Where did summer go?
This summer, we focused on the Nantucket Fund. We enjoyed seeing many familiar faces and visiting friends, new and old. Growing the Nantucket Fund will allow us to increase annual grant making and continue to support the Island. Past Nantucket Fund grants have addressed behavioral health services, childcare, access to affordable housing, elder services, and food insecurity.
Thank you to everyone who supported the Community Foundation and our Nantucket Fund so far in 2021!
News from the Office
Investing in Food Insecurity:
We thrilled to share that we have received $1.85 million from the State of MA to address food insecurity on Nantucket. These funds will be used to address food insecurity in families and individuals resulting from the impacts of COVID-19. We will be hosting forums to solicit input from the community before rolling out a new grant making program. More information will become available later in the month.
Behavioral Health on Nantucket:
This summer the Foundation funded a Behavioral Health Needs Assessment, partnering with Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Fairwinds and NAMI. The Nantucket Fund for Emergency Relief was able to support this via a grant from the McCausland Foundation. The study should conclude later in the fall and help point the way to more consolidated and centralized behavioral health care on the Island. This process is evidence of our ability to assist major stakeholders through a coordinated effort.
“We were excited to award this grant and see the leaders of all of these organizations move quickly to push this critical initiative forward. Despite all best efforts, the current system of behavioral health care is fragmented, and people fall through the cracks.” – Margaretta AndrewsFinding Solutions to Nantucket’s
Housing Crisis:
At the Foundation’s August Board meeting our Trustees voted to establish the Foundation’s 102nd charitable fund — the Nantucket Land Trust Fund. This new charitable fund’s purpose will be to facilitate home ownership opportunities for year-rounders, and to create a permanent stock of ownership residences. The Foundation has been committed to addressing affordable housing on Nantucket for many years. This new initiative is just one of many ways we are working towards finding a solution to the Island’s housing crisis.
Community Foundation Team around the Island:
At the office, this year has been the busiest in Foundation history. Our resources were stretched as our team worked diligently to support Nantucket’s year-round community. However, we all found time to relax and give back. From beach clean-ups, volunteering at the food pantry, little free libraries, and working at Nantucket’s first Mid-Amateur Golf Championships, we were able to give back to our community and enjoy all that Nantucket has to offer.
