Search Through Grants for Community Service Projects in New Hampshire in the U.S.

About the Trust

For over 81 years, The Agnes M. Lindsay Trust has been providing financial assistance to nonprofit organizations that help those in need. The Trust's focus areas of giving include Health and Welfare, Dental/Oral Health, Recreational/Camperships (camp scholarships), Education and Homeless Shelters, our newest initiative. Our geographic giving areas include the states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Our Priorties

Health and Welfare

Impacting health and welfare organizations with grants that support capital projects for those with special needs, including the blind, deaf, learning disabled, elderly, youth and family service organizations, homeless shelters, and food banks to name a few.  

Dental Health

Expanding our reach to nonprofits that provide free dental clinics, and dental care to low income , needy populations to include children, families and the elderly through capital grants for dental equipment needs and program support.CampershipEnhancing children's lives through camp scholarships that provide a child with an opportunity for a summer camping experience/summer enrichment who would otherwise be unable to attend without this scholarship support.EducationAdvancing education through scholarship support to community colleges and preselected four-year colleges and universities to needy students from rural areas. Grants are awarded directly to the institutions who select recipients based on the Trust's criteria.  The Trust is not accepting any unsolicited requests from community colleges, 4-year colleges or universities at this time. Homeless SheltersResponding to the needs and demands placed on homeless shelters due to socioeconomic factors that impact individuals due to unemployment, addiction, behavioral disorders and other circumstances. We strive to work together to end homelessness. Capital and operating support grants are available.Food Banks/ Food PantryRecognizing the escalating need placed on food pantries and food banks due to inflation and the increased costs of food and basic necessities, we are committed to working with organizations to eliminate food insecurity and are dedicated to making a lasting impact by providing support through capital and operating grants.

The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is New Hampshire’s statewide community foundation, founded in 1962 by and for the people of New Hampshire.

Championing the North Country

One of the largest permanent rural philanthropies in the U.S. is strengthening communities and spreading economic opportunity.

Grantmaking Goals

We want — as Neil and Louise Tillotson wanted — the North Country and surrounding regions to flourish.

We’re funding systems-change-level projects while, at the same time, supporting basic community needs.

Tillotson Funds work to:

• Revitalize population hubs and strengthen community gathering places;
• Enrich people’s sense of place through connection to their communities and one another;
• Promote and enhance cultural and social assets throughout the region;
• Enhance the region’s natural resources by promoting sustainable use of the region’s forests, farms and waterways;
• Address gaps in basic needs for underserved, low-income residents.

What We're Funding

Economic development

In addition to ongoing funding to strengthen communities and the region’s economy, the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund is taking a systemic approach to supporting two industries with significant potential for growth: Energy efficiency and non-motorized outdoor recreation (from hunting and fishing to hiking, biking and skiing).

Community resiliency

The Tillotson Fund invests in organizations and projects that strengthen communities and connect people with one another, and with the region.

• Regional planning and capital improvements that emphasize vibrant and walkable downtowns, community gathering places, cultural enrichment and revitalization of existing infrastructure.
• Efforts that ensure that the region’s rural landscapes are healthy, intact and available for public use and long-term community benefit.
• Youth development and leadership. The fund supports and is helping expand youth development and leadership programs, such as Youth Leadership Through Adventure, that help young people become more engaged with their communities, take leadership roles in their schools, and make healthy choices throughout their lives.
• Basic needs. The fund supports efforts ensure that everyone in our communities can thrive and contribute, including expansion of affordable and safe housing; increase in access to critical health care services, including services for substance use disorders and access to dental care; increased access to healthy, fresh and locally produced foods, and efforts that address the causes of increased need for food assistance; and access to legal services regardless of income.

Education

The Tillotson Fund is supporting education from early childhood through adulthood.

Grant Amount

Large Grants Program applicants may request between $20,000 and $300,000 (multiyear grants may request up to $100,000 per year for up to 3 years) and require a pre-application consultation with Tillotson Fund Community Partner.

