Rhode Island Humanities Awards $100,000 Through THRIVE Operating Support Grant Program to 20 Organizations

Providence, RI – Rhode Island Humanities is excited to announce $100,000 in general operating support grants to 20 humanities organizations. In its third year, thanks to funding from the State of Rhode Island, the THRIVE grantmaking program continues to provide funding for small cultural heritage organizations and local historical and preservation societies that contribute to community vitality throughout the state. This year, THRIVE recipients represent 13 towns and cities in all five counties. The THRIVE grant program has established a strong track record: funding helped create or retain nearly 60 local jobs and provided engagement opportunities for over 1,000 volunteers. Each organization receives $5,000 for flexible operating support.

Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore noted, “The THRIVE grantmaking program, supported by the State of Rhode Island and RI Humanities, is a vital investment in the cultural organizations that serve as the custodians of our past and the stewards of our future. This year, as we mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in Rhode Island, this funding helps ensure that Rhode Islanders today — and for generations to come — have access to the stories that shape who we are and how our communities shape the future. I’m proud to support this program and its mission to keep Rhode Island’s history alive and accessible to all.”

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (District 23) stated: “Rhode Island’s cultural heritage organizations and historical societies are essential contributors to the state’s economic vitality. Through programs like THRIVE, we are investing in the local organizations that preserve our unique stories, attract visitors, and strengthen community identity. Now in its third year, these grants provide critical support to small nonprofits that have helped retain local jobs, contributing to Rhode Island’s economy by supporting tourism, education, and local businesses.”

Representative Mary Ann Shallcross-Smith (District 46) said, “The THRIVE Grant program offers a much-needed pipeline of general operating support for the small cultural heritage organizations and local historical/preservation societies that do so much for our communities. By investing in these organizations, we’re promoting greater access to cultural experiences that bring Rhode Islanders together, inspire lifelong learning, and build stronger, more connected communities.”

RI Humanities Executive Director Elizabeth Francis noted, “We are thrilled to award these general operating support grants to small organizations that preserve and activate our many cultures, heritages, places, and stories in rural and urban communities across the state. During an incredibly challenging year when RI Humanities was forced to pause other federally funded grant programs, we are grateful to the RI State Legislature for continuing to invest in a program that helps retain local jobs that have a direct impact on cultural heritage, tourism, and education in communities across our state. We encourage you to follow the work of these dedicated organizations, attend their events and programs, and consider engaging as a volunteer. THRIVE is an essential way to ensure that humanities organizations by and for all Rhode Islanders can flourish.”

The list of 2026 THRIVE recipients includes:

African American Museum of Rhode Island (Providence) – a cultural heritage organization and local historical/preservation society that educates, inspires, and fosters a deeper understanding of the African American experience through engaging exhibits, dynamic programs, and community outreach.

Block Island Historical Society (New Shoreham) – a local historical/preservation society that collects, preserves, educates, and advocates for Block Island culture and history.

Borders Farm (Foster) – a local historical/preservation society that owns and preserves the land in Foster, RI, donated by Charles and Margery Borders as a working twentieth-century farm and a National Historic Preservation District.

Charlestown Historical Society (Charlestown) – a local historical/preservation society that learns, teaches, and preserves the history of Charlestown, RI.

Clouds Hill Victorian House Museum (East Greenwich / Warwick) – a local historical/preservation society that preserves, interprets, collects, and displays objects related to the property, the four generations of female stewards of the property, and Rhode Island for the study and education of the public today and in the future.

Colombian American Cultural Society (Pawtucket) – a cultural heritage organization that preserves and promotes the rich cultural heritage of Colombian Americans through arts, education, and community engagement.

Greenwood Fire Museum (Warwick) – a local historical/preservation society that preserves, maintains, and educates about history through artifacts, pictures, and documents.

Guatemalan Center of New England (Providence) – a cultural heritage organization that promotes and shares Guatemalan culture; establishes cultural connections between Guatemala and New England; and identifies and develops strategies to address the needs of Guatemalans in the region.

Manissean Tribal Council (New Shoreham) – a cultural heritage organization and local historical/preservation society that preserves the cultural heritage of the Manissean Tribal Natives and improves the tribal members’ way of life.

Massasoit Historical Association of Warren RI (Warren) – a local historical/preservation society that preserves and maintains the Maxwell House and preserves and promotes history and historic preservation in Warren, RI.

North Smithfield Heritage Association (North Smithfield) – a local historical/preservation society that preserves and promotes North Smithfield’s heritage.

PVD World Music (Providence) – a cultural heritage organization that celebrates, promotes, and preserves the rich musical traditions and arts of African refugee and immigrant communities in Rhode Island.

Quisqueya in Action (Providence) – a cultural heritage organization that preserves the art, culture, and language of the Dominican Republic through education and community involvement, while empowering the youth and general public.

Revive the Roots (Smithfield) – a local historical/preservation society that stewards the former Mowry family homestead as part of cultivating an inclusive environment free of judgment and biases where people and the environment thrive through sustainable practices, community building, and education.

Rhode Island Kung Fu and Lion Dance Club (Providence) – a cultural heritage organization that preserves and passes on to future generations the traditional arts of Chinese lion dance and kung fu through performance, education, and community engagement.

Rhode Island Labor History Society (Providence / Cranston) – a cultural heritage organization that provides resources to the public to educate the Ocean State on our shared history as workers. 

Rhode Island Slave History Medallions (Newport) – a cultural heritage organization and local historical/preservation society that works to tell the forgotten stories of Rhode Island’s free and enslaved African American and Indigenous peoples.

Sowams Heritage Area Project (Warren) – a local historical/preservation society that instills a sense of stewardship and deep appreciation for the historical, cultural, and natural significance of the Sowams region.

Stillhouse Cove Remembrance Project (Cranston) – a local historical/preservation society that will install a historical memorial plaque in Narragansett’s Stillhouse Cove; create associated educational materials; and connect with educators, historical associations, and residents to teach an important but forgotten portion of local history.

Western Rhode Island Civic Historical Society (Coventry) – a local historical/preservation society that gathers and preserves historical materials relating to Western Rhode Island and also promotes the social and cultural life of the area.

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Rhode Island Humanities seeds, supports, and strengthens public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders. As the only dedicated source of funding for public humanities in Rhode Island, we are proud to support museums, libraries, historic sites, schools, preservation and historical societies, community and cultural organizations, individual researchers and documentary filmmakers to bring Rhode Island’s stories to life and to amplify the state’s many diverse voices. A private nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, RI Humanities is supported by individuals, corporations, foundations, the State of Rhode Island, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.rihumanities.org for more information.