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New Hampshire Charitable Foundation

Annual Giving
$70.0M
Grant Range
$0K - $0.3M
Decision Time
4mo

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $70+ million
  • Assets Under Management: $1+ billion
  • Decision Time: 3-4 months (rolling decisions through December)
  • Grant Range: $250 - $300,000 (varies by program)
  • Geographic Focus: New Hampshire (and select bordering communities in Maine and Vermont)

Contact Details

Main Office:

  • Address: 37 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301-4005
  • Phone: 603-225-6641
  • Toll-free: 800-464-6641
  • Website: www.nhcf.org

Portsmouth Office:

  • Address: 446 Market St., Portsmouth, NH 03801
  • Phone: 603-430-9182

Department Extensions:

  • Grant inquiries: 603-225-6641 ext. 5
  • Scholarship inquiries: 603-225-6641 ext. 2
  • Fundholder/Donor Services: 603-225-6641 ext. 3
  • Media inquiries: 603-225-6641 ext. 267 (Kristen Oliveri)

Overview

Founded in 1962, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is one of the United States' largest community foundations and the largest private provider of nonprofit grants and student aid in northern New England. Managing more than $1 billion in charitable funds donated by hundreds of families and individuals, the Foundation awards some 8,000 grants and scholarships exceeding $70 million annually. The Foundation's mission is to make New Hampshire a more just, sustainable, and vibrant community where everyone can thrive. Its current strategic plan, "Together We Thrive," focuses on advancing equity, racial justice, and economic security through grantmaking, advocacy, coalition-building, and impact investing. The Foundation has earned a 4/4 Star rating on Charity Navigator and, in 2024, awarded more than $3.2 million in grant funding to 138 nonprofit organizations through its Community Grants program alone.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Community Grants Program: $20,000 - $40,000 (up to $20,000 per year for up to two years of unrestricted operating support or project support). Applications submitted through online portal with fixed annual deadline (typically August), rolling decisions communicated by early December.

Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund Programs (serving Coös County and bordering communities):

  • Dash Grants: $250 - $2,000 (expedited turnaround of three weeks or less, rolling basis)
  • Local Grants: $2,000 - $20,000 (one, two, or three-year grants)
  • Large Grants: $20,000 - $300,000

Greater Rochester Community Health Foundation Programs (serving Strafford County):

  • Small Grants: Up to $10,000 (general operating support for access to care)
  • Targeted Grants: Up to $25,000 (project support for mental health/behavioral health/substance use disorder services, early education/child care, and housing/transportation)

Wellborn Ecology Fund: School-based project grants for place-based ecology education (K-12 and early childhood education centers in underserved communities, limited to Upper Valley Region). Since 2001, has awarded grants totaling more than $5.5 million to more than 125 organizations.

Piscataqua Region Artist Advancement Grant: $25,000 (one of the largest unrestricted grants awarded to a single artist in the country)

Priority Areas

The Foundation funds programs and operations of qualified nonprofit organizations in the following areas, with special emphasis on efforts that advance equity, racial justice, and economic security:

  • Health and Well-Being: Mental health, addiction prevention, and access to care
  • Education: Programs ensuring young people receive the education they need to thrive
  • Housing and Basic Needs: Resources promoting health, wellness, safety, and belonging for individuals or families in crisis
  • Environmental Protection: Environmental education and ecological awareness
  • Arts and Culture: Supporting artists and bringing arts to New Hampshire communities
  • Civic Health: Strengthening democratic participation and civic engagement
  • Economic Security: Programs addressing economic barriers and promoting financial stability

The program gives special priority to organizations whose mission and core work respond to essential, basic needs and serve and collaborate with residents who face barriers to basic rights and the ability to thrive.

What They Don't Fund

  • Religious Activities: The Foundation does not fund religious activities of any kind through the Community Grants program, though religious organizations are eligible for project funding if services are non-discriminatory, non-sectarian, and benefit the larger community
  • Recovery Housing: Temporarily not accepting proposals for recovery housing pending establishment of a certifying vendor in partnership with DHHS
  • Organizations Promoting Hate: Will not knowingly make grants to organizations whose mission or programs promote hate or run counter to principles of basic respect, justice, and equity
  • Budget Gaps/Deficit Funding: The Nonprofit Loan Program is not available to fill budget gaps or provide deficit funding
  • Previous Grant Recipients: Organizations that received a multiyear Community Grant in December 2024 or those receiving initiative-based grant invitations are not eligible to apply to Community Grants

Governance and Leadership

President and CEO: Richard Ober leads the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. In a January 2025 message, Ober stated: "It has never been more important to look outward, to embrace a shared imperative to build communities of care and belonging, to protect the most vulnerable, to try to heal community fractures." He emphasized: "We will continue to focus on equity, racial justice and economic security as we work to achieve our purpose. We will continue to use all of our tools — grantmaking, advocacy, coalition-building, impact investing — to help make New Hampshire a more just, sustainable and vibrant community where everyone can thrive."

Key Staff:

  • Michael Wilson - CFO and Chief Investment Officer
  • Kristen Oliveri - Vice President of Communications and Marketing
  • Michael DeCristofaro - Director of Advisor Relations

Board of Directors includes members from across New Hampshire: JerriAnne Boggis (Milford), Jada Hebra (Dunbarton), Ritu Ullal (Hollis), Bobbie Bagley (Nashua), Laurie Gabriel (Jackson), Barbara J. Couch (Hanover, Vice Chair), and Kristin Girald.

