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 […]
Nonprofit
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Rhode Island Foundation awards $5.2 million in grants to Newport County nonprofits
The Rhode Island Foundation awarded more than $5.2 million in grants to Newport County nonprofits in 2025, helping push the organization to the best year of grant-making in its 109-year history. Among the recipients are the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newport County, Newport Community School, the East Bay Community Action Program, Conexion Latina Newport, […]
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Rose Island Lighthouse trust names new executive director as organization enters 40th year
The Rose Island Lighthouse and Fort Hamilton Trust has named Amanda Kay Ritchie as its new executive director, the Newport-based nonprofit announced Friday. The board’s selection was unanimous, capping an eight-week regional search led by the organization’s People and Culture Committee. Ritchie brings more than 12 years of senior nonprofit leadership experience in fundraising, communications, […]
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Newport Mental Health names Dr. Joshua C. Brown as new medical director
Newport Mental Health has appointed Joshua C. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., as its new medical director, the organization announced Thursday. Brown, a dual-trained psychiatrist and neurologist, will lead a team of psychiatrists and clinical nurse specialists and play a key role in guiding the future development of behavioral health programs across the organization. “Dr. Brown brings […]
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Newport Restoration Foundation names Hilary Fagan as new executive director
The Newport Restoration Foundation has appointed Hilary Fagan as its next executive director, the organization announced Wednesday. Fagan, a Newport native with a background in Rhode Island economic development and financial services, will assume the role March 9. The foundation’s board of directors selected Fagan following a national search, citing her energy, her experience across […]
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Newport Classical launches first-ever poster competition for 2026 summer music festival
Newport Classical is calling on artists, designers and creatives to submit original artwork for a chance to design the official poster for its 2026 summer music festival. The organization announced its first-annual poster competition this week, inviting submissions that could become a defining image of the festival season. The winning design will be displayed around […]
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Aquidneck Island Land Trust accepting community grant applications through March 13
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 […]
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Potter League’s pet calendar photo contest marks 10th year
The Potter League for Animals is accepting entries for its 10th annual P.S. I Love You Pet Calendar Photo Contest, a fundraiser that invites pet owners across Rhode Island to submit photos of their companions for a chance to be featured in the organization’s 2027 calendar. The contest is open through March 2 at 5 […]
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Newport Mental Health offers support following deadly shooting at Pawtucket ice rink
Newport Mental Health is offering immediate support for anyone affected by Monday’s deadly shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket. A gunman opened fire during a youth hockey game Monday afternoon, killing two people and injuring three others before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Associated Press. Police credited an […]
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401Gives returns March 31 with goal of topping $5 million; more than 300 nonprofits already registered
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 […]
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Newport Art Museum launches the Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Society
The Newport Art Museum has launched the Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Society, a new fund designed to support dynamic and ambitious exhibition programming at the Bellevue Avenue institution. The initiative, first previewed at the opening of the Members’ Show Exhibition, will be shared with the broader museum community at the upcoming Julie Keyes Gallery Pop Up […]
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Panel of R.I. preservation leaders to discuss ‘America 250 and Beyond’ at Rosecliff
Six of Rhode Island’s top preservation and history leaders will gather at Rosecliff on Thursday, Feb. 12, to explore how the nation’s semiquincentennial will shape commemorative activities, inclusive storytelling and preservation efforts across the Ocean State. “America 250 and Beyond: Perspectives from Preservation Leaders,” hosted by The Preservation Society of Newport County, will run from […]
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Save The Bay announces date for 50th annual swim across Narragansett Bay
Save The Bay will host its 50th annual swim on Saturday, Aug. 8, challenging hundreds of athletes to cross 2 miles of open water from Newport to Jamestown. The flagship fundraiser will begin at the Naval War College in Newport and finish in Potter Cove in Jamestown. Registration opens Monday, March 2. “Since 1977, The […]
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Three Newport County nonprofits receive grants for animal care programs
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, […]
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RISSA’s winter fundraiser returns to O’Brien’s Pub, supporting a mission of learning for life
Newport’s coldest months have a way of bringing people together, and few gatherings do it better than the Rhode Island Social Skills Academy’s annual Winter Party. On Sunday, February 1, from 4-7pm, friends and supporters of the Rhode Island Social Skills Academy (RISSA) will gather at O’Brien’s Pub to raise a glass, reconnect with the […]
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Potter League receives $2.9 million bequest, largest gift in organization’s history
The Potter League for Animals announced it has received a $2.9 million bequest from longtime volunteer Roxann Press, the largest single gift in the organization’s nearly 100-year history. The transformative donation was recognized during the Potter League’s annual meeting Wednesday at the Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina, where supporters and community leaders gathered despite frigid […]
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Newport Community School receives grant to continue after-school programs at Thompson, Rogers
Newport Community School will use a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation’s Equity Action Fund to continue supporting LGBTQ+ students at Frank E. Thompson Middle School and William S. Rogers High School. The organization is one of 14 groups serving LGBTQ+ residents that will share $87,000 in grants through the fund. The funding will support […]
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Aquidneck Community Table expands Food Explorers program to Thompson Middle School
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 […]
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Rose Island Lighthouse & Fort Hamilton Trust launches first-ever endowment fund
The Rose Island Lighthouse & Fort Hamilton Trust has established its first-ever permanent endowment fund in partnership with the Rhode Island Foundation, marking a major milestone for the organization that preserves Newport Harbor’s historic island landmarks. The endowment has been seeded with a $250,000 founding gift, an amount that symbolically aligns with the nation’s upcoming […]
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Arts Around the Fire to feature RI250 Commission program coordinator
The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Newport County’s monthly networking event, Arts Around the Fire, continues on Wednesday, Jan. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Sardella’s Restaurant, 30 Memorial Blvd. West. The free event will feature Lauren Fogarty, program coordinator for the RI250 Commission. Fogarty will share an overview of the commission’s plans for […]
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Discover Newport seeks resident input on tourism through new survey
Discover Newport is asking residents across Newport and Bristol counties to share their thoughts on tourism and its regional impact through a new survey. The Resident Sentiment Survey offers an opportunity for locals to weigh in as the destination marketing organization develops its strategic plans. Feedback will help guide future decisions that support both residents […]
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Marble House getting $1.5 million geothermal climate system
Marble House, one of the city’s most iconic Gilded Age mansions, is getting a 21st-century upgrade with the installation of an extensive geothermal climate-control system. The $1.5 million project will help protect the contents of the National Historic Landmark, which draws nearly 150,000 visitors annually, while reducing fuel oil consumption by up to 80 percent, […]
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MLK Community Center to open Saturdays for breakfast and food pantry starting Jan. 24
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 […]
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Save The Bay opens registration for summer camps on Narragansett Bay
Registration opened Thursday for Save The Bay’s BayCamp, a week-long summer program that immerses young people in the marine environment of Narragansett Bay. The camps, offered for students who have completed grades K-12, take place in Providence, Newport, Wickford and Bristol. They focus on environmental and marine sciences while allowing campers to explore shorelines and […]
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AARP Tax-Aide program offering free tax preparation at 10 Newport County locations starting in February
Volunteer tax preparers are gearing up to help Newport County residents file their returns for free beginning in February. The AARP Tax-Aide program, the nation’s largest free tax preparation service, will operate at 10 sites across the county, from Jamestown to Tiverton. The program served more than 1,800 county residents last year and organizers hope […]