United Way awards $7.8 million from Connecticut's cannabis reinvestment program to nonprofits in Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford
The 38 awards, from $75,000 to $300,000 each over three years, come from the state Social Equity Council's R2 program, which is paid for with revenue from Connecticut's adult-use cannabis market.
R2 awards to nonprofits by city, 2026 grant round
Danbury. United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut has named the nonprofits in Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford that will share $7,815,000 over three years from a state program for communities disproportionately harmed by the War on Drugs and cannabis criminalization.
The money comes from the Reimagine and Revitalize (R2) Community Reinvestment Program of the Connecticut Social Equity Council, a state body, and United Way manages it for the three cities. The 38 awards range from $75,000 to $300,000 over three years: 8 in Danbury, 14 in Norwalk and 16 in Stamford. United Way published the list of recipients in early November.
Who was chosen
The awards fall into the program's three priority areas: economic development, reentry and youth. In Danbury, the Community Action Agency of Western Connecticut received $300,000 for a reentry program called BRIDGE, and the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut $300,000 for an economic development project named Diversity on Main.
In Norwalk, $300,000 awards went to The Open Door Shelter for an economic opportunity hub offering job training, employment access and food security, to Norwalk ACTS for a youth employment collaborative, and to Person to Person for emergency assistance and stabilization for people returning from incarceration. In Stamford, Liberation Programs received $300,000 for a reentry counselor and Building One Community $300,000 for workforce development. Four organizations, Person to Person among them, hold awards in two of the cities.
How the money is handed out
The council pays for R2 with licensing fees and revenue from Connecticut's adult-use cannabis market, according to its 2026 notice of funding opportunity, which commits $36 million over three years across ten regions. Seven grant managers, United Ways and community foundations, run the program in those regions, and all funding goes to organizations serving or located in what the state calls Disproportionately Impacted Areas.
United Way said each application was screened and scored on a standardized rubric that the council developed with the grant managers, and that its award recommendations went to the council for approval. Besides the grants, the council plans training for the organizations it funds.
“Our goal for this initiative is to see lasting impact by supporting community-led initiatives financially but also by providing capacity building courses for long-term sustainability.”
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