North Conway – The Cogswell Benevolent Trust has awarded a $6,000 grant to Kismet Rock Foundation to provide full scholarships for three students from Manchester to attend the Summer 2012 Program. Kismet Rock Foundation enhances the physical, intellectual, and emotional development of well-functioning but economically disadvantaged children by providing access to the immense value of a comprehensive and multi-dimensional education in technical climbing. Kismet Rock Foundation was selected because of its focus on providing a direct educational service to underprivileged youth from Manchester.
Read more...

Concord – New Hampshire Department of Transportation Commissioner Christopher Clement, of Durham, has been named the 2012 recipient of the Caroline L. Gross Fellowship. Established in memory of the late House Majority Leader to honor dedication to public service, the fellowship is awarded annually by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Read more...

Manchester — St. Mary’s Bank announced it recently gave $2,600 to the Central High Association of Music Parents (CHAMPS), a non‐profit organization whose purpose is to support the activities of the Central High School Music Department. The funds will specifically be used to purchase two computers for a new student learning lab.
Read more...

Concord – Michelle Arruda, Board Chair of the New Hampshire Association for the Blind announced today the election of Sandra Jones of Goffstown and Tim Murray of Hopkinton to its Board of Directors. Jones, Program Manager for Hewlett Packard will support the Association’s strategic planning efforts as they venture into the next 100 years of service to NH’s blind and visually impaired. Murray, Owner of Crossroads Insurance Answers will support the Association’s efforts in strengthening relationships with individual and corporate ambassadors of the Association.

“Jones and Murray both bring extensive board experience to the Association and we welcome their expertise in critical areas as we move into the next century” - Michelle Arruda.

Edmund G. Haddad, PhD of Manchester, has been elected president of the NH Prostate Cancer Coalition, succeeding Steve Ladew of Merrimack. Elected vice presidents are Dr. David Gilmour of Hollis and Ms Kris Green of Hooksett. Russell Leonard of Nashua was reelected treasurer. Five directors were reelected for three year terms. They are Dr. John Heaney of Hanover, Jeff Kantor of Dunbarton, Harvey Keye of Nashua, Steve Ladew and Russell Leonard.
Read more...

The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce announced the recipients of the 2012 Pinnacle Awards. The Pinnacle Awards recognize businesses and individuals who have demonstrated professional excellence and commitment to the Chamber and the community.

Nathan Wechsler & Company - long-time supporter and corporate member of the Center - was named Business of the Year
Another Center member, Riverbend Community Mental Health, was named Nonprofit Business of the Year.

Portsmouth - New Hampshire…The Music Hall Loft, the 124-seat theater around the corner from the organization’s landmark 1878 Historic Theater, has been recognized as a 2012 “Editors’ Choice” winner in Yankee Magazine’s Travel Guide to New England, on newsstands now. This designation is awarded by Yankee’s editors and contributors, who name select restaurants, lodgings, and attractions in New England to the exclusive list.
Read more...

Concord — New Hampshire is getting $5.9 million in federal grants for community health centers.
Most of the money is going to an expansion project for Harbor Homes, Inc., in Nashua.
Indian Stream Health Center in Colebrook also is getting money to expand.
Money to address immediate improvements is going to Coos County Family Health Services, Inc., in Berlin.
The grants are part of the new health care law, the Affordable Care Act.

NHBR's Financial Executive of the Year Awards honor New Hampshire's top financial executives for their outstanding fiscal leadership and asset management. On May 15, the Awards will be presented to 5 individuals including two representing the nonprofit sector.

Small nonprofit: Lisa Allard, Families in Transition
Large nonprofit: Henry Lipman, LRGHealthcare

Learn more about the award and how to attend the celebration of your colleagues.

$5.34 Million to be Invested in Local Communities

The Board of Directors of Granite United Way recently approved $3.54 million in program grants for approximately 200 critical programs and initiatives throughout the organization’s footprint in New Hampshire and Vermont. An additional $1.8 million in donor directed funds will be distributed to local community partners and through various United Way initiatives and collaborations that include 2-1-1 NH, Upper Valley Strong and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Programs. This $5.34 million investment, an increase of about $90,000 over the last year, comes at a crucial time for many service providers who are seeing increases in need.
Learn more...

