During this season where the gifts we receive and provide to others contributes towards a feeling of general gratitude and merriment, it seems appropriate to cast a light on an organization working within our communities who continuously strive to improve life for those around them by the donation of money to causes that most often, in turn, return that favor in many additional ways.

As of their 2022 Annual Report, the Champlin Foundation has given over $666 million since 1933, and as of recent times contributes around 200 total grants to a vast array of worthy causes, from historic preservation and environmental conservation, to public libraries, after-school programs, the arts, and everything in between.

It seems nearly every month there is at least one story within our pages where an organization is doing something, building something, updating something, launching a new program, or improving their existing operations — and it was only made possible following the receipt of a Champlin Grant.

The kind of giving that is facilitated by the existence of Champlin is special because it expands outward exponentially.

A grant given to a local theater to rebuild their stage enables that theater to expand their youth program, possibly changing the arc of a young Rhode Islander who discovers their love of the arts. A local library is able to avoid a time-consuming fundraising campaign after a Champlin Grant enables them to fix their leaky roof, saving them time and enabling them to focus on serving their community. Thousands of Rhode Islanders are able to enjoy a new piece of public property along a beautiful piece of shoreline thanks to a Champlin Grant enabling a local conservancy group to purchase it and keep it safe from development.

The list can go on and on, and indeed it does go on, each and every year — a $50,000 grant here, a $15,000 grant there, from Woonsocket to Westerly and all places between.

These grants have added up to the neighborhood of around $20 million for the past few years, according to their annual reports. That may not seem like a ton, considering the scope of who they provide these grants to. But through their thoughtful selection process, the awards make a significantly greater impact by unlocking the potential of local community organizations throughout Rhode Island who can take that money and go even farther with it.

During this season of giving and receiving gratitude, we are grateful for the Champlin Foundation’s continued support of Rhode Islanders, and the people who make Rhode Island great.