Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund announces more than $386,000 in grants

CONCORD, N.H. (Press Release) – The Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation recently awarded 19 grants totaling $386,352 through its competitive application program.

Kids will be getting new books when they visit the doctor. Folks in need will get hot meals and groceries from area food pantries. Teens will get paid summer internships and jobs that will help them develop work skills and learn about the environment. Adults with disabilities will receive critical services. Families will enjoy free children’s theatre. A town will get a new ball field and playground. And more.

Established in 2006, the Tillotson Fund is one of the largest permanent rural philanthropies in the country, distributing nearly $3 million in grants annually to support projects that focus on community revitalization. Grants are awarded to municipal, educational and nonprofit organizations throughout northern New Hampshire and bordering communities in Vermont and southern Quebec.

Grants recommended by the Tillotson Fund Advisory Committee included $3,222 to Coös County Family Health Services in Berlin to support its Reach Out and Read Program. Now, every child from six months to five years old will get a new book when they visit the doctors’ office.

“Every kid should have the opportunity to read, and be read to, and young families should have the opportunity to understand that reading matters not only for education but for children’s social and emotional development,” said Kirsten Scobie, director of the Neil and Louise Tillotson Funds at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. “What a great thing for families to get that message – and for kids to get the treat of a new book – from their pediatrician.”

“People and organizations in this region are doing amazing and thoughtful work for their communities, and we are really proud to be able to support them.”

Grant awards were made to the following organizations:

• Area Churches Working Together of Colebrook, NH received $45,000 (over three years) to support general operations including the Colebrook Food Pantry.
• Association sportive des jeunes handicaps de l’Estrie of Coaticook, Quebec received $4,725 to expand adaptive recreation services for teens with disabilities in the Coaticook region to include summer programming starting in 2016.
• Centre d’action benevole de la MRC de Coaticook of Coaticook, Quebec received $50,000 to repair the structural integrity of the exterior supporting façade and foundation.
• Coös County Family Health Services of Berlin, NH received $3,222 to distribute books during well-child medical visits for children ages six months to five years, through the Reach Out and Read program.
• Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire of Berlin, NH received $15,000 to provide 4,000 hot nutritious meals in Berlin, Groveton and Woodsville.
• Harry Gregg Foundation of Greenfield, NH received $20,000 (over two years) to provide programming for adults with disabilities with a specific focus on the communities of Berlin and Colebrook.
• Governor’s Institutes of Vermont of South Burlington, VT received $2,000 to provide scholarships for high school students from Coös and Essex counties for high-quality, residential academic and arts immersion programs.
• Jean’s Playhouse of Lincoln, NH received $4,000 to bring free weekly professional children’s theatre performances to the Rialto in Lancaster, NH during the summer of 2016.
• New Hampshire Lakes Association of Colebrook, NH received $15,000 to support six students from Colebrook to participate in a summer program that blends environmental education and workforce development.
• NH-JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates) of Manchester, NH received $14,000 to offer paid summer internships focused on environmental stewardship for 20 teens from Berlin and Woodsville, in partnership with the Appalachian Mountain Club.
• North Country Chamber of Commerce (North Country Leadership and Commerce Alliance) of Colebrook, NH received $12,000 to support the 25^th North Country Moose Festival.
• North Country Education Services of Gorham, NH received $100,000 (over two years) to support general operations.
• NorthWoods Stewardship Center of East Charleston, VT received $11,205 to fund a six-member youth trail crew to improve trail resources in the Connecticut Lakes area during the summer of 2016.
• Pittsburg Area Community Services of Pittsburg, NH received $20,000 to purchase food and update technology and refrigeration equipment for a new food pantry serving Pittsburg and Clarksville.
• Ste-Edwidge School of Ste-Edwidge-de-Clifton, Quebec received $20,000 to renovate and upgrade the school playground.
• Town of Jefferson, NH received $6,500 to complete the final phases of developing a town park including a baseball field and playground.
• Trout Unlimited of Littleton, NH received $19,500 to work with local partners to address invasive plant spread in the Upper Connecticut River watershed.
• Vermont Foodbank of Barre, VT received $6,700 to support the Backpack Program in Lunenburg and Brighton, Vermont in the 2016-2017 school year.
• Vermont River Conservancy of Montpelier, VT received $17,500 to provide last dollars needed to build a hut along the Nulhegan River for use by hikers, skiers, and paddlers to provide new opportunities for nature-based tourism and recreation.

About the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation was created in 1962 by and for the people of New Hampshire, and is dedicated to strengthening communities across the Granite State. The Foundation manages a growing collection of 1,700 philanthropic funds created by generous families, individuals and businesses, and awards more than $30 million in grants and scholarships every year. The Foundation invests charitable assets for today and tomorrow; works with generous and visionary citizens to maximize the power of their giving; supports critical work happening in New Hampshire communities and leads and collaborates on high-impact initiatives. For more information, please visit www.nhcf.org or call 603-225-6641.