NOTE: Contact your local office to discuss your specific project. Applications for this program are accepted year round.

What does this program do?

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

What is an eligible area?

Rural areas including cities, villages, townships and towns including Federally Recognized Tribal Lands with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest U.S. Census Data are eligible for this program.

How may funds be used?

Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and / or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses.

Examples of essential community facilities include:

• Health care facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
• Public facilities such as town halls, courthouses, airport hangars or street improvements.
• Community support services such as child care centers, community centers, fairgrounds or transitional housing.
• Public safety services such as fire departments, police stations, prisons, police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles or equipment.
• Educational services such as museums, libraries or private schools.
• Utility services such as telemedicine or distance learning equipment.
• Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses.

Grant Approval

Applicant must be eligible for grant assistance, which is provided on a graduated scale with smaller communities with the lowest median household income being eligible for projects with a higher proportion of grant funds. Grant assistance is limited to the following percentages of eligible project costs:

Maximum of 75 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 5,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 60 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 55 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 12,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 70 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 35 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 80 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 15 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 90 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income. The proposed project must meet both percentage criteria. Grants are further limited.

NOTE: Grant applications will be accepted online during two annual grant cycles, one in the spring and one in the fall.

Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation

In 2022, $45 million was invested in the communities we serve. The Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation awards grants in four focus areas:

• Human needs grants that support increased food security, housing and shelter, and access to basic medical and health care.
• Environmental stewardship grants to protect natural resources and help non-profit organizations make efficient use of energy.
• Education grants to develop the capacity of the future workforce, especially in STEM and energy fields.
• Community vitality grants to foster an appreciation of diversity, revitalize neighborhoods and ensure a vibrant community life through support of cultural endeavors.

Strategic Initiative Grants support programs that align with our strategic priorities - economic security, educational success, and healthy lives.

What We Fund

Strategic Initiative Grants are awarded for work that will advance our three strategic priorities, and ultimately that will promote prosperity, productivity, and quality of life for all Rhode Islanders. 

For each strategic priority, we have developed a set of impact targets, strategies, and activities that we believe our available grant resources can most effectively address.

Economic Security

Economic security for all Rhode Islanders is within reach, if we work together. At the Foundation we believe that all Rhode Island households should be financially stable, and we are working to invest funds and provide resources beyond grantmaking to encourage just that.

Educational Success

Rhode Island's children will succeed with learning opportunities and learning environments that inspire success. We are working to invest funds and provide resources beyond grantmaking to encourage just that.

Healthy Lives

Well being - from head to toe - is something everyone deserves. At the Foundation we believe that all Rhode Islanders should have access to better health care at lower costs, and we are working to invest funds and provide resources beyond grantmaking to encourage just that.

We make Strategic Initiative Grants for program support, organizational development and capacity building efforts, and advocacy or systems reform initiatives. We provide general operating support to organizations that are central to progress in one or more of the three strategic priorities described above. 

NOTE:  The application deadline has been  extended to December 1, 2023.

About School-Based Healthcare Solutions Network (SBHSN).

Utilizing a unique framework of funding systems offered by the Department of Health and Human Services, managed care organizations, health insurers, and private donors, SBHSN promotes a system of care model (Coaching Model℠) offering a mix of evidenced-based intervention, prevention, and care coordination services to children in grades K-12. The Coaching Model aims to expand quality mental healthcare access on public school campuses and improve children's social, emotional, behavioral, family, and wellness outcomes.

School-Based Mental Health Implementation Grant

In response to the growing number of students who need mental health counseling, the School-Based Healthcare Solutions Network (SBHSN) is accepting applications from Local Education Agencies (LEA), Public and Private Universities, State and local Colleges, Charter School Management Companies, Public Schools, Charter Schools, and Non-Profit Organizations (501c3) to implement and expand mental health program services on local school campuses. Grantees will receive direct funding and reimbursement to support the following activities: 

• Expanding access to School-Based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).
• Coordinating mental healthcare services with school administration and staff. 
• Delivering mental healthcare services and coordinating academic-support activities to students with a history of attendance, behavior, and poor academic performance.

