Demont Difference Fund

The Demont Difference Fund was established in 1999 by Demont & Associates, Inc. The Fund endorses creative efforts by not-for-profit organizations in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont seeking to increase their long-term capacity to raise private support and/or broaden their volunteer base.

This year the Fund will award pro bono services to smaller organizations not considered capable of mounting a $1 million fund-raising effort in the near term. Preference is given to funding projects which leverage maximum fund-raising potential, develop long-term development goals, and further philanthropic opportunities.

It limits its services to charitable organizations, activities, operations or purposes that take place within the state of New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine or benefit those states’ residents.

Demont Difference Fund Recipients

2008 RECIPIENTS

Rape Crisis Assistance and Prevention (Waterville & Skowhegan, Maine)

Rape Crisis Assistance and Prevention was awarded pro bono services to create a development plan. This organization is dedicated to providing crisis intervention support to all individuals impacted by sexual trauma, and aiding in community collaboration and education around the issues of sexual violence. Demont will help create a development plan that will give Rape Crisis Assistance and Prevention direction in fund raising, decrease its reliance on state funds, and engage community members for continuing support.

For more information on Rape Crisis Assistance and Prevention, visit www.rape-crisis.com.

Kids First Center (Portland, Maine)

Kids First Center has been awarded pro bono services to create a development plan. The mission of this organization is to help families navigate the often difficult transition of divorce and separation, helping parents recognize and keep the needs of their children in the forefront. The Demont Difference Fund will assist Kids First Center in setting an effective, strategically based fund-raising direction.

For more information on Kids First Center, visit www.kidsfirstcenter.org.

Junior Achievement of Maine, Inc. (Portland, Maine)

Junior Achievement of Maine, Inc. has been awarded a pro bono Demont workshop, “In Your Own Voice: Making the Ask.” The workshop on “Making the Ask” will help this organization bolster their fund-raising efforts through board and staff education to better engage donor and community support. Junior Achievement of Maine is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. Their curriculum includes hands-on activities that teach students about entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and workforce readiness.

For more information on Junior Achievement, visit http://maine.ja.org.

2007 RECIPIENTS

Copper Cannon Outdoor Education Center (Franconia, New Hampshire)

Copper Cannon Outdoor Education Center in Franconia was awarded pro bono services to create a development plan. Copper Cannon is dedicated to providing at-risk New Hampshire youths with an opportunity to grow and thrive. The outdoor education and recreation programs at Copper Cannon offer children a community that values cooperation, teamwork, good citizenship, and respect for one another and the environment. Demont will help create a development plan that will give Copper Cannon direction in its limited resources for fund raising, allow better utilization of its materials, and give more children the opportunity for an outdoor experience.

For more information on Copper Cannon, visit www.coppercannon.org.

Child First Child Care Resource and Referral (Keene, New Hampshire)

The Demont Difference Fund awarded pro bono services to Child First Child Care Resource and Referral. Located in Keene, and a program of Southwestern Community Services, Child First is a child care advocacy organization providing high quality support and affordable childcare and education for children in the Monadnock area. In the past year, Child First has provided more than 2000 hours of technical assistance and training to providers and community members. The Demont Difference Fund will assist Child First in creating a development plan that will focus on diversifying funding streams in order to continue providing increasingly needed services.

For more information on Child First, visit www.scshelps.org/childfirst.

New Generation (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)

New Generation in Portsmouth will receive pro bono services to design and create a Strategic Planning Retreat. The mission of New Generation is to provide support to homeless women in crisis during pregnancy and to mothers and children in order to foster a new generation of healthy, self-sufficient, fully functioning, and happy families. New Generation has sheltered more than 350 families, with 230 children. New Generation sought a strategic planning retreat that will help broaden their fund-raising potential, strengthen their volunteer base and create a consistent sustained giving donor base.

For more information on New Generation, Inc. visit www.newgennh.com.

The Birchtree Center (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)

The Birchtree Center of Portsmouth, offering specialized educational services for children and youth with autism, will also receive pro bono services for facilitating a strategic planning retreat. With its award, The Birchtree Center hopes to have a written strategic plan representing the shared vision of current board, staff and clients. The plan will help guide the organization in their securing of an expanded base of funding support as they face increasing demand for educational programs for children and youth with autism and their families. The Birchtree Center is the only program of its kind in New Hampshire having a specifically focused curriculum based on Applied Behavior Analysis for children with autism. They currently have 20 children participating in a year-round, full day program, and have a newly established outreach program.

