Each of the following Grange improvements were funded with a blend of community member donations and grant funds. Your donation will likely leverage additional match funding.
2015 New bathrooms in the basement level replaced the original, cramped, hard-to-clean cubicles. We also added an ADA-accessible bathroom downstairs, installed water-fountains in the upstairs foyer, and put baby-changing stations in bathrooms on both floors. And we bought more floor mats to allow complete coverage of the main Hall floor.
2014 New floor mats to protect half of the floor of the Hall, and rebuilt fire egress from the basement level–which helped us get the legal occupancy of the basement raised from 49 to 100!
2013 New windows for the main Hall and the basement–thermopane, insulated ones!
2012 New hardwood floor (local maple) for the main Hall after nearly 60 years of dancing and other uses wore out the 1953 original. Several handy folks repurposed the worn floorboards as spoons, picture frames, and a mandolin!
What is the Next Big Project?
The Friends are now fundraising for the Mess Hall to Dining Hall project. The improvements will make the Grange’s ground floor less damp, warmer, and more attractive. Key objectives are to:
- Install perimeter drainage to prevent water seeping through the foundation onto the floor during big storms.
- Insulate the cold concrete walls and create a paintable, cleanable wall surface that won’t mildew.
- Improve heating and air circulation systems.
- Replace the existing tables with movable, smaller-size tables, for flexibility, better cleaning, and more choices in layout.
- Paint the floor (and the walls and maybe the ceiling) for a better appearance.
Our early estimates are that Mess Hall to Dining Hall will cost approximately $50,000. As in the past, we plan to apply for grants to pay for a portion of the project. This is where we need your help. Grant makers require that we raise matching funds. For example, the Vermont Arts Council — that has supported two of our previous projects — requires a 50% match. For every $1 they give, we must match it.
The Friends have raised $10,000 to dedicate to the Mess Hall to Dining Hall project. Our goal is to raise a total of $25,000 as community-raised match funding to then leverage funds from grant makers. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution in support of Grange Hall improvements.
Thank you! Together we can do this!
Donate Securely Online
Donate by Mail
Make your check payable to “Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall” or FCCGH and mail it to:
FCCGH
PO Box 192
Northfield Falls VT 05664
Donate by Bequest
Consider making a charitable bequest to the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall. By including a bequest to the Friends in your will or living trust, you are ensuring that the Grange can continue its mission for years to come.
It is as simple as one or two sentences. You can leave an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events, or a percentage of your estate to the Friends. Take care of your family first, yet imagine what a gift of $10,000 or more could do to improve the hall!
Long-term wish list items:
- Modernize the kitchen appliances.
- Install a lift between the two floors and to the stage.
- Install a “warm” floor in the basement.
- Install quality sound equipment available for use by all hall renters.
- Install Solar PV panels to provide power to the Grange Hall
- Update the heating system for improved efficiency–maybe a heat-pump that could provide air-conditioning plus heat, without using fossil fuel
Bequest Examples:
To leave a specific dollar amount to the Friends of the Capital City Grange:
“I give twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) to the Friends of the Capital City Grange in Berlin, Vermont.”
To leave a percentage of the estate:
“I give ten percent (10%) of my estate to the Friends of the Capital City Grange in Berlin, Vermont.”
To leave all or a portion of the estate remainder (the balance of the estate after the payment of specific bequests, debts, taxes and other estate expenses):
“I give to The Friends of the Capital City Grange, all (or a portion of) the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal, to be used for the general purposes of the Friends (or insert a specific designated purpose).”
The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in examples are for illustrative purposes only.
The Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose purpose is to ensure the long term sustainability of the Hall on Northfield Street in Berlin as a venue for the public performance of and participation in traditional dance, music, song, and other arts and as a meeting place in Central Vermont for individuals and organizations. The FCCGH supports the maintenance, improvement and public promotion of the Capital City Grange Hall.