Portsmouth, New Hampshire (November 24, 2020)
The Roger R. and Theresa S. Thompson Endowment Fund announces the awarding of $117,384 in grants to six non-profit organizations in New Hampshire and Maine.
Among the beneficiaries, the Trustees of the Trust, Charles Doleac, Kenneth Barrett and Holly Ayes Malloy have approved a grant to Future in Sight to advance its work on the Seacoast through the Adapting to Vision Loss Virtual program initiative. The Thompson Fund has awarded grants to Future in Sight (formerly NH Association for the Blind) since 2000.
Theresa Thompson established the endowment fund in memory of her husband Roger, to make a difference in the local community by rewarding six specific local charitable organizations whose work was making a local impact. It was important to her to retain local administration of the grants so that there was a direct connection between the Trustees and the organizations she believed were the best able to create a lasting legacy in the names of Roger R. and Theresa S. Thompson. Although the six organizations named in the Fund are set, the Trustees determine each one’s eligibility for grants on an annual basis, reviewing not only their proposals but their accomplishments with previous grant funds and their collaborations with each other to benefit the Seacoast.
In making the announcement, Managing Trustee Charles B. Doleac commented, “In the midst of a pandemic that has deeply impacted the operations of non-profits across the nation, the Roger R. and Theresa S. Thompson Endowment Fund trustees are pleased to recognize the work of the six local organizations who have responded to the challenges of COVID-19 protocols with new models, new technologies and new partnerships by awarding this year’s grants. Theresa Thompson chose the specific framework of the Fund because she believed it was critical to have local Trustees, who not only retained oversight of a fund benefitting local organizations but could foster an environment that trained future trustees for the fund, the beneficiaries and the community. The Thompson Fund is also a reminder that those who might be thinking about their own financial legacies should consider how their support for charitable entities in this critical time might allow them to maintain local control and make the biggest local impact. This type of trust retains the direct personal connection between the founders and the organizations whose missions they fund.”
Future In Sight president and CEO David Morgan said, “The Thompson Fund’s investment in our work on the Seacoast continues to have an important impact on the lives of residents who have to adapt to life with profound vision loss. Their contributions allow us to provide vision rehabilitation, assistive technology and other training critical to assuring safety and independence. We are most grateful for their partnership.”
The distributions are not guaranteed and the non-profits named in the Trust must apply each year to be considered for the beneficiary awards that are paid from the income of the Roger R. and Theresa S. Thompson estate trust fund.
To learn more about Thompson Fund beneficiaries and prior grant-funded initiatives, please visit ThompsonFund.org and follow the Thompson Fund on Facebook. To learn more about Future In Sight, please visit www.FutureInSight.org and follow Future In Sight on Facebook, and FutureInSight NH on Twitter.