Marking their sixth annual funding cycle, the Board of Directors of the Cape Ann Community Foundation (CACF) today announced that they have awarded grants to ten Cape Ann area non-profit and community organizations. Grants totaling $19,000 and funded by the proceeds of Cape Ann license plate sales and renewals, together with direct donations to the CACF, are being made to the following organizations:

• Art for Equity in support of their Diverse Book Fund
• Cape Ann Art Haven to expand access for summer art classes
• Kops n Kids to support the Youth Anglers program, taking local kids out fishing on the Gloucester PD police boat
• Magnolia Library & Community Center to support their summer lecture series featuring speakers from Generous Gardeners and Cape Ann Art Haven
• Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library to support three summer youth programs, including a pop-up art school
• Maritime Gloucester to support their Apprentice Program to teach area youth  maritime trades skills
• Rockport Illumination Weekend to support Rockport’s annual summer fireworks display and town-wide illuminations
• SeniorCare, Inc. to create Memory Kits to be loaned to Cape Ann area residents
• Together Gloucester, Inc. to assist individuals in the community with basic needs
• Town of Essex, Council on Aging to help market and communicate their services to local seniors and the community

Grant funding this year was supplemented by a special gift of $4,000 from Cape Ann Plein Air (CAPA) to support proposals related to the arts and cultural education.

“We wish to congratulate the ten successful grant applicants and we would also like to commend and express our thanks to all the Cape Ann area non-profits and civic organizations that submitted proposals.  My fellow Board members and I were greatly impressed by the quality of every grant application, and we encourage applicants who were not successful this time to come back to us for future funding rounds. We also urge all Cape Ann residents and visitors to buy the Cape Ann License Plate, to ensure that we will have ample funds to support more of these worthy initiatives,” said CACF Board President Ruth Pino. “Just $20 a year is added to our registration renewals, but the benefits for Cape Ann that these dollars help deliver are immeasurable.”

CACF Board member and Greater Cape Ann Chamber CEO Ken Riehl added: “With this year’s grants, the CACF has given almost $95,000 back to Cape Ann non-profits and schools, funded through the proceeds of the Cape Ann license plate and direct donations to CACF.”

The Cape Ann Community Foundation received 27 grant applications this year.  The Foundation will present grants to each of this year’s recipients at ceremonies that will be scheduled soon.

CACF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization established in 2015 by the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce to manage and award grants from the proceeds from sales of the Cape Ann License Plate.  CACF makes grants for projects that support the Foundation’s mission to improve the economy and overall quality of life for the residents of Cape Ann in the following areas:

• Regional promotion: projects that support and enhance the quality of life for the Cape Ann region and the communities of Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Rockport; and promote Cape Ann as a desirable place to live, work, recreate and vacation.
• Economic Development: projects that expand employment opportunities and enhance the economic vitality of Cape Ann, including but not limited to projects that facilitate the start-up of new enterprises or the expansion of existing enterprises on Cape Ann.
• Training and Education: projects that support the training and education of the current and future Cape Ann workforce, including entrepreneurial training, to help Cape Ann residents succeed and thrive in the 21^st century economy.