FUNDING

5-Years, renewable based on meeting performance goals 5-year award ceiling is $5,500,000.

NOTE: Challenge grants that enable organizations to leverage Champlin funding to secure matching donations are considered on a limited basis at the discretion of the Distribution Committee. Those seeking consideration for a challenge grant must reach out to the Foundation to discuss their plans in October so that staff can determine if the organization should submit a formal request for Committee review. Those that are approved will apply in the first cycle opening on December 15th.

Foundation History

Since 1932, the Foundation has awarded nearly $600 million.

Champlin’s investment in Rhode Island’s nonprofit community for the past nine decades has been almost entirely for capital projects. These investments have enabled better medical care, improved educational outcomes, expanded access to social services, fostered economic impact, conserved open space, preserved historic buildings, cultivated creativity and artistic expression, safeguarded care for animals, and more.

It all started with Stanton B. Champlin. Champlin was only twelve years old when he ran away from his family farm in South Kingstown, RI. It was 1838 and he was shoeless and alone. A grocer on Dorrance Street in Providence took pity on the boy and let him sleep in the back room of his store.

That simple act of kindness started a journey that would span generations and create a legacy of generosity that would improve the lives of untold thousands.

The boy would become a jeweler’s apprentice and years later would establish the S.B. Champlin Company. It would grow beyond jewelry and become an industrial empire that expanded into the manufacturing of aluminum, copper and brass tube, jewelry wire, valves, hand trucks, pipe fittings, and hand pumps.

Through the leadership of Champlin, his son, George Byron Champlin, and grandson, George Stanton Champlin, this vast conglomerate became a powerful economic engine that employed thousands and helped drive the economy of Rhode Island and the nation.

While the businesses were retired, the wealth has remained intact in service of Rhode Island, thanks to the creation of the first of the family’s philanthropic foundations in 1932 by the runaway’s grandchildren.

From the first gift of $50 to Rhode Island Hospital in 1933 to buy eyeglasses for the needy, to the preservation of thousands of acres of open space to the distribution of millions of dollars to support social services—it is humbling to think of how that simple act of kindness by a grocer has been multiplied a million-fold.

We continue to build on this rich tradition today, seeking to work in relationship with Rhode Island’s nonprofits, acting as a convener, a coach, and a facilitator for collective success and engagement. We prioritize listening and learning, especially with those organizations serving marginalized communities. The Champlin story is nearly a century old, yet it continues to evolve in new ways for the betterment of all our Rhode Island communities.

Challenge Grants

Challenge grants that enable organizations to leverage Champlin funding to secure matching donations are considered on a highly limited basis at the discretion of the Distribution Committee.

The foundation supports nonprofit organizations and agencies working in nine different fields:

• Arts & Culture: 
  • Creative expression enables greater understanding and a deeper perspective of our society. Artists give voice, spark imagination, and inspire. Creative communities are economic drivers. Supporting theaters, museums, music groups, and other arts organizations provides access for children and adults to enjoy Rhode Island’s exceptional artists and arts organizations.
• Conservations & Parks:
  • As the nation’s second most densely populated state, open space is a precious, priceless resource in Rhode Island. Preserves and parks contribute mightily to the high quality of life enjoyed in the Ocean State, which is why working with land trusts, conservancies, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, The Nature Conservancy, and others has been a priority for the foundation.
• Education:
  • Our young are a reflection of what our future will be. This is why Champlin maintains a focus on supporting those organizations and schools that provide equitable access to experience and learning—in the classroom, after school, or beyond. Whether it is funding equipment for classroom innovation or grants toward building infrastructure, for preparatory and enrichment programs or independent and charter schools, it all plays a role in Champlin’s grant strategy.
• Healthcare:
  • Every Rhode Islander deserves equal access to quality, affordable healthcare and a strong public health system in our state. This means ensuring that our local hospitals, community health centers, treatment centers, and other nonprofit healthcare providers have the infrastructure and state-of-the-art equipment needed to provide quality care and service to all, regardless of the patient’s background or zip code.
• Historic Preservation & Heritage:
  • Learning from the past contributes mightily to understanding the present. Rhode Islanders respect and treasure their history—from First Nations, Colonial era, and the Industrial Revolution through the Great Wars. Historic homes, landmark locations, and museums are one reason Rhode Island is a fascinating place to live and visit.
• Libraries:
  • In the 21st century, libraries have evolved into hubs for education, professional development, and community engagement. In many communities, the local library also serves as an after-school haven and the access point to technology for young and old. With programming that fosters creativity, innovation, and dialogue, libraries across Rhode Island remain a home for knowledge and meaningful connection.
• Social Services:
  • We see and support the often-invisible heroes in our communities, whose efforts are providing our most vulnerable and marginalized populations with food, shelter, education, job training, and more. We are committed to keeping these essential agencies and organizations strong.
• Youth Services:
  • The Champlin family recognized the importance of investing in the young—the future leaders of industry, community, and government. From Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCAs to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, summer camps, and career and leadership development, supporting the organizations that help them to develop physically and mentally is a cornerstone of the Foundation.
• Welfare of Animals:
  • Sadly, animals have the same ability to suffer as humans. Our support of well-established regional organizations that offer care, adoption services, medical treatment, and more helps ensure that more animals across the state are healthy, well-nourished, and free from distress.

