympics West Hills High School Colorado Denver Zoological Foundation Friends of the Salt Lake County Children s Justice Center ISight YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region Connecticut Bread For Life Connecticut Food Bank Mishkan Israel Day Camp Southington Social Services Florida Alzheimer s Association Central and North Florida Chapter American Cancer Society Florida Division Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Hillsborough County Central Florida Zoological Park The Children s Home The Children s Place at Home Safe Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida Community Communications Covenant Kid s Manor Florida Chapter of Amend Habitat for Humanity in Seminole County Hope International Ministries Hospice of the Florida Suncoast House of Hope, Fellowship of Faith Ministry Junior Achievement of Central Florida The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Make a Wish Foundation of Central Florida March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Meals on Wheels Metropolitan Ministries Muscular Dystrophy Association Orlando Union Rescue Mission Ronald McDonald House of Orlando Save Our Strays Seniors First Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Central Florida Special Olympics Florida Spring of Tampa Bay United Veterans Beacon House The Victory School Sherry Racine, center, attends a ceramics class at Edgemoor Hospital in Santee, Calif., with recreational therapist Julie Hanahan, left, and Ellen Draper, a volunteer from The Hartford. Edgemoor Hospital is a longterm care facility for patients ranging in age from 19 to 90. Photo courtesy of Matt Keefe 11

14 Georgia American Cancer Society Atlanta Urban Ministries Boy Scouts of America Camp Horizon Canine Assistants Children s Healthcare of Atlanta Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia MADD Marcus Institute Nicholas House Woodruff Arts Center YWCA of Northwest Georgia Illinois American Liver Foundation Illinois Chapter Association for Individual Development The Children s Place Association United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Chicago YMCA Camp Duncan YMCA Training Alliance Indiana 4p-Support Group Central Indiana Council on Aging Fresh Start of Indianapolis Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana Indiana Down Syndrome Foundation Indiana State University Lucille Raines Residence Seeds of Hope Shepherd Community Stepping Stones for Veterans Kansas Autism Asperger Resource Center Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Junior Achievement of Middle America Kansas City Keys Community Council Kaw Valley Habitat for Humanity Midwest Foster Care & Adoption Association Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Network Trust St. Paul s Episcopal Day School Maryland Buckingham s Choice Residents Assistance Fund Carson Scholars Fund Community Foundation of the Chesapeake Sinai Health Services Massachusetts YMCA Cape Cod John F. Kennedy Library Foundation Michigan American Cancer Society Detroit Symphony Orchestra Forgotten Harvest Grace Centers of Hope Haven Indian Trails Camp Michigan Special Olympics Second Harvest Gleaners Food Bank of West Michigan St. John s Home The Victory Center Volunteers from The Hartford s Santee, Calif., office plant trees in a section of Mast Park, which our employees adopted as part of their community involvement. 12

15 Minnesota Arc Great Rivers BestPrep: Skills For Tomorrow Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities Children s Museum of Eau Claire Community Emergency Assistance Program Diabetes Center Associates Cedars Sinai Medical Center Grace Centers of Hope Guthrie Theater Foundation Indian Trails Camp Make a Wish Foundation National Multiple Sclerosis Minnesota Chapter Northfield Montessori Team Foundation Woodbury Days Council Missouri Missouri Colleges Fund St. Francis of Assisi Athletic Association Nevada Committee to Aid Abused Women Nevada Community Volunteers Nebraska Insurance Women of Greater Kansas City National Multiple Sclerosis Society The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation New Jersey Brain Tumor Society Cheshire Home Seeing Eye Trinitas Hospital & Trinitas Health Foundation New York Alzheimer s Association of Northeastern New York American Lung Association of Northeastern New York ARISE at Marshall Farms Boys & Girls Club of Syracuse Central New York Cat Coalition Central New York Community Arts Council The Children s Museum of History Natural History and Science City Harvest City Meals-On-Meals Faxton-St. Luke s HealthCare Foundation Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind Freedom House Hope House Hospice & Palliative Care Humane Association of Central New York Mohawk Valley Community College The Neighborhood Center of Utica New York PEACE Players of Utica RecNet Adaptive Sports & Recreation The Rescue Mission of Utica, New York Resource Center for Independent Living Ronald McDonald House of New York Sculpture Space Special Olympics New York Stevens-Swan Humane Society of Oneida County Syracuse Habitat for Humanity United Cerebral Palsy & Handicapped Persons Association of the Utica Area Utica Dollars for Scholars Utica Symphony Orchestra The V Foundation for Cancer Research West Genesee Athletic Club Young Scholars LPP at Utica College Your Neighbors Through Junior Achievement, Hartford employees from our Personal Lines Division in Southington, Conn., returned to elementary school to teach children about business, economics, personal finance, and the world of work. 13

