NHCF: Our Community Foundation
I love the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s website. Big and bold the landing page says, “New Hampshire nonprofits are on a mission. We believe in them. We support them. We need them.”
I couldn’t agree more! But I would say that, wouldn’t I? As a career nonprofit employee, a fundraiser, and a staff member at The Music Hall (a beloved Portsmouth, New Hampshire nonprofit, of course), I know and believe in the power of a nonprofit to make change.
The website then goes on to say, in all caps, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? How delightful is that phrase? And they mean it, offering four options for further action: Amplify the Power of Your Giving (aimed at individual donors), Advise Your Clients in their Charitable Giving (aimed at financial professionals), Apply for a Scholarship (aimed at students), and my favorite, Apply for a Grant (aimed at yours truly).
Months ago I did just that, applying on behalf of The Music Hall for a Community Grant from the NHCF. This competitive program awards unrestricted funding to support general operations (rather than a particular project). Such funding is so valuable to nonprofits like The Music Hall as we are able to determine how to best use the funds to advance our mission.
I am thrilled to announce that the Piscataqua Region Advisory Board deemed The Music Hall worthy, this December awarding us a three-year, $60,000 grant via the Barbara K. and Cyrus B. Sweet III Fund, Piscataqua Region Community Fund. The security and generosity of this award is reassuring and will allow us to plan for strategic outlays in the coming years as we enter a transitional phase under new leadership. On behalf of the Board and staff of The Music Hall, and, I believe, all of our patrons, I want to thank the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation for their commitment and contribution to our community. This award will play a key role in ensuring that The Music Hall is able to contribute to the vitality of the Seacoast in the long-term.
To learn more about the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation—and see their inspirational website for yourself—visit them at https://www.nhcf.org/