Note: The following article first appeared in the Mountain Ear on December 15th, 2011.

At this time of year, when we think of gift-giving, we usually think of objects that our friends and loved ones will appreciate and use. Yet what we all need most is not another scarf, sweater, book or blender; it is a sense of security that our basic needs will be met, and a sense that the needs of others whose lives are intertwined with ours will also be met. This confidence allows us to function with greater energy and creativity, to the benefit of all.

The real spirit of the holiday season is love—for family, friends, and community. It is caring and sharing. And it is at the local level of community that we are able to see how interconnected we are with others. We can see what is needed. We can see the results of our actions and the actions of others.

In this time of uncertainty within many of the larger-scale systems we have depended on, few gifts offer more satisfaction and meaning to both givers and receivers than the quiet gift of resources and systems that keep our lives moving along paths of least resistance—that support and sustain us.

The word sustainability is derived from the Latin sustinere (tenere, to hold; sus, up). Dictionaries provide more than ten meanings for sustain, the main ones being to “maintain”, “support”, or “endure” (from Wikipedia).

Like other New Hampshire towns, Tamworth has many nonprofit organizations providing services at the local level . . . libraries, arts organizations, a food pantry, recreation and swimming programs for children, volunteer organizations like Caregivers, Outing Club, Meals on Wheels, to name several.

Tamworth is also blessed with a local nursing service that provides basic free care to all inhabitants, regardless of income. The Tamworth Community Nurse Association is a remarkable organization, started in 1921 through the caring efforts of Elizabeth Lane Whittemore and Mrs. Franklin Balch, and others. It continues to this day through the caring of many.

And it is Tamworth’s great good fortune to have its own community foundation that provides support to every group mentioned above, in addition to much else. The Tamworth Foundation began supporting TCNA with grants in 1940 and has done so every year since then, as well as managing their endowment since 1967.

As a community foundation, The Tamworth Foundation has the ability to receive donations from anyone who wants to support the health and happiness of Tamworth, and then administer those gifts from a view that is both close enough and comprehensive enough to put its funds to work to meet the real needs of the day and the days to come.

“We strive to bring awareness and care to all that we do, so that our grants and projects genuinely contribute to the quality of life in Tamworth. We are here to help where there is need.”­

As a final note . . . in this season of giving, please remember that donations to your local charities and nonprofits are truly meaningful gifts. Making a donation in the name of someone you want to recognize during the holiday season is a great way to give a gift to an individual and to the community at the same time. The Tamworth Foundation has a special “Gift Card” program that allows you to have a lovely card sent to a special person with a note that acknowledges your gift. For more information, please see Gift Cards. Happy Holidays to all!

It is with sadness and gratitude that we accepted Bill Rich’s recent resignation from The Tamworth Foundation at this past September’s board meeting.  Bill had been a member for thirteen years and was president for the past nine.  His business and financial backgrounds were a valuable asset to this organization.  Through his vision and leadership, the Main Street Project took place giving Tamworth Village a new facelift with an addition to our town office building, an office for our community nurse, an extension to our library, and beautifully lined trees on Main Street.

Throughout the past thirteen years Bill has encouraged many others in the non-profit sector to come to our board with their visions to help make the community of Tamworth a better place.  We are ever so grateful to him for all that he’s done.

He has decided that this is the time of his life he would like to devote more time to his ministry and family adventures.  Wishing Bill the very best.  Good health and God Bless!

—Gail Marrone

Note: This article appeared in the Mountain Ear newspaper on October 20th, 2011

Since it began in 1937, The Tamworth Foundation has continued its mission to “preserve and improve the physical properties and the spiritual, intellectual, social and physical well-being of the inhabitants of the Town of Tamworth.” It has done so in such a low-key way that many people, even residents of Tamworth (which includes Chocorua, South Tamworth and Wonalancet), hardly know what it is or what it does.

If you happened to attend the wonderful Benefit Concert for the Tamworth Community Nurse Association last month, you might not have realized, after you parked your car in the large, well-lit parking lot behind the town offices and walked through the village on your way to The Barnstormers Theatre, that the parking lot, the town offices, and the trees lining the street were among the improvements to the village center initiated and funded by The Tamworth Foundation as part of its Main Street Project conceived in 1999 and implemented in 2000 to 2002. (That project also funded a new septic system for the center of town, an addition to the library, and landscaping in the village.)

As you entered the historic Barnstormers Theatre you might not have known that the theatre was able to offer its stage to TCNA for their benefit concert because of a grant from The Tamworth Foundation. You also might not have realized that The Foundation began funding TCNA in 1940 and has continued to do so every year since then. In 1967 TCNA received the gift of a large endowment which has been administered by The Foundation.

"The Damned" perform at TCNA Benefit Concert

As you sat down to enjoy the varied musical acts—Dana Cunningham, High Range, The Damned, and more (hear live recordings at artstamworth.org), you probably would not have been aware that the sound system used for this well-attended fundraiser was purchased by the Arts Council of Tamworth with a grant from The Foundation, and with the understanding that it would be made available to other organizations.

Does it matter whether people realize how much The Tamworth Foundation does to serve Tamworth? At the heart of The Tamworth Foundation’s work is the aim to help the town of Tamworth say, “We did this ourselves.”

The reason The Tamworth Foundation wants the public to know more about its work is because it wants people to realize that supporting The Tamworth Foundation is one of the most effective, easy ways to support the town as a whole. The Foundation also greatly values ideas, comments, and feedback from its constituents.

During the last several years TTF has stepped up its efforts to become a more visible presence in the community. In 2009 it produced a “Nonprofit Summit”—a two-part workshop/conference designed to raise awareness among local nonprofits of each other’s work, and to stimulate ideas for mutual support and collaboration.

Since then, TTF has created an informational brochure which gives a good overview of how TTF serves the community, and a website, which offers a more detailed picture, including grant guidelines and a downloadable application form that any Tamworth nonprofit that would that like to apply for a grant can use.

This monthly column in the Mt. Ear will highlight The Tamworth Foundation’s work by highlighting some of the nonprofit projects in Tamworth supported by TTF either through direct grants and hands-on assistance, like Tamworth Wireless, which now provides broadband internet service to over 60 families who would otherwise be without it, or by managing endowments and directed giving for special purposes, or by acting as a fiscal agent for projects undertaken by groups not incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

In this capacity, TTF was instrumental in the building of the Tamworth Veterans Memorial, which marks the crossroads of 113, 113A and Main Street in Tamworth Village. The Veterans Memorial project was facilitated by The Tamworth Foundation’s ability, as a community foundation, to accept and administer donations from the project’s supporters.