NH Community Development Block Grant (CDBG): Economic Development Grants

CDFA administers the State of New Hampshire’s annual federal allocation of Community Development Block Grant funds for eligible municipalities. The primary objective of the program is the development of viable communities by improving economic opportunities and meeting community revitalization needs, particularly for persons of low and moderate income.CDFA directly awards Community Development Block Grant resources to New Hampshire’s cities, towns, and counties, which often sub-grant the money to a nonprofit agency or other entity conducting the work. Funding for the Community Development Block Grant program is provided to New Hampshire through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.New Hampshire’s CDBG program focuses on funding projects in the following areas:

• Public Facilities GrantsHelp finance water and sewer system improvements, transitional and homeless shelters, municipal infrastructure, handicapped access, and neighborhood or community centers that provide public services to low- and moderate-income people.
• Housing GrantsSupport affordable housing and housing rehabilitation efforts that benefit low- and moderate-income homeowners and tenants.
• Economic Development Grants and LoansCreate jobs in your community that provide good wages, benefits, and training programs. Funds can also be used for acquisition of land and buildings, construction of commercial buildings, purchase of machinery and equipment, employee training, and public facilities improvements.
• Microenterprise GrantsThe Microenterprise Program helps foster economic development by supporting organizations that provide a full range of entrepreneurial training and technical assistance services to low- and moderate-income micro-business owners and start-ups (those with fewer than five employees).
• Planning GrantsUp to $25,000 to support planning and feasibility related activities to determine whether a proposed project is viable. Municipalities can apply for funding to conduct activities like income surveys, preliminary architectural and engineering design, cost estimates and market analysis.

NH Community Development Block Grant (CDBG): Housing and Public Facilities Grants

CDFA administers the State of New Hampshire’s annual federal allocation of Community Development Block Grant funds for eligible municipalities. The primary objective of the program is the development of viable communities by improving economic opportunities and meeting community revitalization needs, particularly for persons of low and moderate income.

CDFA directly awards Community Development Block Grant resources to New Hampshire’s cities, towns, and counties, which often sub-grant the money to a nonprofit agency or other entity conducting the work. Funding for the Community Development Block Grant program is provided to New Hampshire through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

New Hampshire’s CDBG program focuses on funding projects in the following areas:

• Public Facilities Grants: Help finance water and sewer system improvements, transitional and homeless shelters, municipal infrastructure, handicapped access, and neighborhood or community centers that provide public services to low- and moderate-income people.
• Housing Grants: Support affordable housing and housing rehabilitation efforts that benefit low- and moderate-income homeowners and tenants.
• Economic Development Grants and Loans: Create jobs in your community that provide good wages, benefits, and training programs. Funds can also be used for the acquisition of land and buildings, the construction of commercial buildings, the purchase of machinery and equipment, employee training, and public facilities improvements.
• Microenterprise Grants: The Microenterprise Program helps foster economic development by supporting organizations that provide a full range of entrepreneurial training and technical assistance services to low- and moderate-income micro-business owners and start-ups (those with fewer than five employees).
• Planning Grants: Up to $25,000 to support planning and feasibility-related activities to determine whether a proposed project is viable. Municipalities can apply for funding to conduct activities like income surveys, preliminary architectural and engineering design, cost estimates and market analysis.

Funding Priorities

HUD requires that states establish priorities for CDBG among the types of eligible activities. Municipalities’ applications for funding must be consistent with the identified funding priorities, listed below:

• Emphasize solving community problems with long-term community development benefits and innovative solutions.
• Strengthen the resiliency and vibrancy, facilitate financial stability, and attract capital to the state’s communities.
• Provide additional resources for the development of affordable housing and rehabilitation of existing affordable housing.
• Preserve and promote existing neighborhoods and community centers.
• Provide improved housing and public facilities or employment opportunities primarily to low- and moderate-income persons or households. (Grants shall not benefit moderate-income persons to the exclusion of low-income persons).
• Build partnerships with municipalities and nonprofits with limited capacity and leveraging private and other public funding sources where feasible.
• Fund needed projects for which other private or public funding is not available.

The Mascoma Bank Foundation

At Mascoma Bank, our commitment to the community goes beyond offering a broad range of financial services, meeting the credit needs of our customers, and employing more than 400 people. In 1988, Mascoma Bank established the Mascoma Bank Foundation and funded it with $1,000,000 for the purpose of giving back an “ongoing dividend” in the form of grants to the communities responsible for Mascoma Bank’s prosperity. To date, the Foundation has awarded over $6 million in grants to local not-for-profit groups.

The Mascoma Bank Foundation provides capital funding to not-for-profit organizations within Mascoma Bank’s market area that will contribute to the long-term benefit of its communities. 

Typical projects may include facility and infrastructure improvements, new construction, capital campaigns, and capital items outside normal operating budgets. The Foundation is especially interested in requests or projects that:

• Significantly impact the organization’s long-term future, thereby contributing to our long-term commitment to create positive change in our communities.
• Substantially increase the capacity, long-term viability, and resilience of the organization.

