The Champlin Foundation announced $13.2 million in capital funding to 126 nonprofit organizations serving a variety of priorities, including several in Bristol and Warren.

“For The Champlin Foundation and the many grantee organizations we fund, this has been another year of navigating the complexities of the pandemic,” said Nina Stack, executive director of The Champlin Foundation. “Despite this intense time of challenge, I am heartened by the resolve of Rhode Island’s robust nonprofit community. It is encouraging to see many returning to their important pre-pandemic capital priorities.”

Support for education remains a constant for The Champlin Foundation, reflected in their generous $49,812 grant to Mt. Hope High School’s Arts and Applied Arts Department for new computers. According to a statement from Principal Deb DiBiase, “Our application entitled ‘Impacting Our Future: Collaborative Design & Production at Mt. Hope High School’ emphasized our belief that given the opportunity to develop skills with state-of-the-art technology, and by working collaboratively within our departments, our students will become productive, responsible citizens who will have a positive impact on the future.

Projects that the department hopes to complete with the new computers include Marketing & Graphic Design classes’ logo design for the community and for statewide competitions; Photography class collaborations with Marketing and Publishing to document school events for yearbook production; Photography and Design collaborations with Business Management classes for school store product and sales; and students will design school shirts and products in house and save the cost of outsourcing these jobs. The Visual Arts students will display and sell their artwork in the school store, and Graphic Design students will design merchandise for the school store with DECA students and help Robotics students bring their logo design ideas to fruition.

Arts a priority
According Uriah Donnelly of the Collaborative, which received a $7,000 grant, “The Collaborative is quite pleased to receive a grant from The Champlin Foundation. The funds from this opportunity will be used to purchase equipment for a planned Photo Lab — a member-based studio space with access to high quality equipment for photographers, filmmakers and working artists. The addition of the Photo Lab will also expand The Collaborative’s education programs by providing the space and equipment to engage learners of all ages in the techniques of digital photography."

Capital projects for community resources
As always, The Champlin Foundation’s generosity will be funneled into several critically important (though not always highly visible) projects with grants for physical improvements to prominent local community and historical organization, including Rogers Free Library.

"We are very excited to have been awarded a Champlin Foundation grant in the amount of $64,000 to go towards the replacement of a new roof for the original building of the Rogers Free Library,” said interim co-director Nancy Kellner. “We are awaiting notification for a second grant for the additional funding for the completion of the project from The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission. That notification is anticipated for January 2022."

Linden Place was granted $20,000 for a new gutter system and exterior restoration. “We are delighted to receive such an important award from The Champlin Foundation,” said Susan Battle, Executive Director of Linden Place. “This generous grant greatly supports Linden Place’s efforts to preserve our 1850’s barn, now home to the Bristol Art Museum, an important cultural and artistic center in the heart of Bristol’s downtown. In this way, the grant is supporting not one but two important Bristol organizations.”

Mount Hope Farm also received a grant for historic building restoration, in the amount of $107,560. According to Executive Director Brenda Turchetta, “Mount Hope Farm is both elated and grateful after being notified that we were awarded a Champlin Foundation grant. We are greatly appreciative of The Champlin Foundation for recognizing the importance of preserving the structures that reside on this historic property. We look forward to moving ahead with important restoration work in 2022.”

The first round of applications for 2022 grants will open on Dec. 15 and close on Jan. 15. The second cycle will begin June 1, 2022, and close on July 1, 2022.

Since 1932, The Champlin Foundation has awarded more than $610 million to fund capital projects for Rhode Island nonprofit organizations. Its nine area of focus cover Arts & Culture, Conservation & Parks, Education, Health, Historic Preservation, Libraries, Social Services, Welfare of Animals, and Youth Services. For more information visit www.ChamplinFoundation.org.