BANGOR, Maine – Bangor Savings Bank is seeking input from residents of New Hampshire to vote for nonprofits that deserve grants from the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation’s Community Matters More grant program.
The foundation will distribute more than $140,000 in grants to 44 nonprofits in April. Voting is through Feb. 29. Community members must be a resident of Maine or New Hampshire to vote, but do not have to have an account with Bangor Savings Bank.
The Community Matters More program aims to highlight local nonprofits that have a positive impact in their communities by inviting residents to decide grant winners through online voting.
“Maine and New Hampshire communities are vibrant and resourceful, which shows in their support of the organizations they see making a positive impact,” Bob Montgomery-Rice, president and CEO of Bangor Savings Bank, said in a news release when the 2023 recipients were announced. “We’re proud to enable thousands of residents to have a voice in where grants are given, and community members are passionate about advocating for the organizations that are important to them. This is their opportunity to give back.”
The online ballot includes the names of several organizations for each region, but also provides room for voters to write in an organization. Write-in winners are awarded a $1,000 grant.
To qualify, the organization must:
- Be registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
- Have program(s) are open to all and be nonsectarian
- Have operating offices in Maine or New Hampshire
- Can not be a public or private school
The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation does not provide financial support for political organizations, causes, or candidates; religious organizations or causes; or activities for sectarian purposes.
Last year, 12 nonprofits in New Hampshire and 32 in Maine were awarded grants between $5,000 and $1,000. Grant recipients are divided by region, with the nonprofit with the highest number of votes in each region gets $5,000 grant, with runners-up and write-in winners getting $1,000 to $4,000.
The three regions for New Hampshire voters to choose from are Coos/Carroll/Grafton Belknap/Cheshire/Hillsborough/Merrimack/Sullivan and Rockingham/Strafford.
The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation awards grants several times a year to nonprofits, but the Community Matters More grant program allows community members vote on the recipients.
In December, in a separate program, the foundation awarded 22 grants totaling $195,000. The grants aimed to positively impact Maine and New Hampshire organizations dedicated to uplifting communities in areas such as housing, healthcare, education, and community recreation, according to a news release from the bank.
New Hampshire recipients were:
- Stepping Stones, Nashua, $7,500
- Harbor Care, Nashua, $5,500
- Concord Community Music School, Concord, $5,500
Bangor Savings Bank has eight branches in New Hampshire, in Amherst, Colebrook, two in Concord, and two in Manchester, and two in Portsmouth, as well as a separately located loan production office. It has 59 branches in Maine and one in Massachusetts.