Health and healing for our society and planetThe Audrey Hillman Fisher Foundation is committed to caring for our communities through investment in big ideas that advance the arts, education, human services, and the environment. The Foundation has a targeted focus in Pittsburgh, Pa., Santa Barbara, Calif., and a small number of legacy partnerships in Squam Lakes, N.H.PrioritiesIn Pittsburgh, Pa. and Santa Barbara, Calif., the Audrey Hillman Fisher Foundation emphasizes the arts, education, and human services. The Foundation encourages big ideas and projects from new organizations that fit exclusively into these geographic areas. In the Squam Lakes, N.H. area, the Foundation focuses almost exclusively on conservation, environmental education and access through a small number of legacy partners.

About the Foundation

The mission of the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation is to improve the access to, and the quality of, oral health care and education for the public and the dental communities in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. This mission is in harmony with the mission of Northeast Delta Dental to increase access to oral health education and dental services.

Delta Dental Plans of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont jointly do business as Northeast Delta Dental. The Northeast Delta Dental Foundation is funded by each of these companies and many businesses and individuals who appreciate and support our oral health mission.

The Foundation holds a golf tournament annually to spotlight the Foundation’s oral health mission and raise funds. We appreciate sponsors and participants. Gifts to the Foundation are welcomed at any time.

Healthy Smiles

The Northeast Delta Dental Foundation is on a mission to improve the education, quality and access to oral health care throughout Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Foundation funds directly engage the people in our communities and create a powerful impact.

Award Objectives

Award objectives will concentrate on supporting the following types of oral health initiatives:

• Educational programs enhancing the awareness of good oral health, with particular focus on children, the elderly, the indigent, or other populations with identified oral health needs.
• Oral health care programs that are preventive in nature and are aimed at decreasing the incidence, prevalence, and severity of dental disease.
• Dental clinics or centers established as a 501(c)(3) or Federally Qualified Health Center working to make oral health care more accessible and affordable to people in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Most typically, this takes the form of helping with the costs of equipment and dental supplies.
• The education of dental health professionals through scholarships and the continuing education of dental health professionals through financial support, particularly to enhance the availability and retention of such dental health professionals in the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
• Research efforts that will improve oral health by enhancing the art and science of dentistry, address an oral health disease or issue impacting one or more of our states, or that will lay a sound groundwork for oral health initiatives.
• Improve dental health workforce through scholarship and loan repayment programs.

Award Frequency and Amount

Typically, grants are awarded for one year, and an organization receives no more than one grant a year. Applications for additional years must be submitted annually, accompanied with an annual outcomes report.

Grants of more than $5,000 are less typical than those most often awarded by the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation. Especially as the amount of the grant for which the applicant is applying increases, the expectation is that the information required during the application process will be well documented and detailed, with particular attention to how the Foundation will be recognized for its financial support.

Volunteer NH receives an annual allocation from AmeriCorps (the federal agency) to subgrant to organizations for AmeriCorps-related programming. This allocation (known as “Formula funds”) is meant for Volunteer NH to prioritize grant funding for projects that address New Hampshire-specific issues (as identified in the New Hampshire State Service Plan). In addition, Volunteer NH seeks to support the annual priorities set by AmeriCorps.

Planning Grants

An AmeriCorps Planning Grant is awarded by Volunteer NH to eligible organizations to spend up-to one year developing a full AmeriCorps program – including preparing member documents, securing community partners, and deciding the most appropriate member activities. No AmeriCorps members come with this grant.

Purpose of AmeriCorps Planning Grants

AmeriCorps brings people together to tackle some of the country’s most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service a cornerstone of our national culture. AmeriCorps program grants are awarded to eligible organizations proposing to engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions/practices to strengthen communities. An AmeriCorps member is an individual who engages in community service through an approved national service position.

The purpose of a planning grant is for an organization to spend up-to a year in supporting the development of an AmeriCorps program that will engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based interventions to solve community problems. Planning grants may not be used to support AmeriCorps members.

Planning Grant Activities could include:

• Develop specific member activities
• Create a recruitment plan
• Recruit host sites and partners
• Create a data collection and training plan
• Develop required AmeriCorps documentation 

Planning grant recipients are generally expected to be prepared to compete for an AmeriCorps program grant in a future grant cycle. 

Funding

Maximum Grant Request: $75,000

What does this program do?

This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.

What kind of funding is available?

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. Opportunity grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding.

How may funds be used?

Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include:

• Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling and training, market research, feasibility studies, professional or/technical reports or producer service improvements.
• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.
• Pollution control and abatement.
• The capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds that will make loans for start-ups and working capital.
• Distance adult learning for job training and advancement.
• Rural transportation improvement.
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Opportunity grants can be used for:

• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

About the NBRC

The Northern Border Regional Commission is a Federal-State partnership for economic and community development in northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. Each year, the NBRC provides Federal funds for critical economic and community development projects throughout the northeast. These investments lead to new jobs being created and leverages substantial private sector investments.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Northern Border Regional Commission is to catalyze regional, collaborative, and transformative community economic development approaches that alleviate economic distress and position the region for economic growth.

Program Priorities

The Catalyst Program is designed to stimulate economic growth and inspire partnerships that improve rural economic vitality across the four-state NBRC region. NBRC encourages projects that take a creative approach to addressing an economic need or opportunity in the region, alleviate economic distress, and contribute to economic growth.

Successful projects support a broad range of economic development initiatives such as, but not limited to, projects that modernize and expand access to public water and wastewater services, revitalize transportation infrastructure, establish workforce development programs and facilities, grow the outdoor recreation economy, and provide access to new childcare and healthcare facilities.

Champions in Action

Citizens' Champions in Action program is designed to support nonprofit organizations that address social challenges facing our communities. Since 2002, the program has awarded over $12.3 million to more than 400 Champions. In partnership with media outlets, we also provide support through promotion, publicity and volunteerism to help our Champions in Action better serve our communities.

Champions receive:

• $50,000 in Funding
• Local Media Coverage
• Volunteer Support
• Promotional Opportunities

Current Focus: Uplifting Resilient NonprofitsNonprofits are adapting to a fast-changing environment marked by increased community needs, staffing challenges, and evolving funding sources. According to the National Council of Nonprofits, more than half have experienced a rise in service demands, and nearly 70 percent cite staff burnout as a major concern. In response, many are reimagining their operations to remain effective and accessible.

At Citizens, we are proud to champion organizations that lead through change and deliver lasting impact.

The 2026 Champions in Action award will recognize nonprofits advancing financial empowerment or workforce development through innovation. These organizations are demonstrating resilience and creativity by embracing new approaches to strengthen their teams, enhance results and expand their reach in the communities they serve.

Consumer Financial Education Fund

The Consumer Financial Education Fund supports projects that relate to consumer financial education, with an emphasis on issues related to just and equitable banking, basic banking, financial literacy, access to financial services, retail banking accounts, and underbanked and/or vulnerable populations. 

Funding

It is expected that most proposals will be for 12-month grant periods; however, multi-year proposals are encouraged where appropriate. The maximum grant amount is $100,000, even for multi-year proposals.

Couch Family Foundation

The mission of the Couch Family Foundation is to be a catalyst for change in the lives of children and their families by creating quality and equitable opportunities to help them learn, thrive, and lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

The Couch Family Foundation partners with organizations serving the Upper Valley Region of New Hampshire and Vermont. We support people and programs working to improve children’s health and well-being, early learning and development, family resiliency, and community vibrancy.

Cherished Communities: Upper Valley and Martha’s Vineyard

Given the Couch Family has deep ties to the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire (Grafton and Sullivan Counties) and Vermont (Orange and Windsor Counties) and the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, the Foundation prioritizes nonprofits serving these localities that are focused on ensuring child and family well-being and promoting healthy communities. 

Furthermore, the Foundation provides grants in these cherished communities to organizations that align with its mission, have demonstrated impact and strong leadership, implement a collaborative approach to community change, and a focus on racial equity and justice.

Within this priority, the strategy is to strengthen organizational capacity and services to:

• Enhance early childhood (Prenatal-5 years) through early learning and development, health and mental health, and family support services to promote the well-being of young children and their families.
• Nurture vibrant communities to fulfill a significant community need, address an emerging issue and/or promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Eligibility Parameters

The Foundation prioritizes grants to organizations that have strong leadership, deep community relationships, a collaborative approach to community building and that have demonstrated focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

The Foundation provides the following types of grant support:  

• Unrestricted (i.e., General Operating)
• Project
• Capital
• Event Sponsorships

Please note for Capital Support and Event Sponsorship, contact a member of the Foundation staff prior to applying for support. The Foundation only considers such applications that are closely aligned with the Foundation’s mission and priorities. Event Sponsorships are only supported for organizations that have an established relationship with the Foundation.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Our Mission - Grant Program Policy

The Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation is a general purpose charitable foundation which awards grants in the fields of:

• arts and humanities,
• education,
• environment,
• health,
• human services, and
• public benefit

Project applications are sought from organizations which have defined a significant problem or opportunity in their field, have a well-planned approach to addressing the issue, and have skilled professional and voluntary leadership.

