Happy Holiday's!
What do Island nonprofits wish for this coming year? Scroll through the list below to find out! Big or small, your support of our nonprofits make an impact, helping them do the great work that they do to make our Island and people thrive!
Click the green button to find contact information for each organization.
Visit here to search Island Nonprofits
2019 Wish List!
Misty Meadows Equine Learning Center's list includes a new/used laser printer ($400), a Wintec air saddle ($800), $2,500 to repair & winterize their automatic horse waterers and $6,000 to pilot a program for teens & young adults struggling with addiction.
Sail MV is expanding its marine science program and wishes for a MiScope portable digital microscope so kids can zoom in on organisms without slides ($350), and a laptop for group viewing of the live specimens ($2,000).
MVYRADIO really wishes for a multi-function laser printer to replace one that just died ($1,600) and 6 LED office lamps for their full-time staff ($30 each).
Phyllis Vecchia Creative Drama wishes for $800 for the Women in History and Story Theatre Programs classes taught to 60 groups of Islanders of all ages last year.
Island Gymnastics would love $30,000 for a new HVAC system to replace a rusty 30 year old one and reduce heating costs. Also, a trampoline extension ($2,348) so taller teens and adults can use it.
Polly Hill Arboretum wishes for a golf cart ($7,200) like Polly used for tours, so mobility challenged visitors can finally enjoy the rustic paths and natural wonders.
Sassafras Earth Education hopes to plant 12 American Chestnut saplings ($600) to give students wild harvesting opportunities and yummy healthy snacks. Plus a rain cap to keep the tipi dry on very rainy days ($500).
Island Grown Initiative hopes to find a front loader in their stocking for mixing/moving compost to enrich Farm Hub soil ($50,000) and really need several large chest freezers for the food equity programs ($500 each).
ACE MV wishes for gift certificates from Educomp and Tisbury Printer ($250 each) to purchase supplies and printed materials about their classes and programs.
Vineyard Conservation Society wants every child on island to have their own high quality (not plastic!) reusable water bottle, and is looking for 250 ($5,000) of them for kids who can’t afford their own.
Dukes County Regional Housing Authority needs translation services ($500) to increase understanding and use of housing supports by Portuguese speaking Brazilian households.
The leaking sky lights were replaced but the Animal Shelter of MV now needs $1,000 to paint the walls and finish the redo of the kennel area and create a calm atmosphere for the dogs and improve their well-being.
Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary wants to be even greener and become a net zero energy consumer by adding solar panels ($50,000). Also $10,000 for an Osprey Cam so campers, students, and the world can view these iconic birds up close and personal.
BiodiversityWorks hopes to monitor snakes and bats in burrows or tree cavities with a flexible burrow scope and video recorder ($326). Also a spray on bed liner for their truck to prevent rust and help it last longer $1,000.
Island Elderly Housing needs a propane powered generator to provide back-up emergency power to the lighting system in Woodside Village 1, their largest building ($5,510).
As they continue their new program to make films about issues that affect our community, MV Film Festival Productions wishes for a camera, computer, and light kit to make these productions their best ($5,000).
Featherstone Center for the Arts needs at least 2 pottery wheels for their new Pottery Studio. It’s their most popular medium and they need more wheels to meet demand and replace worn ones ($1,400 each for large, of which they have none, $800 each for regular).
At the Island Food Pantry clients now choose what healthy, fresh and often local food they want, so they wish for 3 new shopping carts ($400), new produce bins to increase selection ($700), and $1,200 to revamp the entry way and check-in area for safety and efficiency.
MV Mediation dreams of a Dell XPS15 ($1,500). Their existing, well-aged laptop doesn’t support the State reporting system (requires Windows) or video conferencing they need for remote mediation.
The Cottagers work in the charming old, but not ADA compliant, Town Hall on Pequot Ave in O.B. so they hope for a lift to the second floor ($50,000) and ADA bathrooms ($40,000) for elder and disabled members and visitors.
Big Brothers Big Sisters has 10 Island boys waiting for mentors and hopes 10 Big Brothers appear during the Holidays. Also need $1,800 to recruit, screen, train and support each match for 1 year.
MV Children's Chorus wishes for 50 special sturdy student folders to hold and protect sheet music each semester ($488) and sponsors for their winter and spring concert accompanist ($1,000 each).
The Edgartown School Music Department needs 2 ipads ($660) so students with disabilities can access GarageBand to play digital instruments alongside their peers on real ones.
