Portsmouth Nonprofits Land $17,000 in RI Foundation Grants

The Rhode Island Foundation awarded nearly $17,000 to local organizations on the way to a record-breaking year of grant-making. Statewide, the Foundation awarded $34.8 million in grants, the most in its 98-year history. The Foundation also raised $33.7 million in new gifts from individual, organizational and corporate donors last year.

“We are grateful to our dedicated donors for joining with us to take on the state’s challenges and opportunities,” said Neil Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO. “Their inspiring generosity enabled us to invest in Rhode Island’s as never before.”

Many of the local awards were made under the Foundation’s competitive Strategy Grant Program, which targets seven key sectors: arts and culture, children and families, education, economic security, environment, health and housing. Through these grants, the Foundation invests in organizations and programs that strive for long-term solutions to significant community issues. Others are discretionary grants made by the Foundation’s staff and directors.

The Visiting Nurses Services of Newport and Bristol Counties in Portsmouth received $5,000 to support health promotion and disease prevention.

Methodist Community Gardens of Portsmouth received $5,000 to obtain a second 2,200-square-foot high-tunnel greenhouse to increase the production of fresh food for needy residents of Newport County.

Visiting Nurses Services of Newport and Bristol Counties (VNS) in Portsmouth received $5,000 to offer educational and supportive programs to VNS staff to enable them to better support the caregivers of the agency’s patients.

The Prudence Island School Foundation received $1,799 to buy equipment for its students’ annual Filmmaking Project. Students complete every creative and technical aspect of making and screening a feature film including the screenplay, costumes, storyboarding, non-linear film editing, art design, special effects and lighting.

Other area organizations that serve Portsmouth residents receiving grants include the Boys and Girls Club of Newport County, the YMCA of Newport County, the East Bay Community Action Program, Child and Family Services of Newport County and the Newport County Community Mental Health Center.

“From fostering the thriving food sector to investing in the state’s capacity to prepare its youth for productive lives, our grants advance issues that will drive Rhode Island’s future,” said Daniel Kertzner, vice president for grant programs.

In addition to grantmaking and fundraising, community leadership is central to the Foundation’s activities and business. In 2014, the Foundation raised a record $308,843 in the third year of its annual Civic Leadership Fund, which enables the Foundation to go beyond traditional grantmaking to provide leadership and a forum for dialogue on critical community issues. Among CLF’s ongoing projects are the Make It Happen economic development initiative, an ongoing Community Conversations series and the “It’s All In Our Backyard” campaign.

“We are grateful to our CLF donors for recognizing that change can require many different approaches. The ability to seize opportunities enhances the work our nonprofit partners are already doing,” said Jessica David, the Foundation’s vice president of strategy and community investments.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. In 2014, the Foundation awarded $34.8 million in grants to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities. 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 <http://rifoundation.org> .