SOUTH YARMOUTH – The Falmouth Fund of The Cape Cod Foundation awarded $100,000 in grants to 31 nonprofit organizations at a reception hosted at the Falmouth Art Center on March 27.
This year marks the 10th Anniversary of The Falmouth Fund, according to Sharon Nunes, Chair of the Advisory Committee. “Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have invested nearly $600,000 back into the Falmouth community in our first ten years,” said Nunes. “We are extremely grateful to all the donors who have made this possible.”
“The grant recipients are doing remarkable work in education, health and human services, arts and culture, and the environment,” said Nunes. “Most important, they are having a significant impact on the thousands of people who benefit from the projects and programs we helped fund.”
The Falmouth Fund was established to support the work of area nonprofits that are tackling a wide range of issues and creating opportunities in the community. Nunes said that by having a permanent endowment, The Fund can make a difference in people’s lives today and plan for future generations of Falmouth residents.
The endowment also allows The Fund to respond to emergent challenges or opportunities. “We recently made a special grant of $10,000 to the Falmouth Service Center to help counter the increased demand for its services caused by the partial government shutdown,” she added.
“We are honored to partner with The Falmouth Fund to support the nonprofit community,” said Kristin O’Malley, President and CEO of The Cape Cod Foundation. “This year’s grant recipients are making significant contributions in all areas of town life. Their work is inspiring.”
The awards were presented in two categories: Strategic Grant Recipients and General Grant Recipients.
STRATEGIC FOCUS GRANT RECIPIENTS
Three nonprofit organizations serving the Falmouth community received Strategic Focus Grants to address strategic initiatives or to build long-range organizational capacity.
Falmouth Art Center, $5,000
Supports the implementation of an extensive outreach program which reinforces the Center’s strategic goals to increase its presence in the community and expand its programs.
WellStrong, $10,000
Supports the creation of an Outreach Specialist position to forge relationships in the community to enable more people to become members and benefit from WellStrong’s substance use disorder recovery programs.
Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC), $5,000
Supports the Coonamessett River Adopt-A Herring program, a collaboration between WHRC and The Coonamessett River Trust (CRT), that engages Falmouth students in a hands-on learning experience about the environment and river restoration.
GENERAL GRANT RECIPIENTS
Twenty-nine nonprofit organizations serving the Falmouth community received General Grants to address emerging opportunities, launch creative initiatives, or to cover the cost of small, one-time projects.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod & the Islands, $5,000
Supports technology upgrades that will enhance communication with families and volunteers, ultimately allowing staff to serve more children.
Boys & Girls Club of Cape Cod, $5,000
Supports the nearly 200 Falmouth children who participate in their after-school program or field-trip-based summer day camp.
Buzzards Bay Coalition, $2,500
Supports Discover Buzzards Bay: Falmouth, a hands-on program that educates and inspires students to be environmental stewards and Bay Adventures, programs that connect adults and families to the Bay and watershed.
Cape Abilities, $4,500
Supports the creation of a social networking group for individuals on the autism spectrum who are currently working or seeking work.
Cape Arts and Entertainment, $1,000
Supports Musical Menagerie, the Cape Conservatory’s annual collaboration with the Falmouth Chamber Orchestra, which introduces orchestral music to children and their families through an engaging, interactive concert experience.
Cape Cod Pride, $2,000
Supports Cape Cod Pride 2019, a day of celebration, learning, and inspiration that encourages participants to understand, support, and advocate for equality.
Cape Cod Theatre Project, $500
Supports the purchase of hearing aid devices to improve accessibility to theater programs.
Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF), $4,900
Supports The Turtle Tagging Project, a year-long pilot project that teams the CFF’s sea turtle biologist and Falmouth High School students to study the endangered loggerhead sea turtle.
Falmouth Art Center, $1,000
Supports the services of a systems engineer to develop a Systems Replacement Plan.
