PROVIDENCE – The John E. Fogarty Foundation awarded more than $356,000 to 54 Rhode Island nonprofit organizations in its 2026 Grantmaking Program, the largest single-year distribution in the foundation’s history.
The grants, announced at the foundation’s annual Grantee Awards Luncheon at the Hope Club in Providence, will benefit organizations that collectively serve more than 19,000 individuals and families with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Funded initiatives include educational services, workforce development, therapeutic programs, family support and community-based programming.
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The 2026 cycle represents nearly double the foundation’s grantmaking output from four years ago.
“We’re proud to announce a truly record-breaking grantmaking cycle,” said Danielle Zavada, executive director of the John E. Fogarty Foundation. “Their compassion, innovation and unwavering commitment continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands of Rhode Islanders.”
The awards also mark a leadership transition at the foundation. Mercedes McAndrew has assumed the role of chair of the foundation’s board of trustees.
“It is a privilege to step into this new role as chair at such a meaningful moment in our foundation’s history,” McAndrew said. “The thousands of individuals and families they support remind us exactly why this work matters.”
For more information, visit fogartyfoundation.org.
Veer Mudambi is the special projects editor for the Providence Business News. He can be reached at Mudambi@PBN.com.
