2007 Vol 1 No 3
Third Quarterly Newsletter to our Contributors and Supporters
Contributors Reception Scheduled for 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 7, at 19 East Ridge Drive, Peterborough, home of CVCSF President, John Vance: As this is to be our first contributors’ reception, it would help us to prepare if you would let us know if you plan to attend. Please use postcard enclosed or call 924-4063.This gathering is to give us an opportunity to thank you for your support, to report on progress and to answer any questions you may have.
We have great news to report this quarter with two grants received, another applied for and increased support from area businesses and other organizations.
$50,000 gift from Clay Family Fund: This most generous gift has been awarded to support the CVCSF program “to identify and encourage at risk students to strive for and achieve their potential through postsecondary education.” This is a perfect fit, a great boost for our program and, most important, added incentive for those students who will benefit from our future grants and mentoring support.
We have assured the Clay Family Fund, as we do all our contributors, that CVCSF is an all volunteer organization, that administrative expense is kept to the minimum and that contributions we receive are used primarily for scholarship grants, mentoring assistance and, after these needs are met, to help build an endowment to enhance our long-term sustainability. Thank you, Clay Family Fund.
$10,000 grant from the Great Kids Scholarships Fund of the New Hampshire Foundation: This award comes in two installments, $5,000 based on the first $50,000 we raised in cash and pledges and $5,000 more when we have raised the next $50,000 (excluding the Clay Family Fund gift received only two weeks before this grant was approved). With $57,760 raised so far our challenge is to find $42,240 more. This gift has been awarded to ConVal Community Scholarship Foundation Dollars for Scholars® (CVCSF) “to support outreach, mentoring and scholarships for students from ConVal high school”. Clearly, this grant is wonderful for us, for the money, of course, but also because we see such recognition by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation as a treasured stamp of approval from the organization that has been working to improve the quality of life in New Hampshire since 1962.
Goyette grant application: On August 20 we submitted our application to the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation for a $5,665 grant from the A. Erland and Hazel N. Goyette Foundation for 2008 operating and fundraising capacity building expenses. Results of Goyette grant applications are usually known by December.
Increase in number of supporting regional employers: With a special campaign in July, August and early September we added eleven more businesses and other organizations to our regional support base on the premise that our initiative is about workforce development as much as it is charity. Those who have been with us from early days are: Ames Financial Planning Associates; Gilbert Verney Foundation; Juniper Peterborough, LLC; Monadnock OBGYN; Monadnock Rotary Club; Ocean National Bank; Peterborough Lions Club; and The Toadstool Bookshops. The new eleven are: Brady’s Bar and Grill; CIM Industries; Edward Despres, CLU; Jellison Funeral Home; Kaufhold Memorial and Stoneworks; Masiello Insurance (Peterborough); Microbends, Inc; Monadnock Community Hospital; Roy’s Market; Sims Printing; and Judith Vance, Fine Art Appraisal.
2007 CVCSF Scholars: Our three June scholarship grant winners have had mixed progress. The first, already in an associate degree program at Hesser College, went directly to school, starting night classes on July 9, did very well in her first mid-term exams and has found a part-time job with which she also has health insurance coverage. The second, enrolled in an auto mechanics certificate program at a Porter and Chester Institute facility at Westover, MA, is scheduled to start classes on October 15. Carl Johnson, this student’s CVCSF monitoring Director, has met with him and is in contact with the Peterborough Lions, co-providers of this CVCSF Peterborough Lions Scholarship. Lee is on track for a good start. Our third winner has been less fortunate and was unable to raise enough additional financial support in time to start his year-long welding certificate program at the Manchester Community Technical College. While this is a disappointment for all concerned, the good news is that our award offer to him has been extended for a year and three mentors are working to get him into this course next year. We will not give up on our worthy candidates without extra effort for them to succeed.
There was also a CVCSF $500 runner-up award to a 2007 ConVal graduate who started shortly after Labor Day in the Nursing Associate Certificate Program at the N.H. Technical Institute. We will observe her progress and, if she is doing well and continues to demonstrate need for our support, we will consider awarding additional assistance to her in her remaining three semesters.
New CVCSF volunteer to chair Public Information, Publicity and Recognition Committee: Andrew Brescia, Communications Director at Lawrence Academy in Groton and Peterborough resident, has joined our team to manage our public information program and communications. We have done pretty well with press releases in our first year, but we need to broaden our scope of coverage, to develop our web page and increase awareness of our work and progress.
Do you have questions? An envelope is enclosed to send us a note at P.O. Box 372, Peterborough NH 03458.