Grants & Scholarships

APPLICATIONS for 2023 Grants are now CLOSED. Winners were announced at our April 19 meeting.

Thanks to all TWELVE local organizations who have applied this year. We are thrilled to be able to award this money for the education and beautification of the seacoast. All funds were earned through our very successful Festival of Trees, held in Nov. 2022

Festival of Trees

Educational and Beautification Grants

"Seven Rivers Enrichment is including micro farming as part of their outdoor enrichment offerings. We will be starting seeds and preparing vegetable & fruit beds this spring and the youth that participate in our programs will have the opportunity to see what is involved in a growing and (later in the season) preparing food. Last year, the Portsmouth Garden Club helped us to purchase materials for our greenhouse, which we will be planting in the coming weeks. We also hope to start a strawberry patch this year to add to our blueberry bushes and black raspberry patch. We are deeply grateful for the Garden Club contributions to our micro farm in the past, it is such a tremendous learning experience for the young people that we work with!"

"Portsmouth Garden Club grants have always been helpful, especially the generous gift we received in 2020, which was a historically challenging year for the island. We are looking forward to welcoming visitors, in some capacity, in the upcoming 2021 season!

Our focus remains the overall stewardship of the island environment and landscape. We are now working to integrate the cottage garden and Victorian era highlight plantings around the hotel and cottages, which include window boxes and planters, with a newer emphasis on native plantings, plantings for pollinators, and invasive species management. Knowledgeable and dedicated volunteers and volunteer groups continue supporting these efforts.

Star Island would like to accomplish the following in the upcoming season:

Planting window boxes located on the front porch of the main hotel building (see 2020 example – located on main stairs since the island was closed), and on Vaughan Cottage (the historical museum)
Purchasing seeds to establish plantings that will expand food sources for butterflies and other pollinators as well as migrating birds in the spring and fall.

The landscape and plantings of Star Island have an impact on each person who visits. Stewardship of the island’s environment is a real opportunity to live the Star Island mission: striving to create a model of the world as it might ideally be. Any amount will help make this effort and these projects possible. As a non-profit we are grateful for Portsmouth Garden Club’s support!"

The Portsmouth Garden Club awarded their annual Festival of Trees community educational and Beautification Grants at their April 2023 meeting.

Congrats to all these dedicated volunteers who are helping to beautify our community.

Grants, Scholarships and Awards

An endowment fund, in memory of former Club President Ruth Nelson, was established in 1988 with the New Hampshire Greater Piscataqua Community Foundation to benefit the Thomas Bailey Aldrich House Gardens at Strawbery Banke.

This fund provides yearly financial support.

The Festival of Trees Scholarship Fund has also been established with the aformentioned Foundation. The money for this fund comes from public generosity

and support during the Festival of Trees.

Deadline for 2023 SCHOLARSHIP applications was APRIL 28, 2023

2024 applications will be available in JANUARY, 2024