Funding Ideas
Each year, the Community Foundation requests proposals from the nonprofit community as part of its grant making process. We received over 50 excellent proposals. However, the Foundation was able to fund only 8 of the proposals from its general endowment.
We have had several of our donors express interest in learning more about (and possibly supporting) the programs we were unable to fund. If you would like to learn more about these programs, please contact The Foundation at 978-345-8383 or you can email Melissa Maranda at mmaranda@cfncm.com
| AGENCY NAME | REQUESTED AMOUNT | PROGRAM NAME |
| Devens Enterprise Initiative | $20,000 | Eco-Efficiency Center |
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Programs facilitate conservation, waste elimination and pollution prevention activities in businesses, schools and organizations based in Devens and surrounding communities. Funding will help increase goals for 2008 - in walk-through reviews, educational forums, outreach materials.
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| Massachusetts Audubon Society, Inc. | $20,000 | Focus Outdoors: Hands-on Learning |
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Principals & teachers are looking to collaborate with Mass Audubon to implement an inquiry-based science education program that will incorporate several of the MA state learning standards for life sciences. Project integrates classroom work and field studies, with a philosophy based on research that connects higher levels of student engagement with improved academic achievement.
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| Millers River Watershed Council, Inc. | $14,000 | Watershed Stewardship Project |
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Identify priority pollution sites and activities, initiative long-term collaborations among stakeholders to remediate identified problems and increase public awareness of importance of and need for watershed protection. - includes volunteer water quality monitoring programs, educational outreach to adult & school audiences and outdoor recreational hikes and paddles.
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| Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, Inc. | $20,000 | North Quabbin Regional Landscape Partnership Project" |
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Produce & implement integrated, long-term strategy for guiding the protection and conservation of highly valued land, water and wildlife resources at landscape level in the NQ regions. Provide land conservation education, increase municipal capacity for land protection, provide partnership small grants to jumpstart and leverage new conservation projects, expand land protection funding in the region and improve digital assessors map data gathering and distribution and analysis of priorities for the region.
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| Nashua River Watershed Association, Inc. | $20,000 | Model Sustainable Development Planning in the Nashua River Watershed |
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Project will involve developing a Sustainable Development Plan guided by the principles of sustainability and smart growth or one or two communities within the Nashua River Watershed area. After plan is complete, will hold a workshop or series of workshops for towns in regions, providing guidance as to how they can replicate this effort in order to produce their own Sustainable Development Plans.
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| Northeast Organic Farming Association of MA | $15,000 | Support for strategic planning process |
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Funding to create strategic plan - using professional organization that will enable it to - maintain work ethic, maintain philosophical focus of respect for the environment, involve significant constituencies, investigate and determine means to broaden outreach, enhance collaborations, examine organizational structure and develop long-term approach.
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| Athol Orange Community Television | $20,000 | Center for digital storytelling |
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Design and produce a 3-5 minute digital story. Groups of 10 students at a time craft and record first-person narratives, collect still images and music with which to illustrate their pieces, & are guided through computer tutorials which enable them, with teacher support to edit their own stories.
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| Christian Performing Arts Center | $14,500 | General Operating Support |
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Support second season of theatre and dance productions. Committed to bringing good quality theatre to the community with ticket prices that people of all income levels can afford. Goals to engage a broader audience base; attract working, non-union actors and dancers; and bring professional quality theatre to Fitchburg stages.
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| Indian Hill Music | $20,000 | General Operating Support |
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After School Music Collaborative will seek to provide music lessons and ensemble classes to 110 elementary school children in Ayer Public Schools. Each year in-school performances will aim to reach 500 students, and will include a free orchestral concert, an Instrument Petting Zoo and a Meet the Instruments demonstration.
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| Lake Grove at Maple Valley, Inc. | $20,000 | Music at the Valley |
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In order to help our students direct their negative energy into positive outcomes, we feel a music program will produce a healthy channel to the students. Funding would allow for the purchase of drums, a piano, guitars, violins trumpets and saxophones. Every student will have opportunity to learn basic music skills.