For more information on The Birchtree Center visit www.birchtreecenter.org.

Revels North (Hanover, New Hampshire)

Revels North in Hanover has been awarded a pro bono Demont workshop, “In Your Own Voice: Making the Ask.” The workshop on “Making the Ask” will help Revels North reach their goal of building lasting relationships with a larger circle of supporters to better carry out the organization’s unique mission. Revels North is a not-for-profit organization producing performances and events to encourage understanding and appreciation of traditional music, dance, ritual, and other art forms through the medium of participatory theater and communal celebration.

For more information on Revels North, visit www.revelsnorth.org.

2006 RECIPIENTS

Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (Montpelier, Vermont)

The Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (GIV) in Montpelier was awarded a $2,750 matching grant by the Demont Difference Fund for the implementation of a training and development program for the organization’s Board of Trustees. The organization provides intensive educational programs on college campuses for motivated high school students throughout Vermont. GIV seeks to enroll diverse students for the one- and two-week Institutes in the following areas: Arts; Current Issues and Youth Activism; Engineering; Science and Technology; Information Technology; Mathematical Sciences; and Asian Cultures. Established in 1982, the program is the only one of its kind in Vermont. The goal of the training and development program is to significantly improve the governing leadership of GIV, particularly in fund raising, to better carry out the organization’s unique mission. Visit www.giv.org for more information.

Quarry Hill School (Middlebury, Vermont)

A matching grant of $3,250 was awarded to the Quarry Hill School in Middlebury to use the expertise of a non-profit consultant in creating and implementing a strategic fund-raising plan, including the purchase of fund-raising software and board development training. Quarry Hill School believes in quality early-childhood education programs that promote healthy, active, inspired, and problem-solving children. For almost 35 years, the school has been committed to a community built on individual and family participation with an underlying sense of responsibility and caring. Quarry Hill School is in the beginning of an exciting, new, and creative phase of development with financial goals and ambitions to provide a retirement plan for teachers and an expanded schoolhouse. Please call 802.388.7297 for more information about Quarry Hill School.

Vermont Children’s Trust Foundation (Burlington, Vermont)

The Demont Difference Fund awarded the Vermont Children’s Trust Foundation (VCTF) in Burlington a matching grant of $1,500. VCTF plans to use the grant to improve fund-raising skills by building an education and support program for the Board of Directors and other staff. The program aims to create a partnership between the Board, staff, and a recently hired Associate Director of Development. VCTF’s mission is to promote the well-being of children and families in Vermont by raising funds for the Vermont Children’s Trust Fund (the Fund), which was started in 1986. The Fund supports community-based primary prevention programs, aimed to safeguard against drugs, violence, delinquency, smoking, and unsafe sex. For more information about VCTF, visit www.vtchildrenstrust.org.

Turtle Island Children’s Center (Montpelier, Vermont)

Turtle Island Children’s Center in Montpelier was awarded a matching grant of $2,450 to help develop basic tools, infrastructure, and support systems that are critical to creating a strong, well organized, comprehensive development program. The mission of Turtle Island Children’s Center is to provide children with nurturing experiences through which they develop a positive sense of self worth, respect for others and the environment, a strong sense of community, and a love of learning. Turtle Island includes an accredited, year-round child care program serving children from infancy through pre-school, a new state-licensed K-6 alternative elementary school called “The River Rock School,” and after-school and summer camp programs. The Demont Difference Fund grant will help to alleviate financial pressures due to recent and significant program growth. For more information, call 802.229.4047.

2005 RECIPIENTS

CATCH – The Concord Area Trust for Community Housing (Concord, New Hampshire)

CATCH, in Concord, is using its award of $5000 to implement a new major gift plan as part of an effort to diversify funding. CATCH seeks to strengthen community by creating opportunities for permanently affordable, quality housing for people otherwise not being served. Its services include rental housing, homebuyer education and new homeownership opportunities for low-and moderate-income families in Merrimack County. With its matching grant, CATCH seeks to increase the philanthropic support of corporate and small business donors.

