CVS Health Foundation Pours $1 Million Into Greater Hartford Nonprofits

On a breezy Tuesday morning in Hartford, CVS Health’s philanthropic arm quietly rolled out a $1 million investment aimed squarely at the community it calls home. The 2026 Hometown Fund, a slice of the foundation’s broader giving strategy, was distributed to twenty nonprofit groups that serve residents across Greater Hartford and even stretch into Rhode Island.

“We’re investing in Hartford nonprofits that are meeting people where they are, whether that’s at the pharmacy counter, on the street, or in a shelter,” said Jenny McColloch, President of the CVS Health Foundation. Her remarks, though polished, felt a little like a promise whispered to a longtime neighbor – a reminder that the foundation’s roots run deep in the region.

The list reads like a snapshot of the area’s most urgent needs: Center for Children’s Advocacy, Center for Latino Progress, Chrysalis Center, Easterseals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut, Enfield Loaves & Fishes, Forge City Works, Friendship Service Center, Hartford Health Initiative, House of Bread, ImmaCare, Journey Home, KNOX, Malta House of Care, Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation, Northeast Neighborhood Partners, Prudence Crandall Center, Special Olympics Connecticut, St. Vincent de Paul Place Middletown, Urban League of Greater Hartford and YWCA Hartford Region. Each organization will receive a chunk of general operating support – a cash infusion that lets them keep the lights on, pay staff and, frankly, stay flexible.

Take ImmaCare, for example. The group, which runs emergency shelters and offers wrap‑around services for people experiencing homelessness, received a grant that it hopes will expand its capacity. “These funds are a lifeline,” said Teresa A. Wierbicki, Director of Strategic Development at ImmaCare. “They let us think beyond day‑to‑day crises and plan for longer‑term solutions.” It’s a sentiment echoed by many of the other grantees, all of whom are juggling health‑care access, food insecurity and housing instability on a daily basis.

While the $1 million is the headline figure, the foundation’s broader footprint in Connecticut is even larger. CVS Health reported $2.61 million in charitable contributions across the state for fiscal year 2025, along with volunteer hours, workforce‑development programs and free health‑screening events under its Project Health umbrella.

All told, the Hometown Fund reflects a growing trend among large corporations: directing money back to the neighborhoods where their employees live and work. In the words of McColloch, the goal is simple – “to strengthen the fabric of our communities, one nonprofit at a time.” Whether that fabric feels a little tighter after July remains to be seen, but the cash is there, and the nonprofits are ready to put it to work.