Community Foundation For Nantucket Announces Campaign Fund For New Our Island Home

The Community Foundation for Nantucket (CFN) announced the establishment of the Our Island Home Campaign Fund, which will support the construction of the new, state-of-the-art skilled nursing facility on Nantucket that is up for voter approval at the Annual Town Meeting in early May.

This initiative is being led by Friends of Our Island Home and aims to secure private funding to offset a portion of the taxpayers' bill for the new facility and help ensure the nursing home remains available for generations to come.

At this time, the Our Island Home Campaign Fund is only accepting commitments of support rather than direct donations. Contributions can only be officially received pending voter approval of the $100 million project at the Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, May 3, and on the ballot during the Annual Town Election on Tuesday, May 20.

“This partnership represents a major step forward for Friends of Our Island Home as we continue advocating for a modernized skilled nursing facility on Nantucket,” said Alison Forsgren, Vice President of Friends of Our Island Home. “By working together, we can pursue private donations to help reduce the financial burden on taxpayers for the construction of a new Our Island Home.”

The new facility will provide high-quality long-term care, short-term rehabilitation, respite, and hospice services, addressing the evolving needs of island residents.

Once approved, the CFN will collect donations and distribute funds to the Town of Nantucket to help offset construction costs. Naming opportunities will be available for donors making significant contributions.

“A key part of our mission is to enhance the well-being of the Nantucket community by supporting systems that allow residents to age with dignity and confidence in the care they need,” said Sunny Daily, Executive Director of the Community Foundation for Nantucket. “We are proud to support Friends of Our Island Home in this effort and deeply appreciate Kathy Grieder and Alison Forsgren for their dedication and trust in our Foundation.”

The Community Foundation for Nantucket works to enhance the well-being of our community by addressing critical issues and supporting the social, physical, cultural, economic, and environmental conditions essential for all Islanders to flourish and fulfill their potential.

While the Nantucket Finance Committee voted 6-3 in support of the project last month, its chair, Denice Kroneau, spoke out publicly at a subsequent Select Board meeting to urge voters against the appropriation. It was a rare - if not unprecedented - instance of a Finance Committee chair publicly advocating against the majority decision of their own committee.

The town's finance director, Brian Turbitt, told the committee earlier in February that the average year-round residential property assessed at $2 million with the residential tax exemption would see an annual tax increase of $271. For the average property without the residential exemption, the project would mean an annual tax hike of roughly $700. Turbitt said the town had created a tax rate calculator so island property owners could determine their specific tax rate increase for the Our Island Home project, as well as others on the Town Meeting warrant.