The fund will help defray the cost of implementing a new major gift plan, which includes developing marketing materials such as brochures and new outreach programs for potential donors. This effort to diversify funding sources will ensure the long-term financial health and growth of the organization. For more information about CATCH, visit www.catchhousing.org.

Harrisville Children’s Center (Harrisville, New Hampshire)

A key to any successful fund-raising program is the fund-raising expertise of the organization's staff and Board of Trustees. The Harrisville Children’s Center in Harrisville received a matching grant of $1000 to defray the cost of a staff and a board member attending the Level I Training Session sponsored by the Giving Monadnock Institute. Giving Monadnock provides strategies and methods for effective fund raising through eight full-day sessions; topics include developing fund-raising plans, the essentials of annual giving, strategic planning, donor relations and stewardship, capital and endowment campaigns, fund-raising ethics, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, marketing and communications, volunteer training, and special events.

Comprehensive training through Giving Monadnock will enable Harrisville’s Children’s Center to raise its level of fund-raising effectiveness, strengthen its board, and broaden its donor base. It is the crucial next step needed to establish a more sustainable fund-raising structure that will allow the Children’s Center to continue providing its much needed childcare and early education services for families in the Harrisville, Nelson, Dublin, Marlborough, Hancock, Peterborough, and surrounding communities. Visit www.harrisvillechildrenscenter.org for more information.

Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery (Keene, New Hampshire)

The Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery at Keene State College was awarded $1000 to hire a facilitator with expertise in board development, fund raising, and volunteer recruitment. The Gallery’s goal is to have a professional facilitate a board retreat to help the Gallery redefine the roles and responsibilities of two existing boards and develop long-range fund-raising and volunteer recruitment goals. The Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery is the premier cultural venue for the visual arts in Southwestern New Hampshire, southeast Vermont, and north central Massachusetts. Its mission is to serve both Keene State College and the local community with exhibitions focusing on issues of multiculturalism and diversity. For more information about the Gallery, visit www.keene.edu/tsag.

Women’s Supportive Services (Newport, New Hampshire)

The Demont Difference Fund awarded a $3000 matching grant to Women’s Supportive Services in Newport. This not-for-profit agency serves women, men, teens, and families in Sullivan County who are victims or survivors of domestic, sexual, stalking, or harassment violence. With its award, this organization will expand its annual giving program and begin a major donor program.

Specifically, Women’s Supportive Services will use the money to upgrade its donor database programs, provide professional training and mentoring for the many volunteers needed to reach out to potential donors, and expand its annual appeal and donor cultivation programs. The Demont Difference Fund is helping this organization to diversify and expand its financial base and thereby ensuring its future as a viable agency. For more information about this vital organization, visit www.free-to-soar.org.

2003 RECIPIENTS

New Hope for Women (Rockland, Maine)

Laura Young, Senior Vice President, and Kate White of Demont & Associates conducted a Board Development Workshop for New Hope for Women in Rockland, Maine. Founded in 1981, the organization provides services in Lincoln, Knox, and Waldo Counties to battered women, their children, and others affected by domestic and dating violence. New Hope serves close to 6,000 people each year and offers both direct service and violence prevention services.

With increasing requests for services each year, New Hope for Women needed to re-evaluate its fund-raising program and shift the focus of its fund-raising efforts from state and municipal funding to finding sustainable financial support through private donors. The current board, made up of community members committed to ending domestic and dating violence, had limited experience in fund raising and applied to Demont Associates in order to increase their expertise. As a result of the Demont workshop in September 2003, New Hope for Women Board members benefited from professional guidance on understanding the role of the entire board in fund raising and how to develop the best practices possible to achieve the financial security necessary to ensure the continuation of their vital services.

For more information about New Hope for Women, see www.newhopeforwomen.org.

