News

The West Chop Community Fund Announces its 2022-2023 Grant Application, Review and Awards Procedures

The West Chop Community Fund partners with the lead non-profit organizations on Martha's Vineyard that are addressing key "unmet needs" on the Island. 

The WCCF awards grants to eligible non-profit organizations whose work in the community is focused on one or more of the following seven areas of need:

1. Affordable Housing
2. Children’s Health, Welfare, and Recreation
3. Clean Water
4. Education and Workforce Development
5. Food Security
6. Health & Aging
7. Substance Abuse Counseling or other related support services. 

To Apply:

The WCCF's grant making authority is limited to registered, non-profit organizations operating on Martha's Vineyard. If your organization is an active 501 (c) (3), is working in the relevant areas of need on the Island, and would like to submit a grant application, please refer to the linked guidelines and the WCCF website, which contains the WCCF Grant Application, guidelines and related information. Applications must be submitted no later than November 30, 2022 to be considered for grants to be awarded in late spring or early summer 2023.  Applicants are encouraged to submit their application as early as possible ahead of the November 30th deadline. 

For more information, visit the WCCF website: https://westchopfund.org/

Please contact grants@westchopfund.org with any questions

Networking and Nurturing at Nonprofit Night Out

- The Vineyard Gazette, by Louisa Hufstader, Monday, May 9, 2022

"After two years of grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, Island nonprofits finally took a little time off to party on Saturday night. But it was play time with a purpose — two, in fact: To raise money for the Martha’s Vineyard Nonprofit Collaborative, and to provide the opportunity for foundation workers to gather with each other and the Island public...." 

Read the full article here. 

MVNC Featured in The Vine article "Good Neighbors, Good Partners" on February 9, 2022 by Elizabeth Bennett. 

Read the full article here. 

Jackie Friedman, executive director of the Martha's Vineyard Nonprofit Collaborative, said that on the Island, "People are working together to reduce the silos." — Ray Ewing

Eight Martha’s Vineyard nonprofits, including the Edgartown Library, the Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA and Island Grown Initiative, are getting ready for a season of unprecedented challenges as the Island reopens and children return to camp and other summer activities. Read more at the Vineyard Gazette HERE.

To continue to meet the wide range of issues and capacity needs for Island nonprofits, MVNC has appointed three new Board of Directors, Diana Barrett, Ann Smith, and Eileen Nugent. All come with Island connections and years of experience serving nonprofits nationwide. 

Diana Barrett brings a resume of nonprofit experience to her post and a keen interest in how nonprofit organizations can collaborate and work more effectively together. Diana retired from a distinguished career at Harvard University, where she taught at both the School of Public Health and Harvard Business School.

She has extensive experience working with organizations worldwide to help solve social problems related to diversity, sustainable housing, and health care. Active with a wide range of Island issues and organizations, including Vineyard House, Community Services, Sheriff's Meadow, and IGI, Diana is a founding member of MV Youth and sits on an Advisors Group at the Island Housing Trust. Diana lives in Chilmark and Florida.

Ann Smith is the Executive Director of Featherstone Center for the Arts, the year-round community arts center providing gallery shows, events and art classes, and workshops for youth and adults on Martha’s Vineyard. She also serves as Chair of the Board of the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) and is the Chair of the Arts Martha’s Vineyard steering committee. She has received numerous awards for her successful leadership including the Massachusetts Tourism Award, Massachusetts (May 2015); the Permanent Endowment for Martha’s Vineyard Creative Living Award for noteworthy contributions in the Vineyard’s arts, culture, and community life and significantly improving the quality of life on the Island (November 2015) and the MV Museum’s Martha’s Vineyard Medal which recognizes outstanding commitment to preserving the history, arts, and culture of Martha’s Vineyard (August 2018). 

Eileen Nugent cares deeply about nonprofits' role and value and how she can help them improve their value to their constituents and ultimately to the Vineyard. Eileen recently retired as a senior partner at the Skadden law firm in New York City. Recognized as one of the most skilled Mergers and Acquisitions lawyers globally, Eileen excels in navigating and resolving conflict-of-interest situations. Her years of experience dealing with nonprofits' financial and policy issues include her role as Vice-Chair of the Hospital Fund Board at the Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, New York. She also sits on the Board of Trustees of Brooklyn Law School. The treasurer of her community association on the Vineyard, Eileen lives in Chilmark and New York City.

Martha's Vineyard Nonprofit Collaborative (MVNC) works to strengthen the island's nonprofits by providing advocacy, capacity-building programs, and essential resources to support the vital work to sustain the Vineyard that we love. More at mvnonprofits.org.

Compiled by the editors of the Vine (produced by The Vineyard Gazette) in early 2021, this graphic look at the accomplishments of just some of our Island nonprofits is a testament to the generosity and support that thrives in our community. 

To view the graphic, click HERE.

For a complete list of Island nonprofits, click HERE.

MV Youth, a seven-year-old nonprofit supporting youth-serving and educational organizations on the Vineyard, announced Monday afternoon that it has given more than $840,000 in grants to three Island nonprofits and the Martha’s Vineyard public school district.

Read more here: https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2020/12/14/mvyouth

While arts and culture blossom all year round here, fall is a particularly special time to embrace the arts community. As the weather cools, the crowds lessen and inspiration abounds.  If you're used to visiting the island in the summer and soaking up sun on our Island beaches we challenge you to rethink your Vineyard visit and visit us during the autumn to discover all that our local artists and arts organizations have to offer, even despite COVID. Fall for the Arts on Martha's Vineyard! See the schedule here: Fall for the Arts!

Read more about MVNC's work with nonprofits and the Island community to take part in the national conversations about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Sign up for our mailing list for upcoming workshops and webinars on DE&I work. 

Read more about Island action at: 

https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2020/08/14/staying-course-vigilance-and-action

Change always involves a degree of risk, but nonprofit leaders must accept and embrace the fact that fighting racism will create a level of risk unlike anything they've seen before, writes Mekaelia Davis of the Surdna Foundation. Davis explores how nonprofits can reshape their relationship with risk, while noting that failing to act is the biggest risk of all.