MV Playhouse wishes for a new or gently used b&w copier ($2,700) that prints double-sided, scans and networks, to replace a dead one and print scripts, programs and business documents. Plus a heavy duty paper shredder ($200).
All volunteer Community Radio station WVVY wishes to upgrade their 10+ year old technology with a new 12 channel broadcast console ($4,419), a Shure microphone ($399) and all the required cables ($200).
To keep animals comfortable on hot days at the fair the AG Society wants fans for the barns ($1,000). Plus $3,000 to buy the E-ticketing system piloted in 2018, to reduce lines and ease entry for the public, and $10,000 for safety fencing of the main driveway.
Getting rid of furniture? The Yard needs these for staff and artist use: 6-12 office and dining room chairs, 1 King bed frame, patio furniture and a Hammock. Plus 6 new twin mattresses/box springs for dancers to lay their heads ($1,000).
MV Network for Homeless Prevention seeks 6 annual VTA passes ($150 each) so the homeless can frequent Community Suppers, the Warming Center and Houses of Grace winter shelter. Plus VTA buses provide a place for the homeless to escape the cold.
The Marine and Paleobiological Research Institute wishes for a Staples desktop laminator (item 1668258, $150) so educational materials endure repeated student and public handling.
The Island Autism Group wishes for funds to expand their after-school programs and add counselors to allow more Drumming ($6,000), more Riding ($12,000) and more swimming ($2,500) per year. Plus extra staff for higher needs kids ($10,000 for each of 3 program groups per summer and school year.
Camp Jabberwocky wishes for a new adaptive van to carry campers around the island without breaking down in Aquinnah again ($50,000), camper scholarships ($1,450/wk) for those in need, and 2 new washing machines ($900 each) for the daily load of towels and clothes!
Habitat for Humanity hopes for a heavy-duty hand truck ($300) for moving appliances and building materials safely, a 40’ Valtran storage container ($5,500) for tools and materials at and between jobs, and a new portable generator ($850).
Second Chance Animal Rescue, a no kill shelter that finds for homes for homeless animals, seeks donations toward their spay and neuter program which spent $10,000 this year placing 140 cats and dogs.
African Artists Community Development Project seeks cash or in kind donations for an expert to help set up and market an online store selling dolls made by 12 Zambian women who support their families with the proceeds ($500).
Plum Hill, a Waldorf-inspired preschool, wishes for art supplies made from natural materials for children to express themselves in a safe environment ($2,000), and a year’s supply of daily nutritious organic snacks ($5,000).
Hospice of MV needs a laptop computer ($1,250) to help their Development Director implement a strategic plan for vital funding to support their growing client base, find prospects, maintain donor databases, write grants and more.
The more you mow the denser your fields will be, so The Field Fund desires 10 extra mows to make the 4 elementary school playing fields safer for kids ($1,000) and an Air2G2 machine to decrease compaction and increase drainage on all Island fields ($35,250).
The Vineyard Haven Library seeks funds to upgrade the young adult room into an attractive after school center for teens and tweens to hang, by replacing 15 year-old furniture ($4,500) and a 10 year old gaming system ($650).
Chamber Music Society seeks a concert sponsor(s) to complete their 2019 Summer Festival ($10,000) and funds for their Artist in Residence Program, which brings professional musicians to teach and play in the schools ($10,000).
Chilmark Community Center camp enrollment rose 26% this summer and 43% of the kids were year-round islanders who get 50% off tuition. They need local scholarships for next year: $100 sends a kid to camp for a week!
The Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing wishes for 2-nights of private lodging for visiting authors/poets in their Fall, Winter, and Spring workshops, plus full tuition fellowships ($1,000 each) for Island writers.
YMCA MV hopes to enhance the playground with a slide, climbing and balance structures to keep the kids active and fit ($10,000). Also want a Bathing Suit Dryer ($2,000) instead of using plastic bags for wet ones, and a water bottle refill station ($1,500) to replace the drinking fountain and promote the use of reusable water bottles.
Martha’s Vineyard Community Services Daybreak Clubhouse wishes for $250 for a laptop projector. Daybreak provides psychosocial rehabilitation services for nearly 20 community members.
Martha’s Vineyard Community Services Island Counseling Center wishes for $300 for a LED Message Board and/or TV for waiting room to communicate information to clients/community about community support groups, events, activities, and resources.
Martha’s Vineyard Community Services Island Counseling Center wishes for $150 for non-slip rug runners for the counseling center to prevent slips and falls.