Washington County Children's Program (Machias, Maine)

The Washington County Children's Program in Machias, Maine was awarded an Internal Assessment service through the Demont Difference Fund Initiative. Founded in 1975 as an early intervention program for children with special needs and their families, the Children's Program has expanded to include oral health services, community education, support for families with young children at risk of developing delays, and case management for school age children with disabilities. The not-for-profit organization serves approximately 2000 children and families each year. The organization's Grow With Us program offers early intervention through development therapy in preschool settings to all Washington County children up to five years old. The combination of the Grow With Us program and development screening services have significantly decreased the need for Special Education services once children reach kindergarten. Its Outreach and Community Education services increase parents' and providers' ability to meet the development needs of children through training workshops, support groups, and a lending library. Its Child and Youth Dental Program reaches 22 schools and all area Head Start programs.

After working in 2002 with an organizational consultant to update its mission, vision, and major goals, the board of the Washington County Children's Program decided it was ready to develop a major strategic plan. It sought Demont & Associates' help in assessing the organization's development operations and readiness to accomplish a major fund-raising initiative. Laura Young, Senior Vice President, and James Boyle of Demont & Associates interviewed 18 Board members, staff, donors and community members as a basis for recommending methods for increasing private support (non-state, non-federal funds) for this agency. The final report recommended a number of initiatives in public relations, annual and major giving, board building and development planning to help position the agency to improve internal resource capacity and to become more self-sufficient in order to better weather the uncertainties of public funding.

Visit www.wccp.net for more information about this organization.

The Junior League of Bangor (Bangor, Maine)

The Junior League of Bangor, Maine benefited from a board Retreat focused on "An Introduction to Strategic Planning." An organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers, the Junior League has served the greater Bangor community for 70 years. The League strives to strengthen the skills and opportunities of its members so they may do the same for others. Though affiliated with the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI), the Junior League of Bangor receives no financial support from the international organization and is run by its own bylaws, policies and procedures, and local volunteer Board of Directors. In 2002-2003, the organization impacted approximately 260 women, children and families through a variety of volunteer work and leadership training for league members.

Entering a pivotal time for the needs of its services, this not-for-profit all volunteer organization realized it could benefit greatly from reworking its five-year-old strategic plan and re-accessing the emerging needs of the community, the organization's goals for membership, and its future as an organization. With a long-range strategic plan in place, the Junior League of Bangor seeks to broaden its membership base and revitalize its fund-raising capacity beyond membership dues and an annual appeal. With the guidance of Demont counselors Porter Caesar and Phyllis Lockhart, the board of the Junior League came away from the workshop with a prioritized list of opportunities and recommendations for a series of fundamental steps needed to reach its goal of re-working the organization's strategic plan.

Information about the Junior League can be found on the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. website: www.ajli.org.

The Vermont Children's Aid Society (Winooski, Vermont)

The Vermont Children's Aid Society in Winooski, Vermont will benefit from a board workshop focused on the key role the board has in a non-profit's development and fund-raising program. Pete Caesar, Vice President of Demont, will lead the workshop at the Society's January 15th Board meeting in Stowe. A private, nonprofit child-welfare agency since 1919, the Society provides child and family counseling, pregnancy and birthparent counseling, lifetime adoption services, and post-adoption counseling. VCAS has also started providing individual and family services to incarcerated women in Vermont under contract with the Vermont Department of Corrections. Serving over 2000 people annually, the organization has offices in Winooski and Woodstock and an outreach office in Bennington. It provides services which seek to support and strengthen families, and promote safe, stable and nurturing environments for children.

With an organizational goal of building a solid fiscal foundation, the Society seeks to utilize the fund-raising energy of the staff and board as efficiently as possible. While in the process of developing a fund-raising strategy and revamping the board's development committee, the Vermont Children's Aid Society sought Demont's help in examining the board's vital role in fund raising and the Development Committee's role in leading that effort. This pro bono workshop will assist the Society in developing a long-range fund-raising strategy which will have greater impact on the organization than just a single fund-raising event.

For more information, visit www.vtcas.org.

Burlington Children's Space (Burlington, VT)

Porter Caesar, Vice President of Demont, led the board of the Burlington Children's Space in Burlington, Vermont in a strategic planning workshop in January 2004. Founded in 1984, the Burlington Children's Space is a licensed, nonprofit, community-based childcare center serving over 85 children and families of all backgrounds from the Greater Burlington area. Providing high-quality care to an economically, culturally, and developmentally diverse population of children ages six weeks to five years, the organization promotes public education and community awareness on childcare issues, and encourages community involvement in its programs.

