Nonprofit

The Rhode Island Blood Center is urging Rhode Islanders to donate blood ahead of Memorial Day weekend as hospitals brace for the start of “trauma season,” a period marked by increased accidents, emergency surgeries and higher demand for lifesaving blood transfusions. Rhode Island is currently experiencing a critical need for Type O blood donations following […]

Newport Mental Health has announced its 2026 schedule of signature fundraising events, three gatherings the nonprofit says will help underwrite no-cost mental health and substance use care across Newport County. Proceeds from the events benefit Newport Mental Health’s Annual Fund, which last year helped provide $1.2 million in no-cost care to children, families and individuals […]

The Norman Bird Sanctuary is rolling out a new program that will bring 7th-grade students onto its 300-acre campus for free, blending field science, exercise and mental wellness into a single morning outdoors. The initiative, called “Ecosystem Explorers,” is funded by a grant from the Frederick Henry Prince Memorial Fund at Newport Hospital. The sanctuary […]

Salve Regina University is trying to chip away at two of health care’s most persistent problems at once — rising education costs for nursing students and a shortage of clinical workers across Rhode Island — through a new partnership that lines up jobs and loan repayment before students ever leave campus. Since launching the Scholars […]

The Newport Restoration Foundation is seeking nominations for the 2026 Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards, marking the 20th anniversary of the joint program between the NRF and the City of Newport. The annual awards recognize exemplary historic preservation projects that carry forward the legacy of Doris Duke and have had a significant impact on the […]

Rhode Islanders delivered. 401Gives, the statewide day of giving powered by United Way of Rhode Island, surpassed its $5 million fundraising goal by the time giving closed at 6 p.m. Wednesday, setting new records for donors, gifts and participating organizations in the initiative’s seven-year history. Over 36 hours, 20,112 donors made 32,544 gifts to benefit […]

401Gives is in its home stretch, and Rhode Islanders still have time to make their donations count. As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, the statewide day of giving had surpassed $3.5 million raised — more than $3.521 million from 22,431 gifts by more than 14,500 individual donors — pushing toward its $5 million goal with seven […]

The Rogers High School Class of 2027 is giving Newport a reason to feel good about their next sugar fix. The junior class has launched a “Donut or Donate” fundraiser, selling dozens of Krispy Kreme donuts for $15 each — with a charitable option baked in. Buyers can choose to keep their donuts, have them […]

Newport Mental Health has appointed five new members to its board of directors, the organization announced Monday, adding community leaders with backgrounds spanning real estate law, product management, mental health advocacy and nonprofit work. Sue Metzger, John Toracinta, Ruth Ellen Scott, Patrick Barry-Nolan and Joshua Blumen join the board at what the organization describes as […]

Kim Hapgood, program director at Sail Newport, is celebrating 30 years with the nonprofit public sailing center — three decades that have shaped thousands of sailors and helped establish the organization as a nationally recognized leader in sailing education. Hapgood joined Sail Newport in 1996 and has since built a comprehensive slate of programs serving […]

The Newport Tree Conservancy is accepting applications for its annual Community Tree Program, which provides residents with free or subsidized trees to plant at their homes. The program aims to plant around 120 trees each year to offset losses from damage, decay and disease. Trees are free for residents living within Newport’s Health Equity Zone […]

IYRS School of Technology & Trades has announced the launch of a new Runabout Restoration Course, a 9-month hands-on program designed for experienced boatbuilders, classic runabout enthusiasts and those looking to break into the boatbuilding trade. The pilot course offers students the opportunity to work through the full restoration process of a classic mahogany Chris-Craft, […]

The University of Rhode Island’s Watershed Watch program is seeking volunteer water quality monitors to help collect data on lakes, ponds, streams, and coastal waters across southern New England this spring. A URI Cooperative Extension program, Watershed Watch has tracked water quality data for four decades, with volunteers helping researchers understand how snowy winters, stormwater […]

The Aquidneck Island Land Trust is now accepting applications for its Merritt Neighborhood Fund community grant program, with a deadline of March 13. The endowed fund, established in 1999 to honor the late Peter M. Merritt, the Land Trust’s president emeritus, supports the preservation of small parks, community gardens and other natural spaces on Aquidneck […]

Registration is open for the 2026 edition of 401Gives, Rhode Island’s largest statewide philanthropic initiative in support of local nonprofits, with organizers aiming to surpass $5 million raised this year. More than 300 nonprofits have already signed up to participate in the event, which will kick off on Tuesday, March 31, and run until 6 […]

Three Newport County nonprofits will share in $636,000 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation to support low-cost veterinary care, animal rescue and educational programs. The Potter League for Animals in Middletown received the largest local grant at $72,000 to subsidize veterinary care at its Animal Care and Adoption Center. The funding supports spaying, neutering, […]

Aquidneck Community Table has partnered with Thompson Middle School to bring its Food Explorers garden education program to students in the school’s Life Skills Program, the nonprofit announced Thursday. The curriculum-integrated program, which launches this month, will provide hands-on garden education and STEM learning focused on food literacy, the organization said. “Food is power. It […]

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center will expand its breakfast and food pantry programs to Saturdays beginning Jan. 24. Breakfast will be served from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., and the food pantry will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. “No one should have to worry about when their next meal […]

A collaborative of five Rhode Island nonprofits has been awarded a $750,000 grant to launch the state’s first coalition focused on supporting girls and gender-expansive youth. The Rhode Island Foundation awarded the three-year Catalyst Grant to Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England, which will lead the effort in partnership with Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, […]

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center will hold its Keeper of the Dream & Annual Meeting celebration on Monday, Jan. 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. The event, presented by Corrigan Financial, Inc. and Savant Wealth Management, will take place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. During the event, the center will report […]

Newport Partnership for Families has hired Lindsay Cutler as its new executive director, the organization announced Tuesday. Cutler will lead the 25-member partnership of nonprofits, faith-based organizations, businesses and municipal groups focused on improving the lives of residents in Newport and surrounding areas. She joins the organization at a time when its nonprofit members and […]

Lucy’s Hearth will host a pair of fundraising events on Saturday to support families experiencing homelessness, beginning with its annual Designer Wreath Sale and followed by a benefit concert featuring local musicians. The wreath sale runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the Rotunda at Easton’s Beach, 175 Memorial Blvd. The event features handcrafted holiday […]

Every elementary school in Newport County could soon have student-led cafeteria food waste recycling programs thanks to $750,000 in grants awarded to a Rhode Island nonprofit. The Rhode Island School Recycling Project will use the funding to expand its Get Food Smart program, which is already operating at Pell Elementary School in Newport, to elementary […]