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| Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, Inc. | $10,000 | Music Scholarship Program in collaboration with Indian Hill Music |
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In collaboration with Indian Hills, provide scholarships for their four-week Summer Musical Theater Program and some of their shorter programs during the summer of 0-8 to introduce as many of our clients' children as possible to the world of the musical and performing arts.
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| Quartet of Happiness | $1,600 | Support for school music performances |
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Present performances and clinics at Samoset in Leominster and Oakmont in Ashburnham. Provides music clinic as part of performances. Clinics last two hours and involves members of quartet working directly with student members of each musical ensemble.
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| St. Leo School | $20,000 | Music Discovery |
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Once a week for 30 weeks, visiting artist will come into 14 classrooms for PreK through 5th grade and lead an instrumental music activity. Offers group classes using age appropriate instruments.
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| Thayer Symphony Orchestra Community Music School | $20,000 | Music Therapy program |
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Develop a comprehensive music program that integrates students with disabilities and their typical peers. Provide individual and group music therapy-classes/lessons. Conduct professional development for music teachers and staff.
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| Boys & Girls Club of North Central MA | $20,000 | Project Learn: Connecting School with After School, Parental Involvement and Collaborations with Schools |
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We plan to enhance this program with a new position, Mentor Teacher. The Mentor Teacher will serve as a liaison for students, teachers and parents while providing the consistency needed between the schools and the after school program.
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| Child & Family Service of Pioneer Valley, Inc. | $20,000 | Decreasing Classroom Disruption |
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Survey teachers, guidance staff and administrators on current behavioral strategies and approaches for children with disruptive behaviors. Contact those identified as particularly successful in handling disruptive behavior. Gather data and write a report to give to schools. Results will be analyzed in order to suggest future interventions aimed at disruptive behaviors.
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| Doctor Franklin Perkins School | $7,500 | Rein In a Dream |
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Grant would provide several children from NCM with opportunity to engage in at least 12 weeks of riding instruction at Rein in a Dream. Program aims to support the healthy development of vulnerable young populations and reduce the effects of dysfunctional behavior and mental illness in youth in our area.
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| Fitchburg, Leominster, Lancaster, and Clinton Collaborative | $10,000 | Have it My Way |
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Seeks funding to create a food prep and service area within school building to prepare food and create a student-run snack store. Costs will be for materials and labor to renovate space to include basic small and large appliances, utensils, etc.
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| Just Understand My Potential, Inc. (JUMP) | $12,064 | Outdoor Leadership Training |
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Conduct 4 Outdoor Leadership trips in 08. Participants would be screened for need based on HUD income levels. To build our technical skills for disabled and chronically ill participants, JUMP would like to send 6 trainees for a weeklong certification course in Wilderness Emergency Medicine.
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| The Literacy Project, Inc. | $20,000 | Next Steps Transitions Program |
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This model of economic empowerment benefits learners, their families and communities, and society as a whole. Will provide transitions support, including training and support for transition to meaningful and sustainable employment, one-on-one assistance to remove barriers to advancement.
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| LUK Crisis Center, Inc. | $20,000 | Youth Leadership Institute |
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Proposing to design and implement a 35-week YLI, utilizing Points of Light Foundation YLI curricula, as well as adventure-based activities, field trips, and other leadership development activities. Youth who complete at least 90% of the 70 hours of trg and service will be eligible for a $500 stipend.
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| North Central Charter Essentials School Foundation | $20,000 | 21st Century Skill Development Program |
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After school program giving students opportunities to further refine and practice problem-solving, reasoning, teamwork, technology and communication skills needed for the 21st century by dealing with real-life projects that impact the community. Form partnerships with business and other non-profits to develop mentors willing to share their expertise one afternoon a week for 10 weeks (two 10-week periods).
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| Ralph C Mahar Regional School District | $20,000 | Ralph C. Mahar Parent Outreach Program |
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Create Parent Outreach Program in Orange, Petersham, New Salem and Wendell. - Will include parents, teachers, administrators and members of community-based systems of support.
