Grants Funds

This fund was established in 1986 for the benefit of the elderly residents of the town of Tisbury.

This endowed fund will provide annual support to the Chappaquiddick Community Center (CCC) for operating expenses and capital improvements, or other projects for the benefit of the Chappaquiddick community that are duly approved by the CCC board of directors.

The Emma MacKay Hall Fund supports the educational success of all Martha’s Vineyard students and small community organizations located on the Island. Grants are available to Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Art & Art Therapy, and Animal Rehabilitation/Therapy programs. Scholarships are available to graduates of MVRHS of any age, who wish to further their academic goals in any capacity.

This unrestricted fund supports projects and programs addressing important Island issues and concerns and, to a limited extent, capital investments.

Harriet N. Goldberg, who was raised on Martha’s Vineyard, bequeathed a portion of her estate to address the physical and spiritual needs of the Island’s commercial seafarers and those who make their living on the sea,  as well as individuals pursuing educational programs in preparation for commercial maritime careers.  The fund, originally associated with the Boston Seaman’s Friend Society, was transferred to the Community Foundation in 2006 to insure that members of the Vineyard maritime community would continue to benefit from the financial support of the Goldberg Fund.

The Island Fund for the Arts is dedicated to supporting the creative and diverse artistic community on the Vineyard, and to ensure that access to the Arts is available to all Island residents.

Since 1983, the Foundation has supported Island non-profits and initiatives dedicated to music, dance, visual arts, creative arts, film and theater, as well as art camps, arts in school initiatives, writing workshops, film and art festivals and concerts.

This Fund provides a way for donors to direct their support across the broad spectrum of non-profits bringing creative opportunities to the Island now and in perpetuity.

The Island Fund for the Environment supports all aspects of the Island’s natural world, from woods and fields to our ponds, streams and ocean.

From its first grant award cycle in 1983, the Foundation has been supporting the Environment.  We have made grants for land conservation, hiking and biking trials, shellfish research, our marine and coastal habitats, environmental education, citizen scientists, wildlife research, aquaculture and fisheries management.

This fund will provide support to the Island’s land, fish, birds and animals, as well as to help ensure that the Island’s residents have access to the natural world in perpetuity.

The Island Fund for the Community supports a thriving, diverse and cultural community.

One of the many special characteristics of Martha’s Vineyard is the breadth of its community resources.  Libraries and museums, schools and pre-schools, housing assistance, EMT’s, fire departments, sports teams and venues, animal shelters, adult education, mediation, town parks, summer camps, lighthouse moves and red-stocking fund, the Foundation has supported them all.

This Fund will continue to ensure that the many island organizations that make our community strong and enriching will be supported in perpetuity.

The Island Fund for Health supports the health and well-being of our Island residents.

From its beginning in 1983, the Foundation has contributed to many of the organizations that are dedicated to keeping our island residents healthy.  This includes organizations and programs that address our physical health, mental health, elder services, meal delivery, addiction and recovery services, aging in the home, nursing facilities and our island hospital.  

This fund provides a way for donors to direct their support in perpetuity to the organizations that contribute to the health care needs of our Island residents.

This fund was created for the purpose of “defraying expenses of equipping and staffing medical, surgical or health care service providers, including preventive health care” serving the residents of Martha’s Vineyard, with priority given to low income families and individuals.

In 2015, Sarah Flanders and her sister, Genevieve, established The Joy Fund to honor their mother, Joyanne Flanders, an extraordinary teacher of Special Education. This hybrid scholarship and grant fund funds scholarships for special needs students on the Island, and those seeking advancement in the study of Special Education. In addition, this fund may award grants to nonprofit organizations, which focus on service to the special needs community here on the Island.

Created by bequest of W.H. ‘Riley’ Deeble in honor of his mother, this Fund supports the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital in a manner consistent with the support given by the former Friends of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.

Kerry Alley, with pivotal assistance from his wife Pat, has dedicated years to the Red Stocking Fund, ensuring that all Island children in need have “something to eat, something to wear, and something to play with during the holidays.” In 2020, his friends and admirers and the Community Foundation created a new fund in his name which will benefit the Red Stocking Fund in perpetuity.

