Office of Federal, State and Local Grant Opportunities

About Us

In March of 2023, Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito announced a Task Force for the creation of the Office of Federal, State and Local Grant Opportunities. 

The members of the task force have decades of experience dealing with federal, state, and local grants, and will determine the structure and design of this new office to pursue opportunities for the City of Danbury and our non-profit and business community.

“I’m excited that these outstanding individuals will serve on the Task Force for the creation of the Office of Federal, State and Local Grant Opportunities. Since my first day in office, I have been focused on finding grant opportunities at all levels of government for our departments, city government, school system, as well as our non-profit and business communities. I want to find any penny we can for the City of Danbury. Danbury deserves our fair share, and I look forward to these individuals developing and implementing a plan that will serve our city well.” said Mayor Dean Esposito

The individuals on this bipartisan task force include former Congressman Jim Maloney, former State Senator David Cappiello, Former Torrington Mayor Ryan Bingham, Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board President and CEO Catherine Awwad, Danbury Finance Director Dan Garrick, Danbury Assistant Director of Finance (Budget and Grants) John Kleinhans and Danbury Communications and Government Affairs Advisor Lindsay Seti.

For more information on this initiative, please watch this episode of “This Week in the City”.

Our Mission

The Office of Federal, State and Local Grant Opportunities will serve as the center point for the city to explore all grant opportunities. It will partner with all city departments, as well as the Danbury Board of Education. 

Contact the Office of Federal, State and Local Grant Opportunities


John Kleinhans 02-1833408 profile size

To contact the Office of Federal, State and Local Grant Opportunities, please email Assistant Director of Finance (Budget and Grants) John Kleinhans at j.kleinhans@danbury-ct.gov. 

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

The City of Danbury is a formula entitlement community and receives an annual allocation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG).

The City's program year runs from August 1st to July 31st and is an annual allocation dependent upon the federal government budget. The City must prepare an Annual Action Plan and submit it to HUD in order to receive these funds. 

HUD provides funds to local communities to be spent on priority community needs as outlined in the locally developed Consolidated Plan. The purposes of the program are creating suitable living environments, providing decent housing and creating economic opportunity. Grantees must give maximum feasible priority to activities, which benefit low and moderate-income persons. A grantee may also carry out activities that aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight or meet an urgent need in the community that poses a serious and immediate threat to its health or welfare and for which they lack the financial resources to meet it.

Community Participation

The City begins its citizen participation process in January of each year with the publication of the Notification of Funding Availability (NOFA) which sets forth the date of the first Public Hearing and the application process. An application workshop is conducted followed by a series of public hearings to receive community input. 

There is also a policy community made up of representatives from the Danbury Finance Department, Danbury Health and Human Services Department, Danbury Office of Emergency Management, and the Mayor's Office. 

Past Danbury CDBG Grantee Recipients

Community Development Block Grant 









Additional Grant Opportunities and Resources


Impact Fairfield County (Letter of Intent Due on November 13th)

Impact FFC is pleased to announce a $100,000 grant opportunity for nonprofits that reach underserved populations and highlight unmet needs in Fairfield County. The Impact Fairfield County Grant will provide restricted funds to develop new programs; enhance, expand or strengthen existing programs; and/or improve organizational capacity that advances the nonprofit organization's core mission. These transformative grants are to support high impact initiatives, not to cover general operating expenses. Impact FFC will award one or two grants of $100,000 each, and the winner(s) will be determined by a vote of its membership on May 8, 2024.

To apply for an Impact Fairfield County Grant, organizations must be:

  • Classified as a “public charity” with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
  • Operating in, serving residents of, and fully expending funds in Fairfield County, CT
  • Targeting underserved populations
  • In possession of three years of independently prepared, audited financial statements
  • A new awardee -- not a recipient of an Impact FFC $100,000 Grant for at least 3 years

Applying starts with a Letter of Inquiry, which will be accepted online beginning October 16, 2023 and will be due November 13, 2023. Organizations may only submit one application each grant cycle. Potential applicants are encouraged to attend an Applicant Information Session to be held on September 19, 2023, from 10:30am – 11:30am at Pequot Library in Southport, CT. RSVP is required at www.impactffc.org/apply-now. Due to space constraints, we request that only one representative per organization attend. In addition, on October 11, 2023, Impact Fairfield County will be hosting an optional virtual Proposal Brainstorming Workshop. Nonprofits will be able to gain advice on potential proposal ideas from experienced Impact FFC members. Details and registration to be announced via our website at www.impactffc.org by mid-September.

 

USDOT Thriving Communities Grant Program

Overview: Thriving Communities Grant Program (TCP) provides technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support to teams of community partners that may lack the staffing or technical expertise to scope, fund, and develop infrastructure projects that advance broader community goals. TCP will provide 2 years of deep-dive assistance and 3 years of facilitated peer learning support to selected communities to help them plan and develop a pipeline of comprehensive transportation, housing, and community revitalization activities. There is no cost to receive this support. Interested applicants must identify community partners and together submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) via DOT webform by 4:59 p.m. (ET) November 15, 2023, to be considered for selection.

Website: Information for Communities | US Department of Transportation

Deadline: November 15, 2023