The Newport County Fund of The Rhode Island Foundation was seeded with a $2.5 million endowment five years ago. The Rhode Island Foundation was founded in 1916 and is one of the oldest and largest charitable organizations serving a specific geographic community. Currently, the foundation exceeds $1 million in total support to Newport County's six cities and towns. And, a local advisory committee recommends grants to the Foundation to supplement their other grantmaking across the county.

$90,000 was recently awarded to 13 projects that serve a wide variety of topics. This round of grants ranges from "Reading Reaps Rewards," the successful Newport Partnership for Families summer literacy program to "Honoring their Trust: Color it Green," a project by the Potter League for Animals to produce a newsletter about the benefits of green construction and buildings.

The full list of grants includes:

Community Baptist Church, Newport County-wide, $7,000

Third-year funding of "Turning Around Ministries," which recruits volunteers to mentor individuals who are in prison or on probation, and their families, to enroll them in work or school, and place them in housing. The program has estimated that it will help approximately 35 people in the community this year.

Dorcas Place Adult & Family Learning Center, Newport, $7,000

For continued funding of its "Bridge to College" program, designed for first generation, low-income adults. The program works in partnership with CCRI Newport to increase enrollment, engages current students in recruitment activities and strategies, is developing a mentoring component, and works to devise transportation solutions to allow students easy access to the campus.

Greenways Alliance of Rhode Island, Jamestown, $10,000

To assist with the cost of conducting an engineering/land use study of Jamestown's developing bike paths, roadways, entrances to Jamestown's two schools, ball fields, and recreational facilities. The 4-phase study will help identify needs, costs, and resources to develop and improve safe bike and pedestrian access to the schools and athletic fields, encouraging people to minimize driving.

International Yacht Restoration School, Newport County-wide, $5,000

To support the Marine Trades High School Outreach program, contingent on a 1:1 match from the marine industry. The grant will partially fund the salary costs for a marine trades career-training instructor. IYRS hopes to use its relationships with local schools and community service organizations to build awareness of marine trades career opportunities and develop customized training programs for at-risk teens in need of access to sustainable careers.

Little Compton Education Foundation, $4,000

To support LCEF's Community Awareness Campaign by providing funds for supplies and/or equipment needed to produce its first annual appeal letter, set up a booth a community events, and keep its website and newsletter up-to-date. The LCEF also plans to establish an endowment to ensure that its mission is continued into the future.

Little Compton Historical Society, $7,000

To fund a portion of the Collections Documentation and Digitization Project. The LCHS will hire a consulting firm to professionally document and digitize over 10,000 items the organization has collected through its 70-year history. The consulting firm will also digitally photograph the three-dimensional artifacts, all in accordance with 21st century museum standards. The project will build a powerful, searchable collections database and represents a major, permanent organization improvement.

Newport Art Museum, $10,000

To fund partial salaries and supplies specifically for the Museum school's outreach to acute & special needs constituents. The museum works with five community organizations serving both the physically and mentally disabled residents of Newport County. Until recently, the Museum has previously has sought funding for each disability service or acute needs outreach program separately. By bundling these programs, the Museum hopes that stakeholders, funders, and the community will understand – and support – the programs' scope, impact, and importance.

Newport Historical Society, $5,000

For the Washington Square Advisory Commission's restoration project, to fund a replica of the original horse trough that had been the focal point of Washington Square during the 19th century. This award, contingent on the organization raising the balance of the necessary funding, is part of a collaborative, community-based effort to restore Newport's historic Washington Square. In addition to providing lighting and an aesthetically pleasing focal point for entry to the square, the replica horse trough will serve to protect the western end of the square.

Newport Public Education Foundation, $5,000

For continued support of the Reading Reaps Rewards summer literacy program as fiscal agent for Newport Partnership for Families. The goal for this program is to maintain grade-level reading skills and/or improve grade-level reading scores for students. The R3 program involves the Newport Public Schools, social service agencies, and the Newport Recreation Department in providing literacy instruction and literacy activities, which are integrated into the summer activity schedule by certified reading instructors. After 2006's summer program, 64% of all students attending R3 (for whom pre- and post-reading scores were available) increased or maintained levels of literacy.

Newport Public Education Foundation, $7,500

To support the Teacher Excellence Grants program and to fund an increase in the amount of grants to teachers for programs and projects. The Teacher Excellence Grants allow teachers to design and implement projects in and out of the classroom that would not otherwise be funded by the school department budget. During the 2006-2007 school year, nearly 40 grants were awarded. The NPEF intends to double its investment in the Teacher Excellence Grants for 2007-2008. The funded projects span all curricular areas and all of Newport's public schools.

Norman Bird Sanctuary, Newport County-wide, $5,000

To provide scholarship support for low-income children to participate in its school and community education outreach programs, field trips, and camps. The scholarship assistance will help provide school field trips, classroom-based and after-school programs, and school vacation camps for elementary and middle school students, as well as low cost and free activities for families.

Potter League for Animals, Newport County-wide, $7,500

To fund the costs of producing a four-page newsletter, Honoring their Trust: Color it Green, explaining the positive benefits of "building green," using the construction of the organization's new shelter as a case study. The newsletter, along with a section of the Potter League's website and a Power Point presentation, will educate the community about what building green entails, outline the building process and its impact on the environment, and describe the design features that will help the new shelter operate in an ecological and resource efficient manner.

Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership, Newport, $10,000

For support of the Aquidneck Island Mentoring Program and specifically for salary support for a program director and coordinator/program assistant to recruit approximately 100 mentors to be matched with at-risk Newport youth by June 2008. This program, based on RIMP's successful and well-regarded Warwick Mentoring Program, will work with Newport Public Schools to develop and sustain a high-quality youth mentor program. About 100 volunteer mentors will be recruited, screened, and trained to provide support, motivation, advice, friendship, reinforcement, and constructive examples for at-risk youth.