Fifteen Greater New Bedford organizations to receive a total of $160,000

College Now is an alternate UMass Dartmouth admissions program developed over 50 years ago in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The program founders wanted to ensure the school better served the diverse populations of New Bedford. YMCA Southcoast has been addressing food insecurity since 2006 through their Sharing the Harvest Community Farm, and most recently, with the Full Plate Project in partnership with the Greater Boston Food Bank.

These are just two examples of how the Henry H. Crapo Fund of the SouthCoast Community Foundation is supporting critical work taking place in the greater New Bedford region. A total of $160,000 from the Fund has just been awarded to these two organizations and thirteen others from the Greater New Bedford area to support their civic, educational, and charitable projects.

“The generous donations from the Crapo Fund will have a direct impact on UMass Dartmouth student success by removing financial barriers and improving persistence and graduation rates,” said Craig Elkins, Director of Alternative Admissions in the UMass Dartmouth College Now/START Program. “College Now’s local roots and funding from community partners like the Crapo Fund highlight how a commitment to our community benefits everyone, most importantly our students and the future workforce.”

“Sharing the Harvest Community Farm relies almost entirely on volunteers to plant, harvest, and distribute our products, which helps close the nutrition gap in our communities,” stated Robyn Branco, Director of Mission Advancement, YMCA Southcoast. “Thanks to the support of the Crapo Fund, we can upgrade areas of our post-harvest workstation, so our Farm Director and volunteers can more efficiently clean and prepare fruits, vegetables, and eggs for distribution.”

The fifteen grantees include:

New Bedford Light will receive a total of $100,000 over three years, and UMass Dartmouth Foundation will receive $75,000 over that same period. Also, each year, the fund advisors recognize people doing exceptional work in our community. Bernadette Coelho at the New Bedford Public School and Zoe Hansen-DiBello at NorthStar Learning Centers have been recognized this year.

Lawyer Henry H. Crapo, born in Dartmouth and lived for many years in New Bedford, Massachusetts, established the Henry H. Crapo Fund to support civic, educational, and charitable projects in New Bedford and neighboring towns. Originally a private family fund, it was moved to the Community Foundation to manage in 2010.

“Henry Howland Crapo passed away in 1951, and yet his generosity lives on today. Crapo and his descendants are philanthropic-minded citizens who recognize that the Crapo family’s wealth was created locally and, therefore, should benefit this region. Through thoughtful estate planning, the good work of local nonprofits is being supported in perpetuity,” commented Sarah Rose, Community Foundation Director of Engagement. “The Community Foundation is a proud steward of these deep-rooted funds and pleased to see the breadth of work and recipients recognized.”

The SouthCoast Community Foundation is a nonprofit serving the communities of Southeastern Massachusetts through philanthropy. The Community Foundation mission is to mobilize philanthropy by matching donors and resources with community needs for the benefit of our region. Since 1995, the organization has distributed over $50 million from more than 200 funds to humanitarian, educational, and cultural organizations in the region. For more information, visit www.southcoastcf.org.