Community Foundation for Nantucket Marks 20th Anniversary with $1 Million in Grants

The Community Foundation for Nantucket celebrated a significant milestone on Tuesday at its annual Nantucket Fund grant awards celebration. The event marked both the 20th anniversary of the foundation and the awarding of a record-breaking $1 million to local nonprofits.

The event was held at the Sconset Casino and gathered nonprofit leaders, year-round residents, and donors to honor two decades of philanthropy. Since its founding, the Foundation has distributed over $46 million in grants, with more than 90 percent of that funding supporting Nantucket-based nonprofits. Since it began, the Foundation's Nantucket Fund has awarded $13 million, with this year's funds supporting 38 local organizations that provide services on the island.

"This year's Nantucket Fund grants are a testament to the generosity of our donors and the resilience of our nonprofit partners who show up every day to support the Nantucket Community," said Sunny Daily, the executive director of the Community Foundation.

Daily added, "As we reflect on the Community Foundation's 20 years of work on the island, we look ahead with gratitude and determination. Together, we are not only meeting the moment, but also building a stronger, more connected Nantucket now and for the future."

This year's grant recipients and the programs supported by the funds include:

• A Safe Place – Trauma Therapy Program
• Addiction Solutions Nantucket – Database Management Support
• Artists Association of Nantucket – Senior Arts Outreach Program
• Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Cape & Islands – Nantucket Mentor Program
• Bulgarian Education Center – Bulgarian School Cultural Education Program
• Cape Cod Healthcare Foundation – Maternal/Child Health Program
• Elder Services of Cape Cod & the Islands – Nantucket Meals on Wheels and Saltmarsh Senior Meals Program
• Fairwinds – Telehealth Hybrid Program
• Friends of Children’s Cove – Children’s Trauma Therapist Travel Support
• Friends of Nantucket Public Schools – Scholarship Program for After-School Activities
• Habitat for Humanity – Waitt Drive Village Project: Duplex
• Health Imperatives – Health Clinic & Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program
• Homeless Prevention Council – Program support for Unstably Housed Youth and Young Adults on Nantucket
• Housing Nantucket – Rehabilitate Rental Properties
• In The Herd – Equine Therapy Sessions for Youth
• Mass Audubon Nantucket Sanctuaries – Youth Environmental Stewards Program
• Montessori Children’s House of Nantucket – Tuition Stabilization for 2025
• Nantucket Center for Elder Affairs – Programs for Nantucket Seniors
• Nantucket Community Ice Rink – Program Support
• Nantucket Community Music Center – Nantucket Island Youth Orchestra Free After-School Program
• Nantucket Community School – Summer Boost & English Language Learners Program
• Nantucket Community Television – ACK Ambassadors Program
• Nantucket Dreamland Foundation – Free Youth Matinees & Community Screenings
• Nantucket Interfaith Council – Food Pantry and Rental Assistance Programs
• Nantucket Island Fair – 2025 Island Fair
• Nantucket Lighthouse School – Extended Day Program for Pre-K to Grade 5
• Nantucket Pride – Nantucket Pride Film Festival
• Nantucket S.T.A.R. – Sports and Therapeutic Accessible Recreation Wellness Program
• New England LifeFlight – Emergency Flight Service Support
• Our House – Outreach to Hard-to-Reach and At-Risk Youth
• PASCON – Caregiver Support Program
• Rising Tide Preschool – Building Bright Futures Program
• Small Friends on Nantucket – Opening an Older Toddler & Early Preschool Classroom
• St. Paul’s Church on Nantucket – Early Childhood Family Space & Free Community Suppers Program
• The Maria Mitchell Association – Learning Labs Program
• The Nantucket Book Foundation – Visiting Authors in Schools Program
• The Warming Place – Emergency Shelter Program