The power of a very generous crowd

The term “crowdfunding” may be relatively new to the lexicon, but crowdfunding has always been an essential part of what community foundations do. Community foundations are comprised of hundreds — even thousands — of philanthropic funds that, pooled together and applied strategically, do a great deal of good for a great many people. The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is a hub where generous people can learn about community needs and combine charitable resources to meet them. The 5,000 grants and scholarships made from the Foundation each year are all the result of the combined generosity of hundreds of people. In other words, they are funded by a very generous crowd. Here are a just a few recent examples:

• Helping New Hampshire boys reach their potential. Sixteen donor-advised fund holders recommended grants totaling $43,550 in 2018 to help New Hampshire boys attend the Mayhew Program. The residential summer program helps at-risk boys believe in themselves, work well with others and strive to reach their potential. The summer program is paired with mentoring during the school year.
• Portsmouth sculptor awarded Artist Advancement Grant. Sculptor and printmaker Sachiko Akiyama of Portsmouth was awarded the 2018 Piscataqua Region Artist Advancement Grant. The $25,000 grant, one of the largest unrestricted grants to an individual artist in the United States, was created by generous people in the region and has been investing in the work of Seacoast-area artists for 16 years.
• A hand up. A $4,000 grant from the Ira S. and Gertrude S. Hubbard Memorial Fund will help the Fall Mountain Food Shelf supply food and personal care items for those in need.

• Learning in the field. At the Enfield Shaker Museum’s Field Ecology program, high school students are learning about local ecology, land use history and the connection between human activity and the environment. A $4,500 grant from the Wellborn Ecology Fund is helping support the place-based learning program.
• A roof overhead. Grants from the KMFG Fund, the Stuart S. Draper Charitable Fund and an anonymous fund totaling $16,500 are helping Harbor Homes in its mission to create and provide quality residential, health care and supportive services to individuals and families who are homeless and/or living with behavioral health disorders.
• Keeping kids healthy. A $20,000 grant from the Oliver J. and Dorothy Penniman Hubbard New Futures Fund is helping Communities for Alcohol- and Drug-Free Youth (CADY) keep young people safe and healthy; and a $5,000 grant from the Pomegranate Fund is helping that organization with energy-efficiency measures. CADY works with schools and communities to promote healthy environments and promising futures for New Hampshire’s young people.
• The status of women. The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation published its inaugural report on the Status of Women in New Hampshire with the help of a $25,000 grant from the Elizabeth B. Carter Fund. The report is the only New Hampshire publication that brings together essential data about New Hampshire women in a single document.