The Rhode Island Foundation has announced that it awarded $3 million in grants to Newport County nonprofits in 2024, helping push the organization to the third-best year of giving in its 109-year history.
“Demand for our help did not diminish last year. The pandemic is behind us in many ways, but its impact on student success, health and the economy lingered,” said David N. Cicilline, the Foundation’s president and CEO in a statement. “We are grateful for the generosity of Rhode Islanders who trust us to guide their philanthropy and the dedication of our nonprofit partners that enabled us to take on the challenge.”
Lucy’s Hearth received $20,000 to support its efforts to provide stability to families experiencing homelessness, including assisting clients with the expenses of securing permanent housing such as security deposit and rent.
“This funding helped address critical barriers to stable housing, including past housing and credit debts, as well as costly car repairs. By paying off these debts and making repairs, families can advocate for a ‘clean slate’ with housing authorities and landlords and regain the ability to use their own vehicles to search for housing, and access work and childcare each day,” said Lucy’s Hearth Director Heather Bishop.
The Veterinary Medical Suite at Potter’s League for Animals‘ Animal Care Center in Middletown received $30,000. Beyond fundamental services like spaying, neutering, vaccinations and microchipping, the facility provides essential, specialized surgeries and thousands of veterinary exams and vaccinations.
“Over the past year, we have seen a growing demand for our services because of rising costs; we will continue to respond to this growing need with our unwavering dedication to providing exceptional care in a nurturing environment,” said Potter League for Animals CEO Brad Shear.
Bike Newport in Newport, the Herren Project in Tiverton, the Jamestown Arts Center in Jamestown, the Little Compton Community Center in Little Compton, the Newport County YMCA in Middletown, and the St. John’s Lodge Food Bank in Portsmouth are among the organizations that also received funding.
The announcement comes as the Foundation launches its new Five-Year Action Plan and focuses its attention on Civic and Cultural Life, Climate Action and Sustainability, Civic and Cultural Life, Education and Student Success, Healthy and Strong Communities, and Housing and Economic Mobility; guided by inclusiveness, accessibility, compassion, mutual respect and humility.
In addition, the Foundation recently rolled out three enhanced grant programs: Community Priority Grants, Catalyst Grants and Capacity Building Grants.
At the end of 2024, the Foundation’s total assets stood at approximately $1.5 billion. Total fund investment return for the year was 10.5 percent. In addition to raising $59 million in gifts last year, the Foundation awarded nearly $87 million in grants statewide, its third best performance ever. More than 2,500 nonprofits received funding.
About 75 percent of the grants were directed by the Foundation’s donors; only about a quarter of the grants could be made at the sole discretion of the Foundation. About half of the nearly $87 million went to organizations that received both donor-directed and Foundation-directed grants.
In addition to grantmaking and fundraising, community leadership is central to the Foundation’s work. In 2024, the Foundation raised nearly $720,000 for its Civic Leadership Fund.
This annual fund enables the Foundation to go beyond traditional grant-making to work with community partners and decision-makers to solve critical community challenges through convening and advocacy, and by providing opportunities for Rhode Islanders to engage in civic life.
“Our donors understand that responsiveness requires flexibility, innovation and the resources to take on pressing issues as they arise. Their generosity enabled us to tackle challenges like the housing shortage by funding a public education campaign in support of the $120 million housing bond last November,” said Cicilline.
The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Through civic leadership, fundraising and grant-making activities, together with neighbors and partners, the Foundation is helping to create progress that lasts. For more information, visit rifoundation.org.