Portsmouth - Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Seacoast is pleased to announce that Jessie C. Dill is the new Executive Director.
Read more...

Edmund G. Haddad, Ph.D. of Manchester has been elected director of the NH Prostate Cancer Coalition, reports Coalition president Steve Ladew of Merrimack.
Read more...

Concord – The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation announced it made more than 1200 awards totaling $8.7 million in the first quarter of 2012.
Read more...

Keene – Monadnock United Way recently added Rob Harris of Marlborough and John Round of Keene to their Board of Directors.
Read more...

Portsmouth –The Rite Aid Foundation has awarded a $5,000 grant to Families First Health and Support Center. This grant, the third The Rite Aid Foundation has made to Families First, will help the community health center absorb the cost of providing subsidized health care services to uninsured patients in the Seacoast region.
Read more...

Manchester, NH – Five New Hampshire non-profit organizations are launching programs or initiatives thanks in part to recently awarded PSNH "Community Commitment" grants. The grants, each for $10,000, were awarded to the abi innovation Hub, More than Wheels, SEE Science Center, Tree Care Industry Association Foundation, and the YWCA of NH.
Read more...

Manchester — St. Mary’s Bank announced it recently gave $2,725 to The CareGivers, Inc., a small, grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to helping the frail, elderly and disabled maintain their independence and dignity through the spirit of volunteerism. The CareGivers coordinates the distribution of food, transportation, and a personal presence for those in need. The funds will specifically be used to purchase a tracking software program for the group’s Caring Cupboard.
Read more...

Portsmouth – Families First Health and Support Center has received a $15,000 grant from the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, the private foundation created by CVS Caremark Corporation, whose purpose is to help people on their path to better health by providing funding for health care, education and community involvement initiatives. The grant to Families First is part of $4.3 million in grants awarded to 98 nonprofit organizations across the country as part of the 2011 grant cycle and includes multi-year grants from previous years.
Read more...

Northfield - The Trustees of the Cogswell Benevolent Trust, Manchester, New Hampshire, recently granted $100,000 to Spaulding Youth Center Foundation to support a landmark initiative, Success Under Construction, A New School for Spaulding, to help continue Spaulding Youth Center’s 140-year history of helping tens of hundreds of at-risk children in New Hampshire.
Read more...

Keene – Bill Goodwin of Dublin has been named General Campaign Chair for the Monadnock United Way (MUW) 2012-2013 campaign. In accepting the position, Goodwin stated, “I was honored to be offered the position of Campaign Chair and am hopeful that with the great team we have pulled together that we can achieve the financial goal that will soon be developed by the Monadnock United Way Allocations Committee.”
Read more...

Northfield - Spaulding Youth Center, a leading provider of high-quality educational, therapeutic, residential, community-based and foster care programs for youth with autism, neurological impairments, and behavioral challenges, has launched a redesigned website.
Read more...

Manchester – Cityside Management Corporation in Manchester, NH, has donated $30,000 to Families in Transition, a Manchester and Concord-based homeless service provider, as part of their commitment to be the Amigos de por Vida - Lead Sponsor for Families in Transition’s annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration event. The fiesta-themed fundraiser will help raise funds for a new family emergency shelter, a new meal program, and basic necessities for the homeless individuals and families that Families in Transition serves.
Read more...
 

Ken Wylie, a veteran certified mountain guide from Cochrane Alberta, Canada with years as an experiential educator and program manager at Canadian universities as well as Outward Bound Canada and the Outward Bound USA, has recently been named to the board of directors at Mountain Spirit Institute based in the U.S. and New Zealand. In addition to helping guide the U.S. organization, Wylie has plans to launch a Mountain Spirit Institute Canada where he will create mountain programs based on the mission statement. Mr. Wylie and founder Randall Richards along with fellow board members are in discussions about also collaborating on mountain programs in the U.S, New Zealand and possibly the Alps.
Read more...

The Endowment for Health, New Hampshire’s largest health foundation,announced 2011 total giving of more than $2.4 million to support a variety of health related projects with a focus on reducing economic, geographic and social cultural barriers to health, as well as improving the mental health of New Hampshire’s children and families.
Read more…

Concord – Governor Lynch recently welcomed the 2011 recipients of The Corporate Fund Nonprofit Management Award to his offices to recognize their achievement and outstanding work. Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services, of Keene, and The Front Door (formerly Nashua Pastoral Care Center) of Nashua were named recipients of the award last fall.
Read more...