Having emerged from administrative restructuring and board changes throughout the year, the Burlington Children's Space now has a strong team in place ready to focus on a comprehensive plan for the organization. Now is the right time for the board to develop a more inclusive and detailed strategic plan. That plan will focus on longer-term planning, including finances, marketing, and board and staff development. Demont & Associates' services will assist the BCS board in building a foundation for improving the agency and its programs for the future.

To understand more about this organization, visit www.burlingtonchildrensspace.org.

2002 RECIPIENTS

The Center for Grieving Children (Portland, Maine)

Awarded $1,000 to match funds raised through a board appeal. This matching grant is to fund internships from the University of Southern Maine's Masters in Business Administration program. Interns will assist The Center in defining current market penetration, community needs not being met, and potential revenue streams featuring the Center's Training Model in different formats, such as a summer program or website development. The impact gained from the evaluation project will be substantial, finding not only new sources of fundraising and revenue, but also furthering validation of the Center's positive impact on the community, which in turn will strengthen the organization's acquisition and retention of possible funders, volunteers, and constituents.

The Center for Grieving Children provides caring support to grieving children and the community through peer support, outreach, and education. Honoring and encouraging the safe expression of grief and loss, The Center provides a loving community to foster the discovery and development of each child's own resiliency and emotional well-being. For more information about the services The Center offers, visit their website at www.cgcmaine.org.

The Georges River Land Trust (Rockland, Maine)

Awarded $900 to assist the organization in consolidating with the Coastal Mountain Land Trust. The Georges River Land Trust's goal is to preserve, for the public benefit, the natural resources and traditional character of the St. George watershed, a 225 square mile area encompassing richly productive tidal river and estuary systems, upland ponds and streams, farms and forests, blueberry barrens and mountains.

With ever increasing development within the Georges River watershed and throughout the western Penobscot Bay region, the Board has recognized the urgency of land protection. Consolidation of the Georges River Land Trust and the Coastal Mountain Land Trust into a single trust will create a far more effective force for land protection than could be achieved by each organization acting separately. Combining the strengths of these two successful land trusts will not only substantially increase the ability to attract and manage conservation easements and protected land ownership, it will also result in an enhanced capability to expand the membership base and development potential within the new consolidated organization. Specifically, the Georges River Land Trust is using its matching grant to assist in the cost of a part-time development assistant to prepare for the integration of membership and development systems and the publicity activity related to the consolidation of the two organizations. www.grlt.org

The Johnson Hall Performing Arts Center (Gardiner, Maine)

Awarded $1,774, to be matched by private donors, to purchase a new donor and membership software package. Without the ability to effectively track donor and membership activity, Johnson Hall has been limited in its ability to perform basic fundraising activities, let alone keep an active volunteer group so vital to the success of the organization. The new software will enable the organization to establish the foundation for sound fund-raising practices, such as planning their annual appeal and membership drive, properly acknowledging gifts, following-up with donors and members, identifying and attracting new sources of funding and tracking valuable volunteer support.

Johnson Hall Inc., formed in 1989, offers residents of Gardiner and the Lower Kennebec Valley live theatrical, musical, and educational performing arts and informational programs. The Hall, housed in the historic Johnson Hall Opera House built in 1864, provides downtown Gardiner with a historical community gathering place. For more information about Johnson Hall, visit www.johnsonhall.org.

The Penobscot Theatre Company (Bangor, Maine)

Awarded $3,159 as a matching grant to purchase fundraising software, support, training, and advisory services. A new fundraising software system will enable the Theatre to be more responsive to donors, increase their long-term capacity to raise private support, and further their philanthropic opportunities. Currently, the organization's Director of Development does not have access to a centralized database. Therefore, all gifts to the organization are recorded in three different places with analysis done by hand, since no reporting functions are available. The purchase of a new database program will enable the Theatre to become more efficient in leveraging maximum fundraising potential.

The Theatre operates two historic theaters on Bangor's Main Street. The organization's mission is to offer high quality, professional theater experiences staged throughout the year, to provide educational outreach programs, and to develop and enrich new and existing audiences and artists. To learn more about this organization, visit www.PenobscotTheatre.org.