The Champlin Foundation

Since 1932, The Champlin Foundation has awarded more than $550 million to fund capital projects for Rhode Island non-profit organizations. These investments have fostered better medical care, improved education, expanded access to social services, conservation of open spaces, preservation of historic buildings, enrichment of the arts, advancement of animal welfare and more. Quietly and steadfastly, The Champlin Foundation helps those who do good do more – to the benefit of all.

Areas of Focus

The impact of The Champlin Foundation can be seen in every Rhode Island community. From public libraries, hospitals, schools and colleges, parks, museums to social service organizations and beyond, grants for capital projects have enabled non-profit organizations to provide vital services and support to Rhode Islanders. The focus areas seen below seek to provide the broadest possible impact in improving the lives of Rhode Islanders:

Animal Welfare

Animal welfare, while not a major category, is supported through grants to well established, long-standing organizations dedicated to this cause.

Arts & Culture

Support of the arts and other cultural assets in Rhode Island has over the years included our best-known and not so well known museums, community theaters and local arts organizations.

Conservation & Parks

As the nation’s second most densely populated state, preservation of open space in Rhode Island has always been a top priority for The Champlin Foundation, as well as places that allow for public recreation and enjoyment of the outdoors.

Education

Strengthening public higher and secondary education has been a key priority for The Champlin Foundation reflecting our focus on those schools and institutions that are educating the most Rhode Island students.

Grants made by The Champlin Foundation for technology and equipment are filling a void, as many of these enhancements to education would go largely unmet within usual budgets.

See grant page for Traditional Public Schools grants here. 

Healthcare

Support of Rhode Island’s hospitals and community health centers has been a major priority for The Champlin Foundation.

Grants to hospitals are designed to improve the level of care available in Rhode Island and to minimize the need to travel out of state for advanced medical treatment.

Another emphasis has been supporting community health centers that provide affordable and accessible care in urban, suburban and rural locations throughout Rhode Island.

Historic Preservation

Rhode Island is a state rich in history; one of the original thirteen colonies and the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. The successful preservation of historic sites, a mission actively supported by The Champlin Foundation, has been one of the main reasons Rhode Island has remained such a beautiful and interesting place to live and visit.

This investment in historic preservation ensures that future generations of our residents and visitors to the state will be able to explore historic landmarks and see the lasting contributions of famous Rhode Islanders.

View grant page for Historic Preservation requests for houses of worship here. 

Libraries

Support of libraries has been a cornerstone of Champlin giving, with virtually every public library in Rhode Island benefiting over the years. As library technology has changed, Champlin grants have helped libraries stay on the cutting edge of technology, helping to ensure their continuing role as a vital source of free and easily accessible information for the community.

Social Services

Grants for capital needs allow social services agencies to provide a wide array of services including shelter, food, vocational training, ESL classes, free legal services, and more from Woonsocket to Westerly.