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| Abuse Victim Hotline, Inc. | $13,000 | Affiliate Attorney Network Program |
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Affiliate Attorney Network Program will recruit and manage a network of pro bono attorneys - provide free, direct and full legal representation to low-income victims of physical and non-physical abuse. Network will be comprised of at least 3 pro bono affiliates for in Middlesex Cty , 2 for Worcester County and 1 for Franklin County.
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| Athol Memorial Hospital | $20,000 | Conflict Resolution in Health Care |
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Requesting funds to conduct training in Conflict Resolution and De-escalation techniques to improve the quality of healthcare delivered to the community. Training in de-escalation would provide direct care staff with skill in diffusing high stress situations.
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| Baby's Breath | $20,000 | General Operating Support |
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As a partner to DSS, home will provide a stable nurturing environment until child returns home to a rehabilitated biological family or with the child being placed in a permanent adoptive home. Will provide services to 75-100 infants and toddlers a year.
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| Chester Mossman Teen Center | $6,000 | Fit, Fun and Fruit Smoothies |
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Would offer free healthy after-school snacks including fruits, vegetables, and whole grain choices, as well as juice & dairy beverage options. Offer three separate physical activities each week. Propose "Free Friday Smoothies" to boost self-esteem and life-skills of our youth. Would give our teens an opportunity to create a sense of entrepreneurship as they market the program to other teens.
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| Clinical and Support Options, Inc. | $20,000 | The Wellness initiative |
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Requesting add'l funds to expand hours of Wellness Coordinator to deliver full range of wellness services in Athol and Orange at outpatient sites and Quabbin House (social clubhouse for the mentally ill) location. Include peer mentor system for enhancing participation. Enhances outpatient clinic that provides comprehensive behavioral health and family support and stabilization services.
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| Dismas House of Massachusetts | $20,000 | Many Hands Training Institute |
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Funds would be specifically applied to a new training institute to transform former prisoners into employable farmers and create the foundation of experience need for new organic farm/residential treatment program.
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| Franklin County Home Care Corporation | $10,000 | Elders' Home Repair Project |
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Develop a system to provide information on housing repair options to over 2500 elders and their caregivers and forearm nine North Quabbin Towns on anticipated housing needs of the escalating baby boom population. Develop online resource Guide; Develop best practices Home Repair Program in Orange; Report assessment of long-term housing needs to nine towns.
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| Franklin Hampshire Regional Employment Board | $20,000 | North Quabbin Job Readiness |
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North Quabbin Job Readiness Program will provide technical skill work readiness training for NQ residents at NQ office of Franklin Hampshire Career Center. Training will enable them to successfully complete and submit job applications in current marketplace.
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| Gardner Visiting Nursing Association, Inc. | $20,000 | Residential Hospice in North Central MA |
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Gardner VNA sees an imperative to study feasibility of a residential hospice in greater depth. It is especially important, ultimately, to determine the fiscal viability of such a project - in that without adequate demand and usage, such a project will not succeed financially. Proposes to convene a "residential hospice advisory group" comprised of key decision makers and interested individuals/ consumers in NC/GG region.
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| Latino Business Association of Worcester County | $20,000 | General Operating Support |
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Develop internal capacity to maintain and increase revenues to fund programs and to be accountable to donors who invest their resources in the LBA. Pursue a planned and coordinated approach in order to grow while at the same time ensuring organizational viability and longevity.
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| Legal Assistance Corporation of Central MA | $20,000 | North County Legal Assistance Project |
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Expand presence and services in North County through targeted, intensive outreach and advocacy provided by an experience Legal Services attorney. Will engage in outreach, education, intake and casework.
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| Listening, The Barre Integrated Health Center | $3,500 | Cooking & Nutrition for Seniors |
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Offer nutrition workshops, cooking classes and advise on grocery shopping and meal planning for these motivated seniors. Would allow us to create these programs to be used as models for other rural communities.