"We all know that without the right tools, all the experience in the world is just not enough. Your matching grant will help us acquire the tools to build for the future. Our project to purchase fundraising software and technical support will help the Theatre increase our long-term capacity to raise private support and make our development program more efficient." --Alica Nichols, Director of Development (Penobscot Theatre Company)

The Sanford-Springvale YMCA (Sanford, Maine)

Awarded a matching grant up to $3,167 to match any new or increased gift by a board member. The fundraising capacity of the board and the board's participation is vital to the success of any fundraising program for any organization. The Sanford-Springvale YMCA seeks to challenge their board members to each give their own gift, in addition to soliciting a minimum of two other gifts, in the Community Support Campaign. This challenge grant is a unique way of leveraging maximum support from board members that will grow exponentially over time and help the YMCA raise substantially more money in the future from donors outside of the organization.

The Sanford-Springvale YMCA serves over 8,000 people in western and southern York County. The YMCA strives to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body.

"It has been extremely nice to work with you and I appreciate all of the guidance that you have given to the Sanford-Springvale YMCA. Earning this grant has made a huge difference in our campaign. All the board members were much more aware of their role in the campaign and that their support is vital for the growth of the YMCA. I believe that without this "extra" push from the Demont Difference Fund that this goal would not have been achieved. Thank you so much." --Becky Harkema, Executive Director. www.sanfordymca.org

The Squamscott Coalition (Exeter, New Hampshire)

Awarded $2500 to support their three-year initiative to permanently increase philanthropy in Brentwood, East Kingston, Exeter, Kensington, Newfields, and Stratham. A non-profit volunteer project supported in part by Giving New Hampshire, the Coalition's initiative is to increase citizen's awareness of community needs; increase residents' understanding of how investing in the non-profit sector is vital to a community's future; and to help charitable organizations in the area to raise funds more effectively by promoting interaction between donors, volunteers, charitable organizations, and the community at large. "There are over 200 organizations based in and serving our community who provide services and resources that would not be available if it were not for the generosity of the individuals who live in our community, Carol Aten, Project Manager notes. Our coalition plans to strengthen that connection between the agencies that make our communities not only function but thrive, and the members of our community whose involvement and investment make a difference." www.squamscott.org

The Lakes Region United Way (Laconia, New Hampshire)

Awarded $2,000 to help defray the cost of building a media program for its 39 local care giving agencies. The mission of the Lakes Region United Way is to assist in the development of a caring community by identifying human service needs, raising awareness of these needs, and organizing community support for local non-profit organizations providing responsive care and services for people in the Lakes Region.

Local agencies rely on the Lakes Region United Way to publicize their important work. By informing the public about community need and human services, the agencies hope to increase private giving. The media program includes the purchase of new computers, printers, scanner, a nd a digital camera. The new equipment increases the development capacities of the United Way agencies by enabling the organization to create quality-marketing pieces announcing the good work being done.

Said Don Sprague, President of Lakes Region United Way, The Demont Fund really made a difference for us – we'd been trying to upgrade our media tools for years, and when the fund weighed in with such a generous grant, we were able to purchase everything we needed. Sprague said that Lake Region United Way's public information efforts have been "dramatically altered for the better -- we're in the 21st century now because of Demont." www.lruw.org

The Manchester Historic Association (Manchester, New Hampshire)

Awarded $1750 for a part-time grant writer to increase and maximize the organization's fundraising capacity. The Association is Manchester's local history museum and research library and has a mission to collect, preserve, and make known Manchester's history. The Association recently opened its new Millyard Museum in Manchester's historic millyard and is now planning renovations for the headquarters building, which houses the Association's Research Library. The renovations will provide improved accessibility to and better storage for the library collections. The organization also is working to increase its financial stability by adding to the endowment.

A part-time grant writer will supplement the current one-person development staff and will seek funding for upcoming exhibits, staffing and supplies for school programs, public programs, library projects, general operating support, and building renovations. The development of a grant-writing position will enable the Manchester Historic Association to continue meeting its mission of preserving Manchester's fascinating history and sharing it with the public. Visit the Manchester Historic Association.

