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Nonprofit organizations that serve Newport County residents have until March 26 to apply for more than $270,000 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation.

“This is just one of the ways we focus on funding the unique needs of the residents of Newport County. Working together with donors and partners that have strong local roots ensures our help addresses the needs and priorities across every community," said David N. Cicilline, the Foundation’s president and CEO.

The Newport County Fund (NCF) offers grants of up to $10,000 to strengthen or expand established programs and for municipal planning or leadership. Applicants should focus on significant problems or opportunities, strategic partnerships or collaborations, innovation and measuring results.

The program does not fund individuals or scholarships, medical research, debt reduction or fundraising. Grants may support faith-based organizations for secular programs or projects. These are annual grants; there are no multi-year commitments.

The fund complements the Foundation’s three core grant programs: Catalyst Grants, Community Priority Grants and Capacity-Building Grants. It is just one example of the Foundation’s grant-making programs that are topic- or geography-specific such as the Program for Animal Welfare and the Equity Action Fund.

Last year’s recipients include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County, which received $5,000 to offer leadership development activities for Middletown High School freshmen; the Jamestown Community Food Pantry, which received $10,000 to offset the rising cost of purchasing food, basic household supplies and personal care and pet items; and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Newport, which received $10,000 to provide need-based scholarships to its preschool.

Over the years, this fund has invested $6.3 million in providing programs and services for residents of Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth and Tiverton. It is supplemented by the Jamestown Community Fund and the Jamestown Fund for the Performing Arts.

The fund is just one of the grant programs the Foundation uses to support nonprofits that serve the Newport County communities. In 2025, alone, the Foundation awarded $5.2 million in grants to Newport County nonprofits.

For more information about applying for an NCF grant, visit rifoundation.org.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Through civic leadership, fundraising and grant-making activities, together with neighbors and partners, the Foundation is helping to create progress that lasts.