Established in 2009 through a bequest from the estate of Lillian Hellman, this fund supports recreational, leisure and educational activities for school age children on Martha’s Vineyard both after school and during the summer months.  Preference is given to programs serving children from Aquinnah.

Created in 1945 and transferred to the Community Foundation in 1986, this fund honors two distinguished and devoted Vineyard physicians, Orland S. Mayhew and Clement C. Nevin.  The fund helps pay for the medical expenses of families and individuals in need who have received care from the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.

Ruth Redding, a long time Island resident, created this fund to honor the creative spirit and love of Martha’s Vineyard of her friend, Ruth J. Bogan.  Funds are designated to a number of Island organizations supported by Ruth Bogan during her lifetime.  In addition, the annual Creative Living Award was established in the name of the fund to honor an individual or individuals who exemplify Ruth Bogan’s creativity and love of the Vineyard and whose artistic, humanitarian and civic accomplishments have contributed significantly to life on the Island.

The Climate Action Fund was established to fund projects addressing the effects of climate change on Martha’s Vineyard. This includes extreme weather such as storms, flooding and increased heat, public health and safety, food security, and impacts to the local economy. Funding will be used to provide local matches for grant projects and to implement climate change resilience strategies.

The Emergency Response Fund was established in March 2020 to address the sudden and urgent needs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, this fund has awarded over $800,000 and remains as relevant as ever. Learn more.

Migrant Relief Fund: In September of 2022, a group of Venezuelan migrants arrived on the Island unexpectedly with nowhere to turn. A number of nonprofits on the Island and the Cape sprung into action to provide emergency shelter, food, legal assistance, medical assistance and other support. This fund was established to provide support for both the immediate, short term needs at the time, and longer term needs. With the continuance of this fund, we support the organizations that house, feed, and provide assistance to all migrants on the Island, assuring they have the resources to meet current as well as future needs.

The goal of The Land Protection Fund for Martha’s Vineyard is to protect the Island’s land and to preserve its natural beauty.

Over-development is an unrelenting threat to the Island as it diminishes its natural landscapes, fragments our forests and farms, and impacts our streams and ponds. The Land Protection Fund conserves land by traditional means such as purchasing undeveloped land outright in collaboration with Island conservation organizations, as well as supporting creative initiatives such as Village and Wilderness, which helps community-based organizations to create innovative conservation solutions.

This fund welcomes contributions from all who wish to contribute to Land Protection. Additionally, all proceeds from sales of the book In Praise of Protected Lands and Special Places of Martha’s Vineyard benefit this fund.

Established in the spring of 2018, the Martha’s Vineyard Community Services Driving the Future Fund is a collaborative effort between Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS) and the Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation.

In keeping with their community-minded spirit, MVCS has committed to donating 20% of net proceeds from their License Plate Program to other Island non-profits that benefit youth and seniors through this fund. Learn more.

The Rental Relief Fund is a collaboration between the Foundation and the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority to assist renters who are unable to meet their rent payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applications for rental assistance may be found on the DCRHA website – or here.

The Sam Feldman Fund for the Long-term Success of Island Nonprofits was created to support non-profit or municipal organizations in undertaking important capacity-building work.

These types of projects could be related to board governance and education, strategic planning and implementation, and other board-related educational experiences. This is a rolling application and interested non-profit or municipal organizations may apply at any time of the year.

Started in 2016, this fund is a collaborative effort between the Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation and the Martha’s Vineyard Nonprofit Collaborative.

The Vineyard’s unique and globally rare coastal ponds, its inland ponds, its rivers and brooks, and the environs of the same, all provide important habitat to a variety of birds and animals, flora and fauna, shell and fin fish, as well as providing food, recreational opportunities and scenic views to the Island’s residents and livelihoods for its shell fishermen.  These ecosystems are ecologically fragile and have been compromised by development, pollution, invasive species and erosion.

Vineyard Ponds and Waterways Fund will work with outside agencies, organizations and citizens groups, to provide support for the restoration and preservation of healthy aquatic ecosystems for the Island’s streams, freshwater inland ponds and ocean facing Great Ponds.