"We are pleased to update you on the success of your generous grant intended to strengthen our fundraising capabilities through the services of a grant writer. Your grant inspired our trustees to match your support. Much of the grant work has focused, and continues to focus, on the renovations planned for the headquarters building. These renovations are exciting in that they will vastly improvie accessibility to the building, to the collections, and to information about Manchester and its families, workers, buildings, and multicultural history." --Gail Colglazier, Director (Manchester Historic Association) www.manchesterhistoric.org

Monadnock Family Services (Keene, New Hampshire)

A key to any successful fund-raising program is the fund-raising expertise of the organization's staff and Board of Trustees. Monadnock Family Services is using its $600 award to defray the costs of staff and board member participation in the Giving Monadnock Training Institute, sponsored by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The board and staff will learn more about fundraising, have the opportunity to learn how to ask for gifts, and come to understand the part fundraising and development play in the overall strategic plan of the agency and how vital each person (staff, board, and volunteers) is to achieving a fundraising goal.

According to CEO, Ken Jue, "The work of raising funds is now vital to the survival of the agency and its extensive range of programs. We're eager to learn all we can." A Monadnock United Way agency, Monadnock Family Services is a non-profit community mental health center serving all of Cheshire County and parts of Hillsborough County with a mission to provide comprehensive mental health services to individuals so that they might achieve their fullest potential and independence. For more information, visit www.mfs.org.

New Generation, Inc. (Greenland, New Hampshire)

Awarded $1650 to develop a five-year strategic plan, which will include plans for potential growth and funding, grant writing and fundraising, and board development. The plan also includes updating fundraising software to improve the system of tracking donors. A new donor management system will allow the organization to better serve their donors with proper gift acknowledgment, correspondence and follow-up, develop efficient accountability reports, develop long-term relationships with funding sources, and identify new sources of funding to support its mission.

New Generation Inc. provides a safe, caring residence with access to health and educational services for homeless pregnant women and mothers with young children. "After 15 years of service to our residents, New Generation has reached a point where our recent growth and vision for the future need to be consolidated into a strategic plan with the technological supports to implement it. We are truly grateful that the Demont Fund has provided us with this opportunity for improving our service to the community," commented Toni Trotzer, Executive Director. For more information about this organization, see www.newgennh.com.

The New Hampshire Teen Institute (Concord, New Hampshire)

Awarded $1500 to assist in building an effective data management system. A comprehensive database system will allow the Institute to better manage and monitor funding sources, volunteers, and program effectiveness. By effectively monitoring funding sources, the new system will allow the Institute to direct their time and resources into building, nurturing, and developing donor relationships. The Institute will also be able to better monitor its valuable volunteer support. The Institute currently works with over 200 volunteers and with a new management system, the Institute will be able to raise the quality of volunteer experience, ensure program integrity, and develop long-term volunteer resources for future program development. With the new data management system, the Institute will be better able to monitor program participation; which in turn, will illustrate program impact and support program credibility, develop long term "alumni" funding streams, and help to build a future base of volunteers.

This organization assists individuals in the development of specific behavioral skills essential for making positive choices in a variety of societal situations. Their mission is accomplished through wellness focused prevention programs.

For more information about this organization, click here: www.nhteeninstitute.org.

2000 RECIPIENTS

Ethan Allen Homestead Museum (Burlington, Vermont)

Awarded $1600 to revise and enhance its volunteer program. The award also defrayed the cost of a consultant to assist the Volunteer Director in creating in creating a more efficient volunteer scheduling and communication system. A long-term goal is to diversify its base of volunteers and reach new audiences. An enhanced volunteer program will allow the museum to develop new educational programming. The Homestead, located in Burlington's Intervale, seeks to preserve and maintain the only historic site centered on the life and career of Vermont's founder. The museum relies on more than 80 volunteers to assist with all areas of the museum's operations. Visit the Ethan Allen Homestead. www.ethanallenhomestead.org

St. Johnsbury Athenaeum (St. Johnsbury, Vermont)

Awarded $1,000.00 to help create a part-time Administrative Assistant for Grant writing position. The Administrative Assistant will be responsible for developing and managing a grants resource database, identifying grant opportunities that may match the interests of the Athenaeum, and writing grant proposals throughout the year.