Keene – Monadnock United Way (MUW) 2011-2012 General Campaign Chair, John Hoffman, welcomed over 100 volunteers, donors, and agency partners who recently gathered at the Keene Country Club for the annual Campaign Recognition Event. Addressing the attendees, Hoffman stated, “Today we gather to recognize and thank the hundreds of volunteers, businesses, and organizations that took part in this annual community effort. Thanks to you, and all you did to support this campaign, the dollars raised will help to ensure that our friends and neighbors in need will have services and resources available to help them throughout 2012!”
Read more...

Bristol – Super Tuesday lived up to its name for the boys of Mayhew, who were presented the Granite United Way – Southern Region’s Chairman’s Award for being difference makers in its 2011 Community Campaign.
Read more...

Manchester — Families in Transitions (FIT) in Manchester, NH recently hired Robin McCune, of Goffstown, NH, for the agency’s new position of Donor Relations Manager. Ms. McCune is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing a comprehensive stewardship and donor relations program that contributes to the building of long-term, mutually beneficial philanthropic relationships between Families in Transition and its donors.
Read more...

Concord – The New Hampshire Community Loan Fund (Community Loan Fund) is pleased to announce that Sara Varela of Hooksett has been elected to a three-year term on its Board of Directors.
Read more...

Concord - Legal Advice and Referral Center (LARC), a nonprofit in downtown Concord, has served low-income residents across the state since 1996 by providing self-help legal advice to those at or below 200 percent of the poverty line ($44,700. for family of four). Typical clients include women seeking help from domestic violence, a family fighting a wrongful eviction or foreclosure, or a single parent trying to keep custody of their children in a divorce case.
Read more...

Serenity Place, Manchester’s recovery support services center, has hired Sue Bourn as Controller and Human Resources Officer, assuming responsibility for all areas of finance and human resources at the nonprofit. Ms. Bourn started February 16 at Serenity, having most recently worked at the Scleroderma Foundation outside of Boston. She has also held accounting and HR positions at Odyssey NH, Rockingham County CAP and John Hancock Insurance.
Read more...

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of New Hampshire - an organization that recruits, trains and supervises volunteers to serve as advocates for abused and neglected children in the New Hampshire court system - has been named Citizens Bank 2012 Champion in Action.
Read more...

Citizens Bank and WMUR-TV have named Sylvia Poulin as this month’s Heart of Your City for her outstanding commitment to the city of Berlin. Poulin’s story, which highlights the positive impact she has made in the community, was featured on NH Chronicle on February 14.
Read more...

Concord – The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation recently appointed 21 new members to seven of their eight regional advisory boards.

A statewide organization, which also serves 53 towns in Vermont and Maine, the Charitable Foundation embeds itself in the communities through regional advisory boards – Capital, Lakes, Manchester, Monadnock, Nashua, North Country, Piscataqua and Upper Valley. Regional advisory board members monitor the needs of their communities to inform foundation grant-making programs and provide guidance and counsel to staff and the board of directors on local and statewide issues.
Read more...

Northfield - The Board of Trustees of the Franklin Savings Bank recently approved a $25,000 donation to the Spaulding Youth Center Foundation’s Capital Campaign, Success Under Construction, to fund the construction of a new school facility at Spaulding Youth Center.
Read more...

Portsmouth — Families First Health and Support Center, the Seacoast’s community health center, is excited to announce its selection as the beneficiary of the 7th annual Seacoast Half Marathon, to be held on November 11, 2012.
Read more...

Multi-year study by UNH finds that Youth Law Project services result in: (1) increased and more consistent school and community based services; (2) increased parental collaboration; (3) decreased incidence of residential placement and secure detention; and (4) decreased felony recidivism rates.
Read more...

Durham - Finish Line Youth Foundation has awarded a grant of $5,000 to support On Belay, a non-profit organization that provides adventure based support programs for children whose families have been affected by cancer. This grant support the expansion of On Belay's programs throughout New England: including the organization's first program in Maine at the Maine Rock Gym this April.
Read more...

