Bristol/RWU Cooperative Committee Accepting Applications from Local Groups, Individuals

BRISTOL, R.I. ­­– With spring approaching, it’s time for Bristol groups and residents to submit applications for the Fund for Civic Activities, run by the Town of Bristol/Roger Williams University Cooperative Committee.

The fund, established in 2007 when RWU and Bristol reached a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement, has provided $271,298 to date, and RWU will make $25,000 available this year. The committee accepts applications twice a year, and about $12,500 is available in this funding cycle.

“Roger Williams University has been proud to provide important resources to our neighbors, who address our community’s most important challenges,” said K.C. Ferrara, director of the Feinstein Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement at RWU. “In many cases, this fund has provided the seed money for projects that have blossomed into established programs. The fund has helped to fortify crucial areas of the local community such as the arts, basic human needs, public safety, wellness and education.”  

For example, the fund has provided money for local food pantries and art projects, for automatic telephone dialer devices for the elderly, and for programs to prevent teen alcohol and substance abuse.

The committee, which consists of leaders from Bristol and RWU, also has provided an open venue for discussion and decision-making and assisted in building upon a truly symbiotic relationship between the university and the town.

Applications for this funding cycle – available exclusively to Bristol individuals and organizations – are due April 15. For an application, go to: https://www.rwu.edu/sites/default/files/fca_application_revised%20Sept%202018.pdf

Questions may be directed to K.C. Ferrara at (401) 254-3765 or kferrara@rwu.edu.