Community Association Awards More Than $84,000 in Grants

The Chestnut Hill Community Association voted to award more than $84,000 in grants to local organizations through the Chestnut Hill Community Fund.

“The committee had limited dollars,” said Community Association board member Laura Lucas.  “We did the best we could.”

The Community Association awarded a total of $84,100 in grant money out of the $200,000 that was requested by local organizations.

The largest donation went to Keystone Hospice that received a grant of $20,000.  The second largest grant went to a new program titled “Fresh Artists” that will go to fund a children’s art program at the Chestnut Hill Hospital.

The committee in charge of awarding the grants requested that they be given more guidance on how to award the grants in the future to avoid the kinds of conflicts that came up this year.

“We need to develop specific guidelines,” said Association board member Richard Snowden.  “We need to find underfunded programs that don’t have other options that are homegrown.”

For example, several grants went to places that weren’t specifically in Chestnut Hill.  The Mt. Airy Learning Tree received a $5,000 grant for operating expenses, and the Allens Lane Art Center received a $3,000 grant.

“Not all of the money that gets contributed to this fund comes from 19118,” Lucas said.  “Guidelines would help us figure out how to distribute the money. “

One board member didn’t contribute to the community fund this past year because she did not agree with where the money went in previous years.

“I objected to where the money went last year,” said board member Jean Wedgweed.  “I felt no need to give to an organization that’s a retail operation even though it’s a 501(c)3.”

“I will give this year, though,” Wedgweed said.  “Laura did an excellent job.”

“We need to sit down and come up with constraints,” said board member John Cacciamani.  “That way when we send out a subcommittee to award these grants, they’ll know what to look for.”