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| Montachusett Home Care Corporation | $20,000 | Volunteer Program general operating support |
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General operating support of volunteer programs and a strategic planning process. Recognize need to optimize the work being done. A strategic planning process to help our very good volunteer services become great services. Expect that we will be examining program structure, staffing, recruiting, outreach, service delivery, client needs, quality assurance and funding sources.
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| Montachusett Opportunity Council | $20,000 | Financial Literacy |
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Propose to expand scope of programs by targeting resources to specific activities, including increasing number of financial literacy and money mgmt sessions, providing one-on-one counseling and tax preparation assistance to clients as well as training in basic household budgeting to MOD's front-line staff, with intent of providing a more integrated delivery of services to clients.
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| Mount Wachusett Community College Foundation | $20,000 | North Central MA Latino and At-Risk Youth Community Asset Mapping |
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As a joint partnership between INPD and TC Latino Coalition, project will hire a consultant who will collect data on Latino and at-risk youths' needs available services and ongoing critical program development efforts. This will be accomplished through collecting quantitative data, conducting new interviews and focus groups with Latino youth, their parents and key community stakeholders and analyzing this data.
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| Multi-Service Center, Inc. | $17,000 | Project You - Restorative Justice Initiative |
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Restorative Justice Initiative will help to increase the capacity of partner organizations so they can implement and sustain alternative disciplinary actions for selected youth. Overall goals to provide peaceful approach to resolving criminal issues by empowering victims to have a voice in the process, enabling offenders to be accountable for their conduct and enabling citizens to contribute meaningfully to the resolution of a community program.
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| MY TURN, Inc. | $5,818 | Credit Recovery for Failing Fitchburg High School Students |
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Partnership with Fitchburg High School will pilot a credit recovery program for 9th graders who have failed English. Will combine school's English curriculum with MY TURN's structured multi-unit job readiness curriculum. In addition, youth will receive vital case management services aimed at eliminating barriers to success. Goal is to ensure freshmen advance to 10th grade.
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| North Central Human Services | $19,500 | Relocation/renovation of offices |
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Moving offices to different building in Heywood Wakefield building to accommodate organizational growth. Costs will cover comprehensive needs assessment, conceptual design for occupancy of new space, statement of probable cost for build out and written report including design drawings.
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| North Quabbin Citizen Advocacy | $10,000 | General Operating Support |
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Requests funding to support a portion of program's operating budget. Recruit local people with mental disabilities, recruit, orient, and match advocates with mentally disabled individuals, provide follow-along to insure relationships continue and provide guidance to advocates in offering relevant assistance and advocacy.
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| North Quabbin Community Coalition | $18,025 | NQ Sexual Assault Prevention Project |
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NQCC has been able to take advantage of several key areas of training in area of sexual assault prevention. Successfully built comprehensive community education library and large contingent of trainers. Trainer support is integral piece of work - NQCC will host monthly trainer meetings to integrate all of the elements of the prevention model as well as provide direct peer support to all trainers.
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| North Quabbin Time Bank | $5,000 | General Operating Support |
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Community-based website where people list services they want to provide and receive. Services can include grocery shopping, home maintenance, computer assistance, pet care, companionship for elders, getting a haircut, learning a language and much more.
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| Regional School Health Coalition in c/o CAVU | $10,000 | Children's Health Resource Map Project |
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Conduct a comprehensive resource mapping of health resources available to students in NCM & create online tool to maintain and update a list of these resources. Address key need identified universally by members of Coalition & be great use to other local organizations who work with youth as well. Comprehensive assessment of existing resources would provide evidence to allow the Coalition to push for additional resources in underserved areas.
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| Seven Hills at Groton | $8,000 | The R.E.L.A.T.E. Project |
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Specialists would work with individuals to determine communication needs and initiate trials using various equipment options. Individual would be able to borrow equipment from center until it could be ordered and delivered to them for continued personal use.
