The Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation awarded 56 grants totaling $350,911 through its grant application programs between July and December 2022.
Established in 2006, the Tillotson Fund is one of the largest permanent rural philanthropies in the country. It is guided by a local advisory committee and distributes more than $3.5 million annually. Since 2006, more than $41 million has been awarded to nonprofit and municipal organizations in Coös County and communities in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont and the MRC De Coaticook in Québec, Canada that share a border with Coös County.
Grant awards were made from the Tillotson Fund’s Local Grants and Dash Grants Programs to the following organizations:
Local Grants Program
Our Local Grants Program provides grants of up to $20,000 two times a year in March and September.
Coös Economic Development Corporation, $20,000, to support four pop-up businesses over three months in Coös County
Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire (St. Paul’s Church), $12,000, to continue supporting the weekend BackPack program for five Coös County elementary schools
Garderie Le Petit Moulin (The Resource Foundation), $20,000, to provide operating support
Lunenburg, Gilman, and East Concord Senior Citizens, $20,000, to renovate the Senior Center building including kitchen, bathrooms and meeting space
NH Teen Institute for Prevention of Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse, $20,000, to provide scholarships for Coös high school and middle school students to attend leadership development programs
North Country Alliance for Balanced Change (Tiny Seed Project), $20,000, to provide operating support focused on community education, legal and research expenses
North Country Charter Academy, $20,000, to provide a weekly STEM-based program to at-risk high school students
Ressourcerie des Frontieres (The Resource Foundation), $18,600, to support eight community-engaged artistic projects as part of the organization’s 10th anniversary celebrations
Secret Sock Society, $3,000, to provide a 6-week winter snowsport program and transportation for Coös County students
St. Kieran Community Center for the Arts, $20,000, to provide operating support
Stratford Public Library, $20,000, to renovate the children’s area of the library building
Stable Connections, $20,000, to support design and engineering costs for a year-round indoor arena to offer equine-assisted therapy programs
Taproot Farm & Environmental Education Center, $20,000, to develop a master plan for the Windhover Campus in Jefferson
Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital Association, $18,000, to support a non-emergency medical transportation pilot project
Whitefield Public Library, $20,000, to support staff salaries and provide heating, ventilation and security updates over two years
Dash-Grants Program
Our Dash-Grants Program provides organizations with rapid grant awards ranging from $250 up to $2,000.
Affordable Housing, Education and Development, $2,000, to hire a consultant to design a service delivery system
Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust, $2,000, to provide tools and safety instruction to trail maintenance volunteers
Androscoggin Valley Hospital, $1,895, to purchase a set of stainless-steel tools to use in the rehabilitation departments of North Country Health
Bethlehem Redevelopment Association, $2,000, to refurbish 50 auditorium seats in the Colonial Theatre
Bethlehem Trails Association, $2,000, to purchase winter gear and market the Gear Library
Betty C. Ketchum Foundation, $2,000, to build public awareness of adult day services for Coös County residents
Boys & Girls Club of the North Country, $2,000, to purchase outdoor seating for summer camp program
Canaan Naturally Connected, $2,000, to purchase and install solar signage for the Town of Canaan, VT
Canaan Schools, $1,950, to improve community relationships
Canaan Vermont Historical Society, $2,000, to hire student summer interns to conduct tours and organize museum exhibits
Colebrook Kiwanis Foundation, $2,000, to support Coös County high school students to attend a leadership training event
Colonel Town Players of Lancaster, $2,000, to purchase materials to replace the stage floor
Connecticut River Artisan Group, $1,600, to purchase supplies for the Makers Studio and provide art classes to adults and children.
Coös County Family Health Services, $1,949, to provide dental screenings and oral hygiene instruction to children participating in the Head Start program in northern Coös County
Coös Economic Development Corporation, $2,000, to support a summer intern position in 2022
Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail, $2,000, to support the 2nd edition mapping system including cartography, digital and print formats for trail users
Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, $2,000, to support the winter “welcome center” at St. Barnabas Church in Berlin, NH
Gorham Public Library, $1,750, to support a summer children’s theater initiative in Gorham, NH
Great North Woods Center for the Arts:
$2,000, to provide operating support for community events in 2022
$2,000, to support the installation of an indoor bathroom
HOBY New Hampshire, $1,000, to support Coös high school students to attend a leadership training event
Leadership New Hampshire, $2,000, to support a North Country site visit for Leadership NH participants
North Country Educational Radio, $2,000, to purchase marketing materials to support the radio’s community outreach
North Country Pride, $2,000, to support a strategic planning retreat for board members
Northern Community Investment Corp:
$1,875, to hire a consultant to support recruitment and outreach efforts
$2,000, to redesign NCIC’s website to improve user experience
SAU #20, $1,500, to support Gorham High School’s Chem Free graduation celebration
SAU #36-White Mountains Regional School District, $2,000, to provide four days of professional development focused on SDI and Co-Teaching
St. Kieran Community Center for the Arts, $2,000, to purchase free standing room dividers
Taproot Farm & Environmental Education Center, $2,000, to purchase equipment for the Marketplace expansion
Upstage Players, $1,800, to provide subsidized tickets for youth and low-income adults
Town of Island Pond, $2,000, to provide certified swim lessons for Brighton residents
Town of Whitefield, NH, $2,000, to support the 2022 Community Harvest Festival
Tri-Town Bicycle, $2,000, to design and print safety posters for bicyclists and drivers
Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital, $2,000, to support preliminary studies to open an NCH primary care site in Stewartstown, NH
Vermont Council on Rural Development, $2,000, to support the 2022 Vermont Community Leadership Summit
Vermont Farm-to-School, $2,000, to support healthy food purchases for the Backpack program over spring vacation
Vermont Rural Education Collaborative, $2,000, to support the coordination, marketing and operation of the 2022 Fall Conference
Waypoint, $2,000, to provide winter clothing to children and families in Coös County
Weathervane Theatre Players, $2,000, to revitalize and rebrand the theatre’s website
White Mountains Community College, $1,992, to adopt the Open Educational Resources program