The Rhode Island Foundation has announced that over a dozen nonprofits in Newport County will share nearly $400,000 in grants to support a range of community-focused projects. These initiatives include enhancing public markets, sponsoring festivals, and expanding library resources.
David N. Cicilline, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, emphasized the importance of these grants in fostering community cohesion. “In a time when division seems prevalent, supporting projects that unite people is crucial. Our hope is that these initiatives will strengthen community bonds and reinforce our connections as neighbors and Rhode Islanders,” Cicilline stated.
Fourteen nonprofits in Newport County will benefit from the grants, with individual awards reaching up to $10,000. Most funded projects are expected to be completed by year-end.
Highlighted grants include:
- Aquidneck Community Table: Awarded $9,100 to support a free public market in Newport’s North End. Executive Director Rose Jones aims to address local food insecurity and promote healthy living through community collaboration.
- Bike Newport: Received $10,000 to enhance traffic safety training at its new Traffic Garden facility. The funds will support family-friendly events and educational programs focused on bicycle safety and community engagement.
- Conexion Latina Newport: Granted $5,000 to enrich its Festival Latino with mini-workshops on Latin dance and arts, aiming to foster cross-cultural understanding and participation.
- Friends of the Jamestown Philomenian Library: Awarded $10,000 for new furniture to accommodate increased demand for community meetings at its expanded facility.
- Little Compton Community Center: Received $3,500 to support its Fair Market Fridge initiative, providing affordable, healthy meals amid rising local living costs.
- Newport Classical: Granted $4,000 to support its free, year-round Community Concerts Series, offering accessible classical music performances across Aquidneck Island.
- Newport Live: Awarded $7,500 to bring diverse South African and AfroLatin performers and educational programs to Rhode Island, enhancing cultural outreach and collaboration with local nonprofits.
- Newport Middle Passage Port Marker Project: Received $5,000 for student-led research and educational projects on African American history in Newport.
- Rhode Island Slave History Medallions in Newport: Granted $10,000 to support a guided walking tour highlighting the Black and Indigenous histories of Newport.
Other beneficiaries include the Jamestown Historical Society, Jamestown Ukraine Relief Project, Newport Art Museum, Newport Gulls, and Newport Pride. For a full list of grant recipients, visit rifoundation.org/community.
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