Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation announced it is awarding grants totalling $421,000 to 38 local nonprofits.
This funding was made possible through the support of permanently endowed grant funds, and the generosity of donors.
“This year, we witnessed extraordinary demand from our Island’s remarkable nonprofits, and the
demand for our grants has never been greater,” Paul Schulz, executive director of the
Community Foundation, is quoted in a release. “With exceptional applications seeking almost $800,000 in funding, we faced a significant challenge to meet the pressing and vast needs of our community.
“The 2023 grants cover a wide range of initiatives, each designed to make a significant and positive impact on the lives of Island residents, and strengthen the fabric of our community,” Hilary Dreyer, Community Engagement and Program Manager said. “From educational opportunities to food security, health services to environmental protection, arts enrichment to housing support, these grants will inspire the next generation of Islanders, provide vital support to those in need, and protect the unique natural resources of our cherished Island.”
Nonprofits in the arts receiving grants included Circuit Arts, Island Community Chorus, Islanders Write, Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society, MVY Radio, Vineyard Independence Partnership, and theWest Tisbury Library Foundation
Grants receiving funding for direct health services: Health Imperatives, Hospice and Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard, Martha’s Vineyard Cancer Support Group, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, and Vineyard Health Care Access Program.
Among the grant recipients for educational opportunities were ACE MV, Communication Ambassador Partnership (CAP), Garden Gate Child Development Center, Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society, Martha’s Vineyard Boys and Girls Club, Martha’s Vineyard Museum, Martha’s Vineyard Ocean Academy, Mass Audubon/Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Penikese Island School, Sail Martha’s Vineyard, Sassafras Earth Education, and Vineyard Montessori School.
Groups receiving grants for environmental initiatives included Friends of Sengekontacket, Great Pond Foundation, Lagoon Pond Association, and Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group.
Groups getting funding for food security projects included the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury, Island Grown Initiative, and Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust.
For housing resources, Harbor Homes, Havenside Corp., and the Vineyard House received funding.
Also receiving funding are Camp Jabberwocky, Healthy Aging M.V., Island Autism Group, and Misty Meadows Equine Learning Center
A grant awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 5 pm at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury. The Island is invited.
