$220,000 in grants available for services to Newport County residents

Nonprofit organizations that serve residents of Newport and Newport County’s other five towns have until March 28 to apply for $220,000 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation.

“This is just one of the ways the Foundation focuses on serving the unique needs of the residents of Newport County. Working together with partners that have deep local roots ensures our help reflects the needs and priorities across every community," said David N. Cicilline, the Foundation’s president and CEO.

The Newport County Fund (NCF) offers grants of up to $10,000 to develop new programs, to strengthen or expand established programs and for municipal planning or leadership. Applicants should focus on significant problems or opportunities, strategic partnerships or collaborations, innovation and measuring results.

The program does not fund individuals or scholarships, medical research, debt reduction or fundraising. Grants may support faith-based organizations for secular programs or projects. These are annual grants; there are no multi-year commitments.

The fund complements the Foundation’s three core grant programs. It is just one example of the Foundation’s grant-making programs that are topic- or geography-specific such as the Program for Animal Welfare and the Jamestown Community Fund.

Last year’s recipients include the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Newport, which received $10,000 for educational programs; Bike Newport, which received $5,000 to launch an e-bike safety training initiative; and the St. Joseph Conference of the St. Vincent DePaul Society in Newport, which received $10,000 to provide emergency financial assistance to needy households.

Over the years, fund has invested $6 million in funding programs and services for residents of Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth and Tiverton. It is supplemented by the Jamestown Community Fund and the Jamestown Fund for the Performing Arts.

The fund is just one of the grant programs the Foundation uses to support nonprofits that serve the Newport County communities. In 2024, alone, the Foundation awarded $3.7 million in grants to Newport County nonprofits.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Through civic leadership, fundraising and grant-making activities, together with neighbors and partners, the Foundation is helping to create progress that lasts. For more information about applying for an NCF grant, visit rifoundation.org.