“New Heights seeks support to match joint $100,000 matching gift”

Celebrating its 30th year, New Heights has received a joint $100,000 matching gift from the Foundation for Seacoast Health and Thomas W. Haas Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

Referring to the gifts as “a rare opportunity to invest in its infrastructure,” Executive Director Tracey Tucker said New Heights is now charged with raising $100,000 to match it.

“We are at a critical point in our organization's lifecycle as we look to actively increase our earned revenue through program fees,” she said. “The need for our programs is growing, but we do not possess the necessary infrastructure—both staff and resources—to meet it.”

Whereas New Heights formerly served as “a drop-in teen center” through the early 2000s, the nonprofit agency has shifted its focus in the past 10 years to a workshop model with specific learning objectives. New Heights now emphasizes Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) and Adventure.

According to Tucker, their programs are distinguished by their intentionality.

“We build these experiences to increase skills that employers in the state are very clear the current workforce lacks—skills like communication, problem solving, leadership and team-building,” she said.

She also cited other important changes.

“We are now in the classroom in the Portsmouth school district during the school day and seeking to expand to every school and at every grade level in the area,” she added.

Robotics is at the heart of this move into the classroom with possibilities that also exist for an expansion in Adventure. In the 2017-18 academic school year, New Heights will educate more than 300 students in the classroom.

According to Deb Grabowski, CEO, Foundation for Seacoast Health, New Heights’ programs build resiliency, self-awareness and confidence.

“We value this essential contribution to the future of the Seacoast’s youth,” said Grabowski, who noted the Foundation has invested more than $9 million in New Heights in the past 30 years.

She said their current contribution of $50,000 is intended to support New Heights Board of Directors’ efforts to create a sustainable and stable organizational infrastructure.

“We are very pleased to award this challenge grant, which leverages funds from individuals and provides an opportunity for our Foundation to partner with the Thomas W. Haas Fund at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation,” she added.

According to Simon Delekta, a Senior Program Officer at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the decision to invest reflects support for New Heights’ strategic direction.

“The Thomas W. Haas Fund of the Charitable Foundation is a proud supporter of New Heights’ outstanding work, which helps hundreds of Seacoast kids build the skills they need to thrive in their communities and careers,” he said. “They have worked hard to evaluate and right-size their business model and we hope this joint support will position them for continued success.”

Noting she hopes to match the $100,000 by the end of the year, Tucker said there is a lot at stake for New Heights and those they serve.

“There is so much more we can do as an organization,” she said. “We're grateful to the Thomas W. Haas Fund, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Foundation for Seacoast Health for investing in New Heights to create this tremendous opportunity to meaningfully enhance the lives of youth in the greater Seacoast region.”

To contribute to New Heights’ matching gift campaign, visit www.newheightsonline.org or call (603) 422-8235.