Youth Services

Long time interest in funding organizations serving young people was memorialized as part of a letter dated September 12, 1964 to members of the Distribution Committee from George S. Champlin and his sisters when they wrote, “The future of our state and country will depend on the young people who will eventually be running the country, as well as its industries and making the discoveries and inventions of the future. Whatever can be done to help them develop physically and mentally in the right direction will make this a better place in which to live.”

Their vision continues to be honored today through annual giving in support of Youth Services.

Mission

The Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation was established in 1973. The Foundation's 3 primary focus areas reflect Mr. Balfour's strong affinity for the employees of the Balfour Company, his commitment to the city of Attleboro, Massachusetts, and his lifelong interest in education. Specifically, the Balfour Foundation supports:

• Educational scholarships to employees of the Balfour Company, as well as to their children and grandchildren
• Organizations serving the people of Attleboro, with special consideration given to those organizations that provide educational, human services and health care programming for underserved populations
• Educational organizations that serve New England

Focus Area

Educational Organizations

The Foundation's educational funding is generally focused on organizations or programs that provide support for underserved or under-represented populations to prepare for, access and succeed in higher education, including 2-year and 4-year institutions.

It is clear that Mr. Balfour was interested in supporting students for successful completion of college. As such, the Foundation focuses its grantmaking in the New England area on programs that support college readiness, access, and success. The Foundation is most interested in programs that support students all the way into and through post-secondary credential attainment (2- or 4-year credentials). Programs within institutions of higher education aimed at attracting, supporting, and retaining (through successful completion) under-served and under-represented populations are also of interest. In this area, we will consider applications that request scholarship funds, if those scholarships are part of a broader set of services and supports.

The Gladys Brooks Foundation was created under the will of Gladys Brooks Thayer of New York. 

Its purpose is to provide for the intellectual, moral and physical welfare of the people of this country by establishing and  supporting non-profit libraries, educational institutions, hospitals and clinics.

Scope of Grants Considered

The Foundation will consider major grant applications for innovative projects in the fields of libraries, education, hospitals and clinics.

Grants for Libraries 

Grant applications will be considered generally for resource Endowments (print, film, electronic database, speakers/workshops) capital construction and innovative equipment. Projects fostering broader public access to global information sources utilizing collaborative efforts, pioneering technologies and equipment are encouraged.

Grants for Educational Institutions

Grant applications from universities, colleges and secondary schools will be considered generally for:

• educational endowments to fund scholarships based solely on educational achievements, leadership and academic ability of the student; 
• endowments to support fellowships and teaching chairs for educators who confine their activities primarily to classroom instruction in the liberal arts, mathematics and the sciences during the academic year;
• erection or endowment of buildings, wings or additions thereto of buildings, and equipment for educational purposes;
• capital equipment for educational purposes.

Grants for Hospitals & Clinics

Grant proposals from hospitals and clinics where the proposal addresses a new health need, an improvement in the quality of health care or reduced health costs with better patient outcomes will be considered generally for:

• endowments for programs;
• erection or endowment of buildings, wings of or additions to buildings;
• capital equipment.

The Rhode Island Foundation stewards a collection of funds of various sizes that generous donors have established to address health and healthcare needs of Rhode Islanders related to specific medical conditions. These funds are used to support our Medical Research program and provide support to nonprofit organizations working in these fields.

Funding availability varies each year and could include the following areas:

• Working on the education, prevention, and care of those with renal disease
• Providing hospice care for the terminally ill
• Providing care and relief to individuals suffering from incurables
• Providing care and support for individuals with low-vision and blindness
• Providing care and treatment for those with cancer
• Providing support for persons with physical disabilities
• Helping or aiding those with developmental or intellectual disabilities
• Focusing on the outreach, education, clinical or basic research involving human growth hormone steroids or other performance enhancing substances
• In addition to the medical conditions listed above, there may be limited funding available for organizations providing support and care to individuals suffering from mental illness, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, or heart ailments

Priority will be given to programs or projects that demonstrate the greatest impact on health and healthcare and address health inequities and disparities in Rhode Island.