16 North Carolina American Cancer Society American Diabetes Association American Martial Arts American Red Cross Appalachian State University Charlotte Rescue Mission Chemical Dependency Center of Charlotte/Mecklenburg A Child s Place Crisis Assistance Ministry Holy Angels Hospice at Charlotte Hospitality House of Charlotte Kerri D. Efird Memorial Scholarship Juvenile Diabetes Research Loaves & Fishes Matthews Help Center Methodist Counseling & Consultation Services Misty Meadows Mitey Riders NAIW Project HALO The Salvation Army ABC Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina Southeastern Guide Dogs Special Olympics North Carolina The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation United Family Services The Shelter for Battered Women YMCA of Greater Charlotte Ohio America s Disabled Athletes Cleveland Museum of Art Kids Wish Network Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity The Ohio Special Olympics The Victory Center Oklahoma Arby s Foundation Christmas in April Oklahoma City H.O.P.E. Helping Ovarian Cancer Patients Everywhere in Oklahoma Hough Ear Institute Inner City Dance Institute Red Rock Behavioral Services Pennsylvania Alzheimer s Association American Cancer Society Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Montgomery County County of Lehigh Aging and Adult Services Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley Lehigh County Senior Center Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly St. Mary s Villa for Children and Families United Cerebral Palsy of Philadelphia & Vicinity Texas The 100 Club of San Antonio American Business Women s Association American Cancer Society American Diabetes Association The Arbor School Buckner Children & Family Services Camp Fire USA Diamond Baez decorates a Halloween pumpkin at the new Asylum Hill Boys and Girls Club, a haven for education and mentorship a block from our world headquarters. The Hartford considers the Club to be among its chief partners in revitalizing the neighborhood. 14

17 Child Abuse Prevention Service DBA Children s Association for Maximum Potential (C.A.M.P.) The Children s Shelter Christian Senior Services Dallas Life Foundation Dare To Love Ewing Educational Center The First Tee of San Antonio Girl Scouts of San Antonio Guiding Eyes for the Blind Humane Society/SPCA of Bexar County JOVEN Klein ISD Education Foundation Nexus North Houston Frontiers Club Northwest Assistance Ministries OASIS Ronald McDonald House of Dallas Saint Vincent de Paul Thrift Store of Dallas San Antonio AIDS Foundation San Antonio Food Bank San Antonio Wheelchair Athletic Association Southside YMCA Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children Visiting Nurse Association Virginia ALIVE American Funds College America Boys and Girls Club of the Virginia Peninsula Capital Hospice Catholic Charities/St. Martin Porres Senior Center Community Partners for Children Coordinators/2 For Love of Children Good News Jail and Prison Ministry Hopkins House Association The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Madeline s House National Multiple Sclerosis Valentine Museum Washington Regional Alcohol Program YMCA Manchester Music, contemporary art, and breakdance performances set the scene for 1, and 30-somethings at the June Collage event at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. The Hartford sponsors the Collage series to expand the audience of the country s oldest public art museum. Photo courtesy of John Groo 15

18 Grant Application REVIEW PROCESS Our formal grants program is for those organizations that focus on the city of Hartford, Conn. The deadlines and application information on this page apply only to Hartford-area organizations. Our other giving programs, both in the United States and other countries, do not take unsolicited requests at this time. Hartford-area requests are reviewed and approved by The Hartford s Executive Grant Committee, made up of senior level officers in the company. The Grant Committee evaluates applications based on: The degree to which the application meets The Hartford s philanthropic priorities Evidence of efficient organizational and financial management Clear and sound program objectives Funding stability and range of support from other funding sources Overall organizational history and record Demonstrated evidence of program success Program evaluation measures Deadlines for grant applications are as follows: Application Deadline January 15 April 1 July 1 September 15 Grant Committee Meeting March June September November If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, it will be moved to the next business day. All applicants must complete The Hartford s online grant application available at Please visit our Web site for more information on The Hartford s charitable guidelines. 16 5/2 Round 4

19 Design: BrandLogic; Cover photograph: Richard Bowditch; Printing: W.E. Andrews

20 The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. Hartford Plaza 690 Asylum Avenue Hartford, Connecticut Form [2005]