BLACKSTONE HERITAGE CORRIDOR ANNOUNCES NEW GRANT PROGRAM

A new funding source is available for municipalities, nonprofit organizations and state agencies who work in the 24 cities and towns of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc. has announced a grant program to help others support its work in the region to: tell the story of American industrialization, preserve and enhance Valley communities, balance conservation and growth, and promote river recovery.

“We are pleased to be able to invest funds in our communities, “commented Charlene Cutler, Blackstone Heritage Corridor’s executive director. “They are the real places where the story of the Blackstone River watershed and America’s Industrial Revolution live and can be best communicated to our audience.”

Municipal boards, commissions, or committees, schools, nonprofit organizations and state agencies are eligible to apply for the 2014 Partnership Grant Program. Projects include but are not limited to preservation and restoration of historic structures and landscapes, trail and park development, education programs, exhibits, sustainable tourism projects, and projects that engage youth and minorities in awareness and stewardship of the National Heritage Corridor.

The grants will range from $5,000 to $30,000 per project and must be matched at least 1:1 by nonfederal sources which may be cash or in-kind contributions. Applicants may request the grant information by emailing Ms. Cutler at [email protected] or by downloading the package from www.blackstoneheritagecorridor.org. Applicants must complete a cover sheet and a one-page letter of intent and send it by email or regular mail to Charlene Cutler, Blackstone Heritage Corridor, One Depot Square, Woonsocket, RI 02895. The deadline is noon, November 17, 2014.

“The deadline for this round is very short but we are hoping to connect with projects that are already planned and just waiting for final funding,” explained Ms. Cutler. “There will be a subsequent round for additional projects in the winter.”

The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor is a unique cultural landscape of industrial history and immigration in the interconnected system of the Blackstone River watershed. An energetic nonprofit, the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc. partners with organizations, local communities and businesses, and residents to insure the long term vitality of the Corridor.

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