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| Spanish American Center | $20,000 | Promotoras for Health |
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Funding to initiate a "Promotora (Latino Outreach Worker)" Program that will focus on service area of Leominster. Responsible for raising awareness of health and educational issues. Recruit, hire and train two (2) Promotoras from community.
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| TeenAIDS-PeerCorps, Inc. | $10,500 | North Central Youth Stop Aids |
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Undertake a major campaign to prevent current spread of HIV in NC region by offering free services to schools and community groups. Long-term goals to introduce TeenAIDS-PeerCorps trainings in every high school and then to every middle school. Provides education on a no-cost basis so expense will not be the main consideration for financially strapped communities and teens are not denied the necessary information.
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| The Bridge of Central Massachusetts | $20,000 | Health and Wellness for Adults with Disabilities |
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Addresses needs of 14 individuals with developmental disabilities living in residential programs or supported housing in Gardner. Will hire part-time health professional to develop and implement program activities that will focus on obesity, nutrition, exercise, hygiene, and health & safety - they will provide training for staff.
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| The United Arc of Franklin & Hampshire Counties | $10,000 | Positive Parenting services |
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Parent education and support group and recruitment of Family Friends mentoring volunteers. Have identified 14 parents, with 17 children who would like receive parenting support services.
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| Third Section of New England/The Access Project | $20,000 Medical Debt Resolution Program | |
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Expand capacity for resolving medical debt by providing training and back-up for staff of other organizations so they have skills and information needed to do this work. Expand capacity of local organizations to assist area resident who have medical debt and help them avoid health access and financial consequences.
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| United Neighbors of Cleghorn, Inc. | $14,000 | Technology Initiative |
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Upgrade computer lab and other technology based equipment in order to effectively provide for the immigrant community that we serve; provide better marketing and exposure , including increasing fundraising opportunities, capacity for providing education, career and job assistance for adults. Language lab will utilize Rosetta Stone for English software. Designed to assist ESL students we hope to complement our existing programming and enhance our ability to maximize student's full potential.
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| United Neighbors of Cleghorn, Inc. | $20,000 | Community Development Imitative |
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Build leadership and advocacy capacity among residents; enhancing community development and community building in collaboration with other Fitchburg institutions and building a strong and diverse Fitchburg by enhancing the capacities of the Latino and immigrant community and helping to establish respected role in community.
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| Veteran Homestead, Inc. | $20,000 | Partial salary for drug/alcohol counselor |
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Hire full time drug and alcohol counselor that will service all our programs in the area. The counseling and therapy will enhance programs ability to bring homeless veterans back into mainstream of our society.
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| VNA Care Network, Inc. | $20,000 | Palliative Care Demonstration Program |
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Use in-home telemedicine equipment, which conveys vital signs over a telephone connection to a main nursing stations between home nursing visits. Improve quality of life for patients with end stage COPD; reduce complications and unnecessary hospitalizations, Emergency Department visits and skilled nursing facility days of bed care; and reduce the stress burden on primary caregiver by providing an in-home education and support system.
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| Wachusett Health Education Action Team, Inc. | $19,256 | General Operating Support |
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Part-time position to support growing multi-service center. Capacity building.
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| Warmer Winters | $20,000 | General Operating Support |
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Strengthen support of volunteers. Increase provision of materials to volunteers, thereby increasing our ability to distribute warm garments to those in need. Implement more effective database for tracking our distribution and help us measure our increasing outcomes.
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| Youth Opportunities Upheld, Inc. (Y.O.U.) | $13,000 | General Operating Support |
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Provide group interventions that offer youth a safe, structured environment in which they can discuss and practice positive coping skills. Training multiple people including school personnel and behavioral health providers to facilitate sessions, we create a pool of experts in group work.
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| Worcester Community Housing Resources, Inc. | $20,000 | Heywood Wakefield III |
| Currently developing the reuse of an abandoned mill in Gardner. Heywood Wakefield III will eventually consist of 78 affordable unites of assisted living. | ||