The Bean Foundation accepts requests for capital support. Contributions to capital campaigns will not exceed 3-4% of the total campaign goal. Exceptions have been made for organizations that serve low-income populations and have limited capacity for additional fundraising.

Founded by brothers Luke and Matt Bonner in early 2013, Rock On Foundation (ROF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves to increase community artistic and athletic opportunities. Recently funded projects include:

• Municipal public basketball court renovations.
• Support of community music school financial aid programs.
• Development of an after-school art program.
• Funding for a life skills basketball camp for underprivileged youth.
• Funding of a Police Activities League.

Our Mission The Trust funds worthy charitable projects throughout New Hampshire. The trustees have broad discretion about what to fund and they endeavor to honor the memory of Mrs. von Weber by making impactful grants throughout the granite state to a wide variety of charitable organizations. The Trust, through its trustees, seeks innovative opportunities that will have a lasting effect on New Hampshire and its residents. Typically, the Trust funds sensible and well-conceived capital projects that promise to leverage the Trust’s investment.

• Environmental & Conservation Initiatives
• Music & the Arts
• Social Services

What We Fund The Trust funds worthy charitable projects throughout New Hampshire.Past projects have included support for energy efficiency initiatives to lower operating costs and provide a return on investment – projects that, over time, will have the ability to permit a grantee to sustainably expand its reach or achieve its charitable mission with greater efficiency or impact. Instances of the latter have been offering statewide challenge/matching grants to incent others to support fundraising for the arts, social service agencies and – occasionally – novel ideas that require unique funding to come to fruition.

New Hampshire State Council on the Arts

The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts (NHSCA) is a Division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Our enabling legislation charges us to ensure that the arts play a significant role in the welfare of people in the Granite State. Our mission is to promote the arts to protect and enrich New Hampshire’s unique quality of life.

The State Arts Council provides a wide variety of services, competitive grants, and technical assistance to non-profit organizations, schools, health care facilities and to individual artists, helping to ensure that the arts thrive in New Hampshire and are accessible to all. Funding for our grants and services is provided by the New Hampshire Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Youth Arts Project Grants

Youth Arts Project Grants fund high-quality arts and cultural programs that encourage creativity, develop new arts skills and foster success for young people. Recognizing that opportunities to experience and engage in the arts, such as music, dance, theater, visual arts, crafts, photography and creative writing, may be limited in classrooms, this grant provides funding for artists to work directly with young people. The overall goal of this grant category is to afford all young people opportunities to engage in the arts so that they can develop creative problem solving skills, positive forms of personal expression, and become more engaged in their communities through the art.

Projects in this category are required to:

• Clearly articulate your plan for making the program accessible for youth of all abilities and underserved populations.
• Identify core participants, consult with special education professionals if applicable, and develop accommodations as needed.
• Compensate artists at a professional level.
• Describe how the program is responsive to the academic and cultural needs of the youth being served. For example, the program may:
  • Provide experiences in diverse artistic disciplines
  • Reflect the racial, cultural, and aesthetic background of the youth population
  • Broaden access to artistic disciplines from diverse cultural traditions
  • Be designed with input from the youth being served.

Sample Projects:

• Female identifying teens meet weekly for an afterschool creative writing club led by a local poet who encourages self-expression, tackling difficult issues, public speaking, and community engagement. The nonprofit that offers the writing club works with the school district to make the opportunity available to the students for academic credit as an Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO).
• A nonprofit string ensemble offers individual and group lessons in string instruments to an entire school district during the school day and afterschool.
• A Creative Youth Development organization works with guidance counselors to identify at risk teens to participate in an afterschool program led by professional artists in dance, theatre, and design. Participants devise their own unique and innovative theatre and dance productions while engaging in group mentoring and leadership development.
• A weekly afterschool African dance program allows new American and refugee students the opportunity to learn and perform dances which reflect their aesthetic cultural traditions.
• A teen center partners with city leadership to design and create a mural based on the cultural diversity of the community.
• A summer camp for youth in a rural community invites musicians and theatre professionals from across the state to work with campers for in-depth learning. 

Our Foundation

Since 2003, our annual Claremont Savings Bank Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $2,700,000 to local non-profit organizations for a wide range of charitable initiatives. These grants, which typically range from $500 to $5,000 each, help to ensure the success of local programs and projects that benefit all of us as members of the community.

Each year we award grants to help ensure the success of charitable programs and projects dedicated to the betterment of the communities we serve.

