News & Updates

DT Cares, a Connecticut-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth through mentorship, wellness, and exposure, is proud to announce that it has been awarded a $100,000 multi-year grant from the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation (formerly the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving). This is the largest institutional grant in the organization's history and marks a major milestone in DT Cares' growth, credibility, and long-term impact.

The three-year grant will support DT Cares' holistic mentorship programs and fuel the organization's continued expansion across Greater Hartford and beyond. The investment reflects strong confidence in DT Cares' mission, leadership, and proven ability to deliver measurable outcomes for young people navigating critical academic, personal, and life transitions.

"This grant is transformational for our organization. It allows us to move from year-to-year survival into long-term planning and sustainable growth. Most importantly, it means we can show up more consistently and more powerfully for the young people and families who rely on our programs."

The grant builds on a momentum-filled 2025 for DT Cares, which included hosting its first-ever Leadership Summit at Rentschler Field attracting over 120 attendees, raising more than $30,000 through Giving Tuesday and community fundraising efforts, and launching its third annual 'More Than an Athlete' high school mentorship cohort. These milestones have positioned DT Cares for a breakout 2026 focused on scale, depth, and long-term systems change.

Strategic Initiatives

Over the next three years, grant funding will be strategically deployed across several high-impact initiatives, including:

• Expanding mentorship programs into new schools and virtual programming
• Training and certifying culturally aligned, trauma-informed mentors
• Hiring additional Program Directors and a Director of Development to sustain growth
• Strengthening data collection, impact measurement, and reporting systems
• Providing exposure opportunities such as college visits, career fairs, and corporate tours

Addressing the Need

Across Hartford County, hundreds of students from elementary through high school are chronically absent, academically behind, or facing behavioral challenges, putting them on a path toward long-term disengagement and dropout. In some schools, chronic absenteeism exceeds 30%, and disciplinary rates are two to three times higher than the state average.

Without targeted, timely intervention, these students are far more likely to disengage from school, miss pathways to higher education and professional development, and face long-term socioeconomic challenges.

DT Cares exists to address these gaps by ensuring that young people feel seen, supported, and believed in during the most critical years of development. Through mentorship, wellness programming, leadership development, and community partnerships, DT Cares supports students from elementary through high school by improving attendance, behavior, academic confidence, and postsecondary readiness, building an ecosystem of support that extends beyond individual students to families, schools, and entire communities.

The Greater Hartford Gives Foundation's investment underscores a shared commitment to equity, opportunity, and community-driven solutions. As DT Cares enters its next phase of growth, the organization looks forward to deepening partnerships with donors, schools, corporations, and civic leaders who believe in the power of mentorship to change lives.

About DT Cares

DT Cares is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth through mentorship, wellness, leadership development, and exposure. Founded in East Hartford, Connecticut, DT Cares partners with schools, families, and community organizations to help young people unlock their potential and build pathways to long-term success across Greater Hartford.

DT Cares was co-founded by Raishaun McGhee, Devonte Dillion, and Terrell Huff—close childhood friends who grew up together in Windsor, Connecticut and understand the needs of their community firsthand. United by lived experience and a shared commitment to service, the founders leverage professional backgrounds and alumni networks from institutions including Harvard University, Stanford Graduate School of Business, American International College, Central Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford to expand opportunity, mobilize resources, and deliver high-impact programming.

About the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation

Greater Hartford Gives Foundation is a community foundation, a hub for community-driven change. We fuel impact throughout Greater Hartford and beyond by making connections, providing funding, and sharing knowledge. Our goal is to create an inclusive region where everyone prospers. Together, with a powerful network of changemakers, we identify our neighbors' most pressing needs and invest resources in initiatives that dismantle racial and economic barriers and improve quality of life. In our 100-year history, we have invested more than $1 billion throughout the region.

Learn more at greaterhartfordgives.org.