BHCA Fall HillFest is this Sunday!
Come with your family and friends down to the flat of Mt. Vernon Street this Sunday from 12-4 for the 20th Annual Fall HillFest! The ever popular dog show and book sale will be here again, as well as fun exhibits and games for all ages. Hot dogs, beer, wine, ice cream, and live music from Honey & the B-Sides and Phase III! All proceeds benefit the Beacon Hill Civic Association and support our ongoing efforts in Community Building, Civic Engagement, and Historic Preservation. See you there!
Beacon Hill Community Grant Application Period Accepting Applications on 9/15
In 2019, the Beacon Hill Civic Association (“BHCA”) decided that a special purpose fund – the Beacon Hill Community Fund (“Community Fund”) – should be created within the BHCA for the purpose of making annual grants to community-based Beacon Hill, Cambridge Street and adjacent neighborhood non-profit organizations, community development corporations, and other civic groups dedicated to promoting and enhancing quality of life in the community.
The Community Fund’s initial assets were those amounts originally received from the 250 Cambridge Street Corporation, which has now dissolved, as well as additional amounts which have been earned through the investment of such amounts. It is anticipated that the Community Fund’s assets will continue to grow over time.
The BHCA determined that such grants would be for projects and programs for residents involving the arts and education, youth sports and recreation, day care centers, playgrounds, activities for seniors and persons with special needs and disabilities, community gardens and spaces, affordable housing, social services, and whatever else the BHCA Board of Directors (“Board”) might deem appropriate that would serve the public interest.
The management of the grant-making from the Community Fund will be done by the Executive Committee of the BHCA, and the determination of all grant recipients and grant amounts by the Executive Committee would be subject to full Board approval. In addition, each member of the Executive Committee must disclose any potential personal and family conflicts, including service on boards or as officers of potential grant recipients, under the BHCA’s own Policy on Conflicts of Interest, prior to determining any grant recipients or amounts, and that Board members are subject to the same disclosure requirements.
Initially, the annual grants from the Community Fund totaled no more than $20,000, however, the recommended total annual grants amount can be revisited and adjusted as deemed appropriate by the Board. In most instances, grants from the Community Fund will be in increments of $2,500 to $10,000, depending on beneficiaries and needs, but that grant amounts can be lower than $2,500 or higher than $10,000 higher as deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee, subject to full Board approval. Grants can be made in two to three year installments where appropriate, in limited circumstances, but grant recipients will not be perpetually funded so as to make funds available for a variety of other initiatives. Grants can be awarded to an array of initiatives, from summer youth camps to community events, senior programs and scholarships.
To find out more about the Beacon Hill Community Grant and how to apply, visit www.bhcivic.org/community-fund.
Upcoming BHCA Meetings
Architecture Committee – Monday, September 13th
Board of Directors – Monday, September 13th
Visit the Beacon Hill Civic Association website bhcivic.org or call the office (617-227-1922) for further details on any of these events, and for information about joining the BHCA.