Rhode Island Foundation Boosts East Providence Nonprofits

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Foundation has announced that it awarded more than $31 million in grants last year including more than $200,000 to local nonprofit groups.

As the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofits in the state, the Foundation works in partnership with donors and organizations to meet the needs of the people of Rhode Island. The $31 million in grants is the most in the organization’s 97-year-history

The Foundation also had its third-best fundraising year ever in 2013, raising $43.7 million in new gifts from individual, organizational and corporate donors, up from $38.5 million in 2012. At the end of 2013, the total assets stood at more than $780 million.

"We are grateful to our dedicated donors for joining with us to take on the state’s challenges and opportunities," said Neil Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO. "Their inspiring generosity enabled us to invest in Rhode Island as never before."

The grants to local nonprofit organizations include:

$50,000 to Foster Forward for its Real Connections for Younger Foster Children program. Real Connections provides children 15 and younger who are in danger of aging out of the state’s foster care system with permanent and meaningful adult connections that improve educational and employment outcomes.

$95,000 to the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Music School to enable the organization to serve the area with performances and music education. The organization’s model places equal emphasis on excellence in artistic quality and community outreach through accessible, high quality educational programs.

Among the other local recipients are the Boy Scouts of America, East Bay Center, Boys and Girls Club of East Providence, Epiphany Soup Kitchen and East Bay Community Action Program.

Of the $31 million in grants, nearly $11.4 million was awarded in discretionary grants directed by the Foundation’s staff and directors. Another $19.7 million was made with direction from donors.

Many of the grants fell into six sectors: arts and culture, community development, education, environment, health, and human services. Additionally, the Foundation supported signature initiatives in two areas it believes are critical to the state’s economic wellbeing: public education and primary health care.

“We are proud to support the work nonprofits do tackling the crucial issues confronting our state. Through strategic investments in their activities, we are working together to improve the lives of Rhode Islanders,” said Jessica David, the Foundation’s vice president of vice president of strategy and community investments.

In addition to grantmaking and fundraising, community leadership is central to the Foundation’s activities and business. In 2013, the Foundation raised $264,089 in the second year of its annual Civic Leadership Fund, which enables the organization to go beyond traditional grantmaking to provide leadership and a forum for dialogue on critical community issues.

The fund supported the Foundation’s Make It Happen RI initiative, which had several major achievements last year. The Foundation announced the last of $1 million in grants to jumpstart 19 economic development initiatives, launched the positive “It’s All In Our Backyard” public awareness campaign and convened a series of focus groups to develop a new economic action agenda for the state that was released earlier this year.

“Make It Happen continues to move forward on its goal of creating jobs and jumpstarting the economy. It has sparked collaborations in digital design, manufacturing and health sciences that already are producing results,” said David.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. In 2013, the Foundation made grants of more than $31 million to organizations addressing the most pressing issues and needs of the state’s diverse communities. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit www.rifoundation.org.

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