As a trusted charitable resource, we provide education, guidance, and support for donors, nonprofits, and the community. We bring together local leaders to assess pressing needs and collaborate on impactful solutions. By managing funds and creating lasting charitable legacies, we help ensure that Nantucket remains a vibrant place where all residents can flourish.
The Community Foundation awards grants through the funds we hold including the Nantucket Fund, Initiative Funds, Donor Advised Funds, Scholarship Funds, the Remain Fund, and Community Wind Fund. In 2024 the Community Foundation granted $4.6 million to non-profits.
The Nantucket Fund
CFN’s unrestricted funding source that provides annual grants to the island’s most critical needs and initiatives. Grants support everything from pre-kindergarten readiness programs and elder services to trauma therapy resources and affordable housing initiatives. The Nantucket Fund will grant a record high $1,000,000 in 2026.
2026 Nantucket Fund Grant Recipients
- A Safe Place – Trauma Therapy Program
- About Fresh and Pip & Anchor – Send It Fresh Produce Program
- Addiction Solutions of Nantucket – Database Management Support
- Albert F. Egan, Jr. & Dorothy H. Egan Foundation – Mini Mariners
- Angel Flight of New England – Medical Flight Coordination Program
- Artists Association of Nantucket – Arts for Senior Wellbeing
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod and the Islands – One-to-one Mentoring for Nantucket Youth
- Bulgarian Education Center – Bulgarian School Cultural Education Program
- Cape Cod Healthcare Foundation – Maternal Child and Homebound Seniors Health Program
- Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands – Nantucket Meals on Wheels and Saltmarsh Senior Meals Programs
- Fairwinds – Telehealth Hybrid Counseling
- Friends of Children’s Cove – Children’s Trauma Therapist Travel Support
- Friends of Nantucket Public Schools – Scholarship Program for After School Activities
- Friends of Our Island Home – Programs for Seniors
- Habitat for Humanity Nantucket – Waitt Drive Village Project
- Health Imperatives – Health Clinic & Women Infant and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program
- Homeless Prevention Council – Program support for Unstably Housed Youth and Young Adults on Nantucket
- Housing Nantucket – Repairs and Upgrades in Rental Units
- In The Herd Cape Cod – Equine Therapy Sessions for Youth
- Kennedy-Donovan Center – Early Intervention Program on Nantucket
- Mass Audubon Nantucket Sanctuaries – Youth Environmental Stewards Program
- Montessori Children’s House of Nantucket – Teacher Housing Renovation
- Nantucket Center for Elder Affairs – Senior Expo
- Nantucket Community Music Center – Free Island Youth Orchestra After-School Program
- Nantucket Community Sailing – 4th grade Intro to Sailing Program
- Nantucket Community School – English for Speakers of Other Languages Program
- Nantucket Community School – Summer Boost Kindergarten Readiness
- Nantucket Dreamland Community – Screenings for Seniors
- Nantucket Education Trust – Journey Across the Sound- College Visits
- Nantucket Education Trust – Teacher Housing Renovation
- Nantucket Family Resource Center – Financial Literacy and Coaching Program
- Nantucket Food Fuel Rental Assistance – Rental Assistance Program
- Nantucket Food Fuel Rental Assistance – Food Pantry Program
- Nantucket Island Fair – Nantucket Island Fair 2026
- Nantucket Lighthouse School – Extended Day Program for Pre-K through Grade 5
- Nantucket Police Department – Public Safety Translation Access Program
- Nantucket S.T.A.R. – Adapted Water Sports for those with special needs
- Nantucket Wellness Festival – Free Community Wellness Program
- New England MedFlight – Emergency Flight Service Support
- Our House – Communal Meals for Young Adults Program Support
- Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket Foundation – Expanding Access to Serious Illness Care
- Preschool Pilot Program – Universal Tuition Support for Pre-k students
- Rising Tide Preschool – Learning Space Support
- Small Friends on Nantucket – Tuition Assistance
- Sustainable Nantucket – Harvest of the Month Program
- The Warming Place – Counseling Services
Initiative Funds
Initiative Funds include Field of interest, and Designated Funds supporting a broad cause or issue that fund holders care about, such as the arts, education, healthcare, or environmental conservation.
Donor Advised Funds
A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a flexible charitable giving account that allows donors to support multiple causes over time while receiving an immediate tax deduction for their contributions. Donors make a gift to establish the fund, and the contributions can be invested to grow tax-free.
Scholarship Funds
A Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to students pursuing education at various levels, from high school to college and beyond. Currently CFN awards scholarships from 14 funds focused on a variety of disciplines. $86,000 was awarded in Scholarships in 2025.
Signature Grant Cycles
Grants are the primary means by which the Community Foundation for Nantucket improves and enhances the Island. Proceeds for grants come from restricted and unrestricted endowments and donations from charitably-minded organizations and individuals.
THE NANTUCKET FUND GRANTS
The Nantucket Fund is the Community Foundation’s unrestricted funding source that provides community grants to the Island’s most critical needs and initiatives. Nantucket Fund grants are available to organizations with 501(c)(3) tax status, municipalities, or religious organizations that deliver programs and services to Nantucket residents.
THE WESTMOOR CLUB FOUNDATION GRANTS
The Westmoor Club and the Community Foundation for Nantucket are proud to announce a new philanthropic partnership. The Westmoor Club has launched The Westmoor Club Foundation, a newly established charitable entity dedicated to promoting the health and wellness of the Nantucket community.
OFFSHORE WIND COMMUNITY FUND GRANTS
Established as part of the Good Neighbor Agreement between Vineyard Wind, the Town of Nantucket, and the Nantucket Preservation Trust, the Nantucket Offshore Wind Community Fund provides grants to tax-exempt organizations, municipalities, the Town of Nantucket (departments, boards, and commissions), and community groups that deliver programs and services to Nantucket residents.