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Select Board approves sending pilot request to large nonprofits, seeks targeted follow-up and edits
Summary
Staff and the Select Board finalized a pilot letter to request voluntary contributions from large nonprofit landowners; board asked staff to send the letter promptly, add schools and the library as illustrative service users and to follow up by phone with top prospects.
The Select Board reviewed a proposed pilot letter May 12 asking large nonprofit institutions to consider voluntary contributions to offset municipal service costs such as police, fire and public works for major events and campus impacts.
Board members said the outreach matters because several large local institutions benefit from town services but do not contribute through property taxes in the same way private property owners do; the pilot aims to secure voluntary payments and to test fundraising and outreach models for FY2026.
Staff described the plan: send a single introductory letter to a broad set of nonprofit landowners, then prioritize in-person follow-up with the largest institutions (those with greatest estimated service impact). The memorandum cited a potential FY2026 pilot target of $100,000 in revenue and an overall theoretical addressable pool of about $1.4 million if higher participation rates were reached. Anthony said the pilot might take time to scale and that negotiations with large institutions are typically incremental.
Select Board members requested edits and a more assertive outreach plan: add schools and the library to the letter’s list of services that generate municipal costs, and commit staff to follow up by phone and schedule in-person meetings with the top prospects rather than rely solely on a mailed letter. The board also recommended customizing outreach for the highest-impact institutions while sending a uniform introductory letter to the broader nonprofit universe.
The board concluded with consensus approval to send the letter after the edits and to begin prioritized follow-up; staff said they would start contacting large institutions right away, beginning with known contacts and local partners.
Ending: The Select Board agreed to send the revised pilot letter to nonprofits, pursue immediate phone and meeting follow-up with top targets, and return to the board with early results; no binding revenue commitments were made.
