HCT Funder Spotlight: The Harwich Fund

“We call it Harwich Helping Harwich,” said Brian Scheld, Chair of The Harwich Fund. “We’re a community fund that’s helping to address the unmet needs of the community.”

Their good work is being noticed all over town. A generous contribution from The Harwich Fund helped fund the wheelchair accessible trailhead at Harwich Conservation Trust’s Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve, where an ambitious eco-restoration project has transformed a retired cranberry bog into a wildlife oasis. Construction included a half-mile All Persons Trail, where people of different abilities can enjoy nature.

The Harwich Fund, a permanent endowment fund of The Cape Cod Foundation, was established in 2020 with a mission of giving grants to nonprofit organizations doing important work in all areas of Harwich community life, including health and human services, education, arts and culture and the environment. The goal of The Harwich Fund is to strengthen the critical framework that supports and improves the Harwich community.

So far, The Harwich Fund has provided 35 grants totaling about $76,000 to organizations that make important contributions to the Harwich community. These organizations include the Harwich Children’s Fund, Cape Kids Meals, the Harwich Elementary School, the Homeless Prevention Council and the Alzheimer’s Family Support Center. The Harwich Fund recently provided a grant to the Harwich Fire Association in support of the Old Bank Street Firehouse restoration, which will include three affordable apartments on the second floor.

“We’re not looking to run anything,” said Scheld. “We’re looking to provide a little seed money for those groups that address the heart of the community. There are families in this town that struggle. And plugging in gaps in projects that impact and support these families is what we’re trying to do.”

Scheld provided an uplifting example of how The Harwich Fund can help fill those gaps. “During the pandemic there was a need in the elementary school for musical instrument rentals,” he recalled. “Well, we caught wind of that, and we gave them money so that families who couldn’t afford to rent the instruments could get instruments. When they had their concert in the spring, they recognized us and it was heartwarming.”

There is more good work to do. Scheld and The Harwich Fund Core Team (including Cheryl Barnes, Steve Appe, Bonnie Scott, Joanne Falla and Rich Cogen) are ready to meet the challenge.

“We probably get three times, four times the number of dollars applied for than we can fulfill,” said Scheld. “So, in the community that has the need, they know us. “What we’re trying to do is get the word out to more and more donors, so we can support a higher percentage of requests.”

For more information about The Harwich Fund, visit capecodfoundation.org/the-harwich-fund.