Falmouth Band Parents, 2,500
Supports the purchase of instruments and equipment for the percussion section of the FHS Marching Band.
Falmouth Historical Society, $2,000
Supports an oral history project with Falmouth students who are interviewing people about events during the second half of the 20th century — Civil Rights, First Moon Landing, Vietnam War, Woodstock, and more.
Falmouth Hospital Auxiliary, $3,000
Supports a scholarship for a Falmouth Hospital employee who is pursuing additional education in his/her field of expertise.
Falmouth Housing Trust, $5,000
Supports the Deer Road project that will provide affordable workforce housing in perpetuity.
Falmouth Public Schools, $5,000
Supports the final year of the three-year pilot of Calmer Choice, a program that teaches children self-regulation strategies to increase coping skills, decrease stress, and support positive decision-making.
Falmouth Service Center, $4,500
To purchase a new, industrial kitchen refrigerator to accommodate the growing need of the Center’s programs.
Falmouth STEM Boosters, $2,000
Supports bus transportation for STEM-related field trips—from Waquoit Bay to WHOI’s DunkWorks, from NOAA Fisheries to MBL’s squid tanks.
Falmouth Theatre Guild, $2,050
Supports the purchase of hearing enhancement systems to improve the theater experience for those who are hearing disabled.
Falmouth Together We Can, $2,000
Supports Celebrations, the 25-year tradition of providing an After-Prom event that keeps students safe with an evening of non-stop music, food, challenge events, crafts, and prizes.
Falmouth Volunteers in Public Schools, $1,900
Supports the CAST (Cross-Age Science Teaching) program that pairs 8th grade “science buddies” with small groups of third-graders in engaging, hands-on lessons and learning.
Highfield Hall & Gardens, $2,500
Supports phase two of the Gardens Initiative to further address the ADA accessibility along the existing Beech Tree Path down to the Harmony Path and surrounding nature trails.
Housing Assistance Corporation, $2,500
Supports the expansion of services in childcare, education, and transportation for Falmouth clients.
Mass Audubon-Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, $2,500
Supports the Ecosystem Exploration Program that teaches Falmouth students about the Cape’s ecosystem by offering hands-on learning experiences.
Recovery Without Walls, $1,500
Supports The Gathering Point, a program that incorporates holistic treatments into conventional recovery programs by incorporating the services of a certified yoga and meditation instructor.
Sea Education Association, $1,000
Supports Trash Shouldn’t Splash, a community engagement program that promotes a reduction in use of single-use items, particularly plastic, to decrease waste on land and in the oceans.
The 300 Committee Land Trust, $4,700
Supports the handicapped-accessible trail expansion project at Two Ponds Conservation Area, a permanently protected nature preserve at the edge of Jones Pond and the rare Atlantic white cedar swamp.
The GroundTruth Project, $1,000
Supports GroundTruth’s bureau operations in Woods Hole and its in-depth environmental and climate change reporting by fellows who are training as the next generation of journalists.
West Falmouth Library, $1,000
Supports the continuation of the library’s oral history project to document the history of West Falmouth by recording the memories and stories of community members.
Woods Hole Film Festival, $2,000
Supports the expansion of Film Falmouth, a community film series and Bringing Science to the Screen, a unique pairing of films with talks by local scientists.
YMCA Cape Cod, $5,000
Supports scholarships for Falmouth children to participate in YMCA programs: memberships, before- and after-school programs, school-vacation camp, and summer camp at Camp Lyndon.
For more information about the fund or to sign up for The Falmouth Fund newsletter, please visit www.capecodfoundation.org.
Anyone interested in contributing to The Falmouth Fund can contact Cape Cod Foundation President and CEO Kristin O’Malley at 508.790.3040, donate online at falmouthfund.org, or mail a check, payable to The Falmouth Fund, to: The Cape Cod Foundation, 261 Whites Path, Unit 2, South Yarmouth, MA, 02664.