Lorna Higgs, Administrative Officer of the Athenaeum, stated, This grant has taught us that every award, large and small, is equally important to reaching a goal.

This step in developing a grant writing position will help the Athenaeum with its long-term goal of continually funding and preserving a valuable cultural center in St. Johnsbury. The Athenaeum is committed to preserving its National Landmark building, collections and furnishings, and promoting life-long learning through art, literature, and information services. Visit St. Johnsbury Athenaeum. www.stjathenaeum.org

The Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium (St. Johnsbury, Vermont)

Awarded $1,028 to hire a fundraising consultant to train the Board of Trustees in hands-on, practical exercises to help them master the personal solicitation process. Lauren Moye, Director of External Relations, was thrilled with the award stating:

Building the fundraising capacity of the Board is integral to the future health of the Museum. This award will help us to build upon our current success and build the groundwork for more comprehensive and effective fundraising. This will translate into broadening and deepening support for the Museum, which will enable us to reach new audiences and achieve long term organizational and financial goals in support of our mission.

The Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium is northern New England's foremost museum of natural history and home to Vermont's only public planetarium. Vist the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium. www.fairbanksmuseum.org

Bennington Museum (Bennington, Vermont)

Awarded $1800 matching grant to purchase a new development software package to integrate its membership, annual fund and capital campaign records from several sources into one centralized database. This will enable the Museum to better track in-kind gifts, serve its current donors with proper gift acknowledgement and follow-up, identify and attract new sources of funding to support its mission, and keep track of valuable volunteer support. The Bennington Museum's mission is "to collect, preserve, and display for educational purposes and enjoyment, objects that illustrate the social, cultural and historical development of New England, particularly of Vermont and the Bennington region including adjacent New York State." Visit the Bennington Museum. www.benningtonmuseum.com

1999 RECIPIENTS

The Aroostook County Action Program (Presque Isle, Maine)

Awarded $1500 for a community coalition to guide HIV/AIDS education and prevention activities in Aroostook County. The Program is using its award to develop a strategic plan and build a community coalition for the continuing work of the Aroostook County AIDS Alliance, formed in 1995. A strategic plan and development of a coalition will allow the Alliance to continue their vital work and to establish an ongoing collaboration among those agencies, individuals, and organizations concerned about HIV prevention, services, and education. For more information, visit www.acap-me.org.

The Center for Community Dental Health (Portland, Maine)

Awarded $2,000 to defray the cost of professional fundraising training. A professional fundraising consultant trained board members on solicitation techniques and the best ways to improve fundraising efforts for the organization. The consultant also worked with each of the Center's five sites, and provide technical assistance to each sites' advisory board and provide fundraising recommendations. The Center for Community Dental Health is a statewide dental health provider for the state of Maine. The organization serves a large population that would otherwise not receive dental care services, including the working poor, the elderly, the disabled and the immigrant population.

The Junior Achievement League, Inc. (Portland, Maine)

Awarded $2,500 to assist in the cost of a staff person to develop community advisory boards. Creatively using the Demont Fund matching grant as the starting ground for a larger, long-term philanthropic effort, the League used its matching grant to hire a professional grant writer to assist the organization in grant research, writing, and managing a successful grant process, which enabled them to hire a Branch Development Director. The Development Director is now coordinating the development of community advisory boards to provide both the financial and volunteer resources to meet the escalating requests for services. The Junior Achievement League provides career preparation and workforce readiness programs to Maine students and works with over 300 volunteers.

The Center for Cultural Exchange (Portland, Maine)

Awarded $2,500, matched by a variety of sources, paid for the cost of a professional organization consultant to facilitate a board and staff strategic planning process. The strategic planning process will allow them to restructure staff, begin construction of a three-year plan, and strengthen the organization's long-term capacity to raise local funds. The Center for Cultural Exchange was founded in 1983 with the mission to "promote a broad appreciation of the interplay between culture and artistic expression by acting as a forum for artists who best exemplify world traditions, reflect contemporary trends and explore artistic frontiers, and by nurturing the artistic and cultural life of its own community in the greater Portland area and the state of Maine." Visit the www.centerforculturalexchange.org.

Demont & Associates, Inc. - Philanthropic Counsel...Making a Lasting Difference for Good