Claremont Savings Bank Foundation Grant

Claremont Savings Bank Foundation makes grants one time each year to local non-profits that significantly enhance the quality of life and economic vitality in the communities that we serve. These grants are in addition to the bank’s regular contributions and the extraordinary volunteer efforts by our employees.

The sizes of our grants generally range from $500 to $5,000. Applicants may apply for amounts outside of these guidelines if documentation supports the nature of the request.

New Hampshire State Council on the Arts

The State Arts Council was established in 1965 as the official state arts agency with legislation (RSA 19-A) designed "to insure that the role of the arts in the life of our communities will continue to grow and play an ever more significant part in the welfare and educational experience of our citizens." The NHSCA is advised by a 15-member council that meets at least four times a year. Councilors are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Executive Council.

Funding for competitive grants and program services to benefit New Hampshire's citizens is made possible through appropriations from the New Hampshire State Legislature and from a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The State of New Hampshire also accepts private, tax-deductible donations and bequests that may be designated for the sole purpose of helping the Arts Council fulfill its enabling legislation.

The NHSCA carries out its mission based upon a strategic plan developed through public input. The plan is reviewed and revised periodically to insure that the agency is responsive to changing economic, social, and cultural circumstances.

The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts is a Division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.The grants, programs, and services of New Hampshire State Council on the Arts are guided by our Strategic Plan for the Arts, which is developed through a process that factors in the voices of the people we serve; the economic, social, and cultural circumstances of the times; and aligns with the resources we have available.

Conservation License Plate Program

The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts (NHSCA) provides grants under the Conservation License Plate Program, commonly called the “Moose Plate” program, for the conservation of publicly owned artworks, artistic elements of publicly owned historic cultural facilities that serve as sites for arts programming, projects that improve public access to significant publicly owned artwork or arts documents, and projects that make publicly owned historic cultural facilities and the arts programming that takes place in them, more accessible to the public. 

The NH Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) receives a percentage of the “Moose Plate” funds raised from the sales of Conservation License Plates. These funds are directed back into communities through grant programs facilitated by the State Library, Division of Historical Resources and the State Arts Council to promote, conserve, and protect New Hampshire's natural, cultural, and historic resources. Interested applicants should apply for funding from the Division whose criteria and eligibility requirements best match their project activities. In any given fiscal year, an organization can only apply to ONE Division (State Library, Historical Resources or State Arts Council) for a single project.

Sample Projects

• Conservation cleaning and treatment for a Civil War memorial in a national historic site located in New Hampshire.
• Conservation and exhibition of 19th century White Mountain School oil paintings and pencil sketches owned by a town library.
• Purchase of archival materials to store a collection of historic recordings of a contra dance caller from the 1940s donated to a state college or university archives.
• Preservation of original hand-painted stage curtains or scenery designed in the early 20th century for local opera houses or town halls

Background

The Franklin Savings Bank Fund for Community Advancement was formed in 1997 to provide support for substantial projects that will significantly enhance the lives of people in the communities that make up the primary market area of the bank. The Fund for Community Advancement has been established as a fund within the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

Grant Categories

The Fund is very active in supporting a broad range of community activities.

Categories of support include but are not limited to:

• Affordable housing,
• health care,
• social services,
• arts and humanities,
• human services, and
• programs or services addressing the needs of children, adolescents, elders, and single parent families.

Priority consideration will be given to those programs and services that address the needs of low to moderate income families and individuals. The minimum grant award will be $1,000 and the maximum will be $10,000. An organization may submit an application for a given project a maximum of two (2) times.

 AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation Grant

Mission and Focus Areas

The AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation is dedicated to preventing and mitigating adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which will help drive positive outcomes for children's health and help set a stronger foundation for a lifetime of wellness. In addition to preventing and mitigating ACEs, it promotes protective and compensatory childhood experiences (sometimes referred to as “PACEs”), which can counteract the effects of ACEs.

Grants are made based on three pillars:

• Empowered families - Work to ensure that families have the resources they need to thrive through:
  • Skills development
  • Safe communities
  • Stable housing
  • Connection to vital resources
• Healing behaviors - Work to ensure that families can meet challenges and improve well-being by addressing:
  • Mental health
  • Substance use
  • Physical abuse and violence
  • Emotional abuse
• Access to health care - Work to ensure that families receive equitable, high-quality services, including:
  • Better access to care
  • Culturally-appropriate services
  • Maternal health

Learn more about these pillars and the Foundation's commitment to addressing aces.

