Donations to the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and are used to support repairs, maintenance, improvements to the Grange Hall, and the operations of the Grange.
In 2020, just as we finished the “Second Stage” project described below, the Coronavirus shutdown stopped almost all events at the Grange Hall, and the rental income that usually supports the Grange and the Grange Hall. As a result, we are currently soliciting donations to help meet the ongoing expenses of the Hall: electric bills, heating oil for the winter, snow-plowing, etc. will be coming in, even with reduced usage. We really appreciate the donations which will help us get through this very hard time, and back to a more normal level of rentals and activity.
In previous years, the Friends have raised money for many significant upgrades to the Grange Hall, which have greatly increased the usefulness, attractiveness and rentability of the Hall. Each of the following Grange improvements were funded with a blend of community member donations and grant funds. We have used the donations to leverage the grants–at least doubling the impact of dollars donating to the Friends!
2020: The “Second Stage” project provided a major upgrade to our lower level. With the help of a grant from the VT Arts Council’s “Facilities Improvement” grant program we made improvements that save us heating costs, give us cleanable, attractive floor, wall and ceiling surfaces, get rid of leaks and moisture, and reduce humidity. Steps for the project began with installation of interior perimeter drainage, going to a sump were any water is pumped out and continued with installation of foam insulation on the inside of the poured concrete basement walls and foaming of the ceiling joist ends. After that, sheetrock and “FRPs”–Fiberglass Reinforced Panels–were installed over the insulation, new ceiling tiles were installed, new carpet squares installed over the concrete floor, new trim installed and painted, and a dehumidifier (draining to the sump) was put in place.
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?
We are looking into adding better fresh-air ventilation via heat-recovery ventilation systems, to improve the air quality indoors.
Further down the road, we’ll be installing a lift to allow people with mobility problems to reach the stage level and the renovated lower level, renovating the kitchen, and upgrading the 1953 oil-burning furnace to a more modern and efficient heating system.
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 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.