Northfield - In this season filed with sonnets and roses, the tradition of giving from the heart is reaching across generations at Spaulding Youth Center. Some of the most heartfelt and meaningful donations to Spaulding and its capital campaign to build a new school have come from children wanting to help other less fortunate children.
Read more...

Manchester — The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to nonprofit More Than Wheels to support its credit repair program. The credit repair program provides a proven and effective set of tools to help people get out of a cycle of debt, and back on the road to financial freedom. More Than Wheels uses a uniquely comprehensive set of services to meet transportation needs for families and individuals with credit issues, using the car purchase as a catalyst for sustainable financial change.

Portsmouth – The Northeast Delta Dental Foundation recently awarded a $6,000 grant to help Families First purchase dental supplies for its on-site dental center and toothbrushes to give to children participating in Seacoast Healthy Grins, its school-based dental education, screening and cleaning program.
Read more...

New Hampshire Business Review's Outstanding Women in Business Awards celebrate the success and achievements of women in our state’s business community. Congratulations to the 2012 NHBR Outstanding Women in Business Awards!

• Cathy Conway of Northern Community Investment Corporation
• Susan Duprey of Devine Millimet & Branch
• Pamela Hall of Normandeau Associates
• Katie Merrow of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
• Dianne Mercier of People's United Bank Susan Strickler of Currier Museum of Art
• Betsy Gardella of NHPR, winner of the first C-Beyond Award, presented by Centrix Bank

Manchester - Keith Kuenning of Bow was recently appointed director of the NH Children’s Lobby, the advocacy wing of Child and Family Services of NH. Kuenning previously served as the executive director for the New Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness where he managed all aspects of the organization including programming, public policy development and analysis, financial operations, government relations, media and public relations, fund development, and board relations. He also served for two years as the chair of the Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Read more...

Concord – Concord Community Music School recently received a $5,000 operating grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.
Read more...

Keene - Monadnock United Way (MUW) is happy to announce that they have met—and exceeded—the New Year, New Challenge objective to raise $10,000 in new or additional contributions between January 1 and February 1, 2012. As of February 1st, over $29,796 in contributions and pledges specifically designated to this challenge have been received by the MUW office. In meeting this challenge, MUW will receive the additional $10,000 pledged by the anonymous donor.
Read more...

Concord – The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation announced today that it made more than 5,000 awards totaling more than $32.5 million during 2011. Donor advised fundholders made $11 million in 1,700 grants to a wide variety of interests and needs. This represents an increase of about $4 million over 2010. “Our fundholders really stepped up their giving this year in response to the increased needs in our communities,” said Shari Landry, vice president of philanthropy.
Read more...

Concord - The Campaign for Legal Services is proud to announce fundraising totals for the 2011 Campaign. The annual Campaign for Legal Services, which ended on December 31, 2011, secured $324,423 in private donations to support New Hampshire’s civil legal services programs: the New Hampshire Pro Bono Referral Program (Pro Bono), Legal Advice & Referral Center (LARC) and New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA). These organizations work collaboratively to provide legal assistance for low-income and elderly residents across the Granite State.
Read more...

Manchester – TD Bank, through the TD Charitable Foundation, recently donated $20,000 to Families in Transition (FIT), a Manchester and Concord-based homeless services provider. The grant will be used to provide supportive services to individuals and families living in FIT’s Belmont Street Housing Program. The Program serves a diverse range of people, including both men and women with or without children, who are chronically homeless, suffer from co-occurring disorders, and/or live with a long term disability. It is a project of Housing BeneFITs, an independent nonprofit started by FIT to improve the supply and quality of affordable housing in New Hampshire.
Read more...

Concord — Citizens Bank Foundation announced today that it has awarded the New Hampshire Association for the Blind a $15,000 grant to support its statewide outreach effort to increase awareness of the issue of blindness and low vision.
Read more...

The New Hampshire Community Loan Fund is receiving an infusion of publicity and money to lend to community businesses from a national campaign launched in November by Starbucks. The campaign, Create Jobs for USA, is a collaboration between Starbucks and the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN). The Create Jobs for USA Fund collects donations online and at nearly 7,000 company-operated Starbucks across the country. One-hundred percent of donations are pooled into a nationwide fund to create and sustain jobs in communities across America, with a special emphasis on low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged communities.