To promote these pillars, the Foundation prioritizes nonprofit organizations that work to end ACEs by supporting families and children and equipping them for an emotionally healthy future.

Get more information about the types of projects the foundation funds.

Funding

The Foundation expects to make one-year project-specific grants totaling up to $1.945 million, with awards ranging from $100,000 to $250,000.

New Hampshire State Council on the Arts

The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts (NHSCA) is a Division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Our enabling legislation charges us to ensure that the arts play a significant role in the welfare of people in the Granite State. Our mission is to promote the arts to protect and enrich New Hampshire’s unique quality of life.

The State Arts Council provides a wide variety of services, competitive grants, and technical assistance to non-profit organizations, schools, health care facilities and to individual artists, helping to ensure that the arts thrive in New Hampshire and are accessible to all. Funding for our grants and services is provided by the New Hampshire Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Arts for Community Engagement Project Grants

Arts for Community Engagement (ACE) project grants support community enrichment and public benefit by providing access to high quality arts events and activities presented by community-based organizations, Main Street programs, and municipalities. The ACE grant supports a wide range of activities across a range of disciplines and includes performances, exhibits, workshops, community arts programming, and collaborative public art projects. The goals of this funding category are to engage and benefit New Hampshire residents and communities through the arts, especially people who are underserved or under-represented; encourage collaborative and cross-sector community partnerships; stimulate local economies through cultural tourism and the arts; and enhance the vibrancy of New Hampshire communities and quality of life for New Hampshire citizens. 

Volunteer NH

Who We Are

Volunteer NH envisions our state as a place where people volunteer together to build strong and connected communities. We bring our vision to life by engaging those communities to solve local challenges through volunteerism.

NH Volunteer Engagement Program

Volunteer NH, thought the assistance of American Rescue Plan funds provided through the State of New Hampshire, are able to offer grants to eligible organizations looking to increase their capacity to recruit, utilize, manage, and retain volunteers.

Purpose: Volunteer NH invites eligible organizations to apply for a NH Volunteer Engagement Mini-Grant for a specific, one-time need. These subgrants are meant to increase the capacity of organizations serving NH to recruit, utilize, manage, train, and retain volunteers.

Project Grants

The purpose of the NH Volunteer Engagement Project (VEP) grants is to develop the capacity for community-based entities to recruit, manage, and support volunteers through a specific and goal-oriented project.

VNH seeks to fund effective projects that:

• Strengthen the capacity of volunteer programs to recruit and retain volunteers.
• Develop strategies to use volunteers effectively to solve problems.
• Expand volunteering.
• Can be developed, executed, and demonstrate progress towards identified goals within two years.

These grants are intended to fund a project that will develop, improve, or expand the organization's capacity to utilize volunteers. They cannot solely supplement current staffing. The application narrative must demonstrate how the proposed project will increase capacity and be sustainable beyond the funding period.

Examples of Eligible Projects and Activities

Some examples could include, but aren’t limited to:

• Developing and implementing a pilot volunteer program.
• Developing and implementing a series of online volunteer trainings.
• Conducting a detailed program evaluation and then implementing changes based on the results.
• Creating and implementing a comprehensive recruitment and onboarding plan, including outreach materials, orientation, and training plans.
• Developing and/or delivering a volunteer training curriculum. 
• Developing or redesigning websites and social media strategies focused on volunteer recruitment.
• Performing a needs assessment and/or piloting new strategies for utilizing volunteerism to address community needs.
• Creating and implementing a statewide or community-based disaster volunteer plan (including outreach, trainings, etc.) such as a volunteer preparedness initiative, disaster volunteer training, preparations to serve as a disaster volunteer reception center, etc. 
• Developing and executing projects on National Days of Service such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and/or September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance. 

Criteria

Funding decisions are made at the discretion of Volunteer NH and are based on the following criteria:

• Availability of funds
• Eligibility of applicant organization
• Alignment to outlined Volunteer NH priority areas.
• Completeness of application
• Allowability of costs requested (based on guidance in this Notice and applicable regulations)
• Quality of the proposed project and its alignment to purpose of the NH Volunteer Engagement Project grants.
• The organization’s program and financial capacity to steward a federal grant.

Funding

The typical grant will run from October – September.

Award Range: $15,000 – $25,000

Adelard A. and Valeda Lea Roy Foundation Grant

The AV Roy Foundation has historically supported a broad range of organizations working in the areas of arts and culture, churches, education, environmental education, food access, health, land trusts, museums, and social services. The Trustees prioritize grants serving greater Boston and underserved rural and urban communities in Massachusetts, with some additional grantmaking in other areas of Northern New England.