The organization is governed by bylaws, with staff and board members from all corners of the state ensuring diverse regional representation.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through the Foundation's online portal called GrantSource. The Foundation encourages applicants to call with questions, noting that "sometimes a quick phone call can save a world of time and effort."

Community Grants Program (2025 cycle):

  • Application portal opens: Monday, July 7, 2025
  • Application deadline: Thursday, August 21, 2025, 5:00 pm Eastern time
  • Application method: Online through GrantSource portal

Required Compliance: Applicants must be in good standing with the IRS, the NH Secretary of State's office, and the Charitable Trust Unit of the NH Department of Justice. All New Hampshire nonprofits (defined as all IRS 501(c)(3) entities, except religious organizations) must complete the New Hampshire Eligibility Checklist.

Reporting Requirements: Before submitting a new application, applicants must ensure they have filed necessary reports from past grants. The Foundation requires reports for every grant made through application programs and can only make a new grant if all past interim or final reports have been filed.

Decision Timeline

Grant decisions are made and shared with applicants on a rolling basis, with all grant decisions communicated by the first week of December. This represents approximately 3-4 months between the application deadline (late August) and when all decisions are finalized (early December).

After a grant decision is made, an official "notification of grant award" email is sent, and checks are mailed shortly after that notification.

Dash Grants (Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund) offer expedited processing, taking three weeks or less from application to decision.

Success Rates

The Foundation does not publicly disclose specific success rate statistics. In 2024, the Community Grants program awarded more than $3.2 million to 138 nonprofit organizations, and in 2023, more than $2.6 million was awarded to 153 nonprofits through the same program.

Reapplication Policy

Yes, reapplication is encouraged. Eligible applicants whose proposals are declined are welcome to submit another proposal at the next open call for proposals. There is no waiting period for unsuccessful applicants—organizations that are declined can reapply when the next grant cycle opens.

The only eligibility restrictions relate to organizations that currently have active multiyear grants or those receiving initiative-based grant invitations, not to previously declined applicants.

Application Success Factors

Specific Advice from the Funder

The Foundation has published "Five Ways to Strengthen Your Grant Application" with the following guidance:

  1. Ensure Project-Budget Alignment: For project grants, review your completed application, going back through the narrative and budget to ensure each element of the project clearly corresponds with each element of the budget.

  2. File Required Reports Before Applying: Before submitting a new application, ensure you have filed necessary reports from past grants. The Foundation can only make a new grant if all past interim or final reports have been filed.

  3. Call with Questions: The Foundation welcomes phone consultations throughout the application process and acknowledges that "grant-writing is challenging." They emphasize that "sometimes a quick phone call can save a world of time and effort."

  4. Demonstrate Mission Alignment: During the review process, reviewers consider how the organization's mission and impact aligns with the grant program focus, particularly the Foundation's emphasis on equity, racial justice, and economic security.

  5. Maintain Good Standing: Ensure your organization is in good standing with the IRS, NH Secretary of State's office, and the Charitable Trust Unit of the NH Department of Justice before applying.

Recent Grant Recipients (Examples)

From the January 2025 Community Grants awards:

  • Center for New Beginnings (Littleton, NH): $30,000 for general operating support
  • Chase Home (Portsmouth, NH): $30,000 for general operating support
  • Cheshire Children's Museum (Keene, NH): $30,000 for general operating support
  • New Hampshire Catholic Charities, Inc. (Manchester, NH): $15,000 for support of the New Generations program
  • New Hampshire Oral Health Coalition (Concord, NH): $30,000 for general operating support
  • Girls Inc. of New Hampshire: Funded through 2023 Community Grants
  • Goodwill Industries of Northern New England: Funded through 2023 Community Grants

Grant funding has supported diverse projects including: scholarships to summer camp for children, bringing arts to New Hampshire communities, creating accessible nature trails for people with disabilities, supporting reproductive rights, and building an environmental justice movement.

Language and Terminology

The Foundation consistently uses terminology focused on:

  • Equity, racial justice, and economic security
  • Communities of care and belonging
  • Thriving communities
  • Essential basic needs
  • Organizations serving residents who face barriers
  • Non-discriminatory, non-sectarian services
  • General operating support (rather than just restricted project funding)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Equity Focus is Central: The Foundation's strategic plan "Together We Thrive" makes equity, racial justice, and economic security non-negotiable priorities. Applications should explicitly address how your work advances these goals and serves those facing barriers.

  • Operating Support Available: Unlike many funders, NHCF offers substantial unrestricted operating support grants (up to $40,000 over two years), not just project funding. This demonstrates trust in nonprofit leadership and can provide crucial flexibility.

  • Multiple Entry Points: With diverse programs from rapid $250 Dash Grants to $300,000 Large Grants, organizations can find the right fit for their needs. Consider starting with smaller programs to build a relationship with the Foundation.

  • Relationship Building Matters: The Foundation explicitly encourages phone consultations and views grant-seeking as a partnership. Take advantage of their accessibility—call with questions rather than guessing at application requirements.

  • Geographic Specificity: Match your application to the right program based on geography. Coös County organizations should explore Tillotson Fund programs; Strafford County health organizations have dedicated Rochester Health Foundation grants; Upper Valley environmental education fits Wellborn Fund criteria.

  • Process Over Perfection: The Foundation emphasizes practical advice like ensuring budget-narrative alignment and filing past reports on time. They understand grant-writing is challenging and value clear communication over elaborate proposals.

  • No Penalty for Reapplication: Unsuccessful applicants can reapply immediately in the next cycle without waiting periods. Use declined applications as learning opportunities and try again with revised proposals that better demonstrate alignment with Foundation priorities.

References

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