MANCHESTER, NH – The Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation has awarded grants made at its June 2024 funding meeting totaling over $178,000 across six organizations. These grants will support non-profit organizations in the communities of Manchester and Amherst that provide services in the areas of human services, education, public benefit, and the environment.
“In keeping with the wishes of Norwin and Elizabeth Bean to support the communities in which they were born and lived, we are honored to support these organizations whose work positively impacts and improves the quality of life of the citizens of Manchester and Amherst,” commented Katy Easterly Martey, Bean Foundation Board Chair.
The following organizations will receive this funding:
Families in Transition (FIT), Manchester, NH
Families in Transition is the largest provider of programs and services for families and adults experiencing homelessness in New Hampshire. Families in Transition will be implementing a new “Property Management System.” The new cloud-based system will improve staff capacity, meet property management needs, provide consistent training for current and future employees, and integrate with FIT’s current accounting software.
Girls, Inc. of NH, Manchester, NH
Girls, Inc. of NH provides year-round free and low-cost afterschool care, nutrition assistance, mental health services, child abuse and neglect intervention, summer camp, academic support, and college and career guidance to girls aged 5 to 18 throughout the state. Girls, Inc. will be “Refurbishing a Bus” that is used to pick up girls after school and for field trips. This will allow the bus to continue to be used for another 5-10 years before needing to be replaced.
Manchester Police Athletic League (MPAL), Manchester, NH
The Manchester Police Athletic League strives to foster and maintain positive relationships between the youth of the greater Manchester area and members of the Manchester Police Department. Funding will support the “MPAL Choices Program” a unique skills/mentoring program for justice and gang involved youth. Led by formerly incarcerated and rehabilitated adults, the program is the only one of its kind in New Hampshire.
NH Audubon Society, Manchester, NH
The NH Audubon Society seeks to protect New Hampshire’s natural environment for wildlife and people. As part of “The Pollinator Garden Urban Habitat Renewal Project,” the Society will be installing two new pollinator gardens on the west side of Manchester.
NH Historical Society, Manchester, NH
The New Hampshire Historical Society’s mission is to educate a diverse public about the significance of New Hampshire’s past and its relationship to our lives today. Through a partnership with the Manchester School District, the Society will “Integrate the Moose on the Loose Social Studies Curriculum” into Manchester’s elementary schools in alignment with the district’s “Amplify” literacy program.
Opportunity Networks, Inc., Amherst, NH
Opportunity Networks mission is rooted in the promotion and advocacy of autonomy for individuals with cognitive and acquired disabilities. Funding will support the “Community Integration Services Program” which utilizes activity-based interventions to address the needs of individuals to improve their health and wellbeing.
The Bean Foundation awards grants three times a year in the fields of arts and humanities, education, environment, health, human services, and public benefit. Grants are only available for nonprofit organizations that serve Manchester and Amherst, New Hampshire. The next funding deadline is September 1, 2024. For more information and to apply for a grant visit www.beanfoundation.org.