In an effort to ensure that applications to the Foundation closely match current giving priorities, the Trustees will give priority to Massachusetts and Northern New England applicants focused on the following:

• Environment: requests focused on land conservation, in particular projects close to completion and projects resulting in easements held by accredited land trusts; environmental education; and climate change
• Health and Welfare: basic human needs (with priority given to food security and housing); hospice and home health care
• Arts and Culture: in particular, arts access and education for disadvantaged, elderly, or youth populations, and historic preservation
• Education: schools serving youth from low income backgrounds, including independent schools
• Churches providing basic needs support and other social services programming, as well as capital needs for facilities or historic preservation

Funding

Grants typically range from $2,500 to $10,000. In 2023, the average grant was $3,800. The Trustees anticipate a slightly higher average grant size this year, and fewer grants in total.

Mission

The Greater Rochester Community Health Foundation’s mission is to improve the health and well-being and reduce the burden of illness of people in Strafford County and surrounding communities.

The Greater Rochester Community Health Foundation (“GRCHF”) is a supporting organization of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. It was established with the proceeds from the sale of the nonprofit Frisbie Memorial Hospital to HCA Healthcare, Inc. Its mission is to improve health and well-being and reduce the burden of illness of people in Strafford County and surrounding communities. 

Small Grants Program

The focus of this grant program is to provide general operating support related to access to care. This program is open to nonprofit organizations that serve Strafford County residents and work on access to care challenges. Access to care may include: substance use disorder services, food security, housing, senior services, transportation and logistics, culturally appropriate care, awareness of services, care coordination and patient motivation. Priority will be given to collaboration projects along with applicants targeting maternal health. If your organization is seeking project-specific support related to mental health/behavioral health/substance use disorder services; early education/childcare or housing/transportation, please apply to the targeted grant program.

Grant Amount

Up to $10,000 of general operating support. These are nonrenewable, one-year grants.

About Us

The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is New Hampshire’s statewide community foundation, founded in 1962 by and for the people of New Hampshire.

Our Purpose

To make New Hampshire a more just, sustainable and vibrant community where everyone can thrive. We achieve our purpose by:

• Supporting nonprofit organizations that advance health and well-being, environmental protection, education, housing and other basic needs, arts and culture, civic health and economic security.
• Helping New Hampshire students fund the education they need to fulfill their dreams and potential.
• Connecting generous people with pressing community needs and effective ways to give.
• Collaborating, building relationships and learning from all of our community partners.
• Advocating and using our voice on important public issues.
• Investing charitable assets in alignment with our purpose and values and to ensure a perpetual source of philanthropic capital.

Greater Rochester Community Health Foundation - Targeted Grants Program

The Greater Rochester Community Health Foundation (“GRCHF”) is a supporting organization of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. It was established with the proceeds from the sale of the nonprofit Frisbie Memorial Hospital to HCA Healthcare, Inc. Its mission is to improve health and well-being and reduce the burden of illness of people in Strafford County and surrounding communities.

This grantmaking program awards up to $25,000 to nonprofit organizations focusing on increasing access to dental, maternal and mental/behavioral health care, serving Strafford County residents. If your organization provides services other than dental, maternal or mental/behavioral health care, please apply to the small grants program.

Grant Amount

Up to $25,000 for project support. These are nonrenewable, one-year grants.

Autism Community Impact Grant

The Flutie Foundation recognizes not-for-profit organizations who share our mission to help individuals and families with autism live life to the fullest. For our 2023 Autism Community Impact Grant, we will continue granting these organizations with a particular emphasis on supporting traditionally under-served, under-funded, culturally diverse communities.

Our Autism Community Impact Grant cycle will consider requests that will help fund programs and projects showing potential to make an IMMEDIATE impact in the community and align with the Flutie Foundation priorities as stated in our Seven Key Dimensions described below. We especially encourage organizations with programs serving those most profoundly affected by autism to apply and share their stories.

Grant Funding Priorities

Work/School

Providing a path for educational opportunities, vocational skills programs, employment, housing, transportation and healthcare delivery for individuals on the autism spectrum.   

Active/Social

Support for recreational and sports programs, aquatic programs, social skills training, family events and summer camps for all individuals on the autism spectrum.

Safe/Supported/Informed

Funding for community organizations and schools who are providing vital resources and actively assisting individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their families through advocacy programs, diagnostic and clinical services, direct family support, safety equipment, emergency care, respite services and other opportunities that will enhance the quality of life for those affected.