This Fund may support efforts for individual ponds and rivers, as well as ponds and rivers in general, acknowledging that the health of one often impacts the health of others.

Support may include, but is not limited to, water quality testing, data collection and documentation, invasive species removal, dredging, and other recommendations grounded in scientific research.

The Vineyard Unrestricted Fund was started in 2019 and is a non-endowed, multipurpose fund to be used where it is needed most. If you are unsure which fund to donate to, we suggest donating to this fund. This fund is the most effective way for us to address both the current and future needs of our Island community, and the hardworking organizations who rise to meet those needs. Thank you for your consideration.

In 2019, Wallace & Co. Sotheby’s International Realty established a dedicated fund to give back to the Island community.  This collaboration with the Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation enables the members of the company to provide support for housing needs on the Island.  Every year, brokers will personally contribute a portion of their commissions from all property sales to the Community Housing Fund.  Grants from this fund will be used to support affordable housing projects and other needed housing services on Martha’s Vineyard.

For more information, please contact Wallace & Co. Sotheby’s International Realty at 508 627-3313, or email .

The Chappy Point to Point is a five mile road race on Chappaquiddick.  Proceeds from the race will be used to support non-profit community initiatives to benefit the residents and environment of Chappaquiddick. These initiatives have included benefiting the Land Bank’s purchase of Cove Meadow, and IGI’s Chappaquiddick food waste initiative..

The Coalition is working to establish a MV Housing Bank modeled largely after the MV Land Bank.

With median Vineyard real estate sales exceeding $1m, it is becoming harder than ever for working people to afford stable housing.  The affordable housing crisis that has been with us for several decade is intensifying.

The coalition is comprised of broad community representation.  It’s role is to listen, educate and build Island-wide support for this initiative.

To learn more, click here, or email to join the coalition.

In collaboration with the Division of Conservation and Recreation, the Friends will work to enhance and preserve the natural resources of the Forest’s sandplain ecosystem while accommodating compatible recreational uses.

The Friends propose to further the appropriate management of the Forest’s sandplain ecosystem by providing support for the maintenance of existing fire break lanes in order to reduce the growing risk of wildfire within and beyond the Forest perimeter.  In so doing, the management goal is to increase the vast potential for habitat for dormant fire-adapted plant species currently dominated by other vegetation types.

Additionally, the Friends will work to enhance opportunities for existing and future appropriate recreational uses, such as horse back riding, cross-country skiing, frisbee golf, hiking, model airplanes, and other non-invasive activities, compatible with good resource management.

Bob Woodruff would be happy to discuss this further.  He can be reached at .

The purpose of this Fund is to serve the immediate, short-term needs of those without immediate housing and those facing imminent loss of housing on Martha’s Vineyard.

The goal of theTick-Borne Illness Prevention program is to reduce the incidence of tick-borne illnesses on Martha’s Vineyard.  To achieve this goal, the program combines research, public education and advocacy for individuals and the Island community at large.  To learn more, click here.

To provide resources for the ecological health of Job’s Neck Pond.

Each year, the Island’s First Responders compete in the highly-popular Police vs. Fire/EMS Ice Hockey Game, raising funds and awareness for various Island non-profits. In recent years, the event has benefited Island Autism, MV Youth Hockey, Vineyard House, and others.

Preserving the working nature of the Vineyard Haven waterfront.

Founded in 1868, The Vineyard Haven Band has been providing free, live concert band music to the public on Martha’s Vineyard for 149 years!

While earnings from the Band’s traditional sources cover the Band’s basic needs such as rent and insurance, it does not cover additional expenses such as sheet music, music stands, instrument cases and refurbishments etc.

This fund will be used to ensure that the Vineyard Haven Band can continue to provide free music for another 150 years.

Funding Fellowships through grant administration for:
• Lynne Ditchfield, Borders to Bridges Educational Program
• Carrie Fyler, Tick-related community programs; development of Tick Lab

To learn more, click here.

This Fund supports Barney Zeitz’s Flieden Stained Glass Windows Project, for the present Evangelical Church in Flieden, Germany, which was formerly a synagogue prior to WWII.