Jim and Shirley Draper of Colebrook
Jim and Shirley Draper


In 2010, the Drapers left their final and perpetual gift, a $30 million endowment to establish the NCCF Draper Foundation Fund.

The donor advised fund supports 19 area non-profits chosen by the Jim and Shirley Draper, awarding grants twice per year, forever.

Nonprofits supported by the Draper Foundation Fund

  • Beardsley & Memorial Library
  • Colebrook Associates, Inc.
  • Colebrook Congregational Church
  • Colebrook Historical Society, Inc.
  • Cornell University for the Cornell Feline Health Center College of Veterinary Medicine
  • W. L. Gilbert Trust Corporation
  • Greenwoods Scholarship Foundation, Inc.
  • Little Guild of St. Francis
  • Northwestern Connecticut Community College
  • Northwest CT YMCA
  • The Salvation Army
  • Tufts University, School of Veterinarian Medicine
  • The University of CT Foundation, Inc.
  • Vivisection Investigation League, a/k/a The Last Post
  • We Adopt Greyhounds, Inc.
  • Winchester Youth Service Bureau
  • Winsted Area Child Care Center, Inc.
  • Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue, Inc.

According to the Jim and Shirley Drapers' wishes, these charities receive regular distributions from the Fund, providing a sustainable and dependable source of support in perpetuity.

In addition to the 19 nonprofits named by the Drapers, the Draper Foundation Fund Trustees award grants to nonprofits in the towns of Torrington, Winsted, Norfolk, Colebrook, New Hartford, and Barkhamsted through an invitation-only LOI process.