Nonprofit organizations that serve residents of Newport County’s six cities and towns have until Feb. 15 to apply for nearly $270,000 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation.
The Newport County Fund (NCF) offers grants of up to $10,000 to develop new programs, to strengthen or expand established programs and for municipal planning or leadership. Applicants should focus on significant problems or opportunities, strategic partnerships or collaborations, innovation and measuring results.
“This fund focuses on serving the distinct needs of the residents of these communities. Working with partners that have strong ties here gives us the resources and context to address local priorities,” said Adrian Bonéy, who oversees special programs for the Foundation.
The NCF does not fund individuals or scholarships, medical research, debt reduction or fundraising. Grants may support faith-based organizations for secular programs or projects. These are annual grants; NCF does not make multi-year commitments.
Last year’s recipients include the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Newport, which received $10,000 to provide after-school and summer programs for disadvantaged children; Lucy’s Hearth in Middletown, which received $10,000 to provide services for residents of its emergency shelter and transitional housing; and Visiting Nurse Home and Hospice of Portsmouth, which received $5,000 to improve care for patients with conditions such as depression, dementia and chronic medical disorders.
Over the years, the NCF has invested more than $4 million in funding programs and services for residents of Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth and Tiverton. The fund is supplemented by the Jamestown Community Fund and the Jamestown Fund for the Performing Arts.
The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Working with generous and visionary donors, the Foundation raised $38 million and awarded $43 million in grants to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities in 2017. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit rifoundation.org.
