Committee recommends list of potential funders to town council, seeks account and grant-writer clarity

A committee motion to recommend a set of funding sources to the town council and the town administration passed unanimously at the July 1 Hellwell Multigenerational Building Committee meeting.

"I will make a motion that we recommend to the town council the funding sources that have been provided to date," said a committee member before listing organizations and programs the committee had identified, including Navigate Credit Union, Walmart, Stop & Shop, USDA programs, Bank of America Foundation, Ameriprise Community Grants, Mondelez International and CVS. A committee member then amended the motion to specify the recommendation go to both the council and the administration; the amendment was seconded and the motion carried with all voting “Aye.”

Committee members said the town must create a dedicated account before broad fundraising can begin. The chair and other members noted that accepting donations via a public crowdfunding tool (a GoFundMe page) would require that funds be routed into a town-held, restricted account and tracked according to state and municipal accounting rules.

Members discussed seeking clarity from the town administrator about whether the town's grant writer can provide guidance on eligible funding streams and how the committee should forward requests. Several members urged following the chain of command: the grant writer is employed by the town and communicates through the town administrator.

The committee discussed next steps and timing. Architect BH Plus A will attend a finishes meeting on July 17; the committee also scheduled subsequent meetings on August 7 (furniture, MEP/FP systems) and August 21 (design-development cost estimate). Members said those dates will inform which grant programs and budget lines are applicable and whether certain elements of the project could be funded from a larger recreation grant the town is pursuing.

Committee members also proposed community outreach opportunities such as a booth at Pumpkin Fest and preparing sponsorship materials (donor tiers and presentation collateral) to share with the town administration so staff can pursue corporate and foundation donors. A member suggested using existing municipal furniture or seeking grants to avoid building-fit-out costs.

The committee did not delegate fundraising authority to the volunteer committee itself; rather, members agreed to gather leads and materials and forward them to the town administrator and council, which will determine whether to amend the committee's enabling resolution or assign staff to implement a fundraising campaign.