11-1SG Power Line Education Fund

Grant Round:

2011 February

Grant Program:

Small Grants

Grant Type:

Other Grants

Grant amount requested:

2,500.00

Grant amount awarded:

$2,000.00

Attachments

Please provide a brief description of the project for which you seek funding.

(1.) To raise awareness of and educate the community about the environmental, economic and potential health effects of the high voltage direct current power lines planned for the state of New Hampshire. Namely, the Northern Pass HVDC electric corridor from Hydro-Quebec, Canada and down through NH's North Country, including the White Mountains and down to Deerfield. (2.) The Utility Companies just released the information about the project to the general public on November 2010, but it has been on their table for 20 years. They have every move you could possibly think of, covered on "their chess board" and now we are being asked to play...The Community is under constant fire, landowners are under tremendous pressure... (3.) As soon as news broke on this project, our phone lines and email became inundated with requests for "What should we do?" and has not stopped... It's a ground swell of opposition that is rising up against this insane project and it's spreading state wide... The info line has becoming a part time job in itself, we have to pace ourselves so not to burn out. The core group members have risen to the occasion and are organizing locally, state wide and picking up where we left off some 28 years ago. Then there was a near identical HVDC power line proposal, right through the middle of NH's North Country, by the New England Electric Transmission Corp. Now it's the Northern Pass. www.northernpass.us (4.) Timeline: this will takes years...we are only 3 months into the battle...but we are gaining some ground. More and more talented people are coming to the front lines and defending their home land... More and more will follow, we must continue to spread the word !! With or without this grant! Thank you for this opportunity. Respectfully submitted, Rick Johnsen. We set up a Power lIne Education Fund just like this one, 28 year back, to collect funds and raise awareness of the negative effects of projects of this magnitude. It was successful then and we believe we will be successful again BUT we will certainly need all the support we can muster.

Project Summary

The group received a grant in 2011 for outreach costs and to help educate the community about the power line issue.

Primary Issue Area:

Environmental Health

Please break-down/categorize the program expenses:

Proposed ItemEstimated $ AmountWould grant funds be used for this item?

Web site management, development and fees

$500.00

Yes

Community outreach: signage, banners, news paper ads, rental space at events, handouts, printing

$1,500.00

Yes

Insurance for Group and large meetings: required to cover most venues and events,

$500.00

Yes

Whom does your group need to make this project happen?

Please explain how your group will engage members from your community in this project.

Arrange for informational meetings in the effected communities. Posters / signs. Community outreach: hosting info booths or space at local and regional events, like the upcoming SnoDeo that attracts thousands and sponsored by the Northern Pass, and have volunteers man the booth handing out info and spreading the word, that one on one contact recruits additional volunteers and boost morale. Through all forms of the internet access: web site, blogs, emails, Facebook, YouTube, etc. Direct, person to person contact. Seek volunteers to engage community members, to seek additional volunteers....it is growing.

If your group receives a NEGEF Grow grant, how do you plan to pay for remaining expenses?

$ AmountSource

$500.00

initial donation received from core group member

$900.00

donations received via paypay, through web site

$700.00

donations received vis USPS, to PO Box

$200.00

initial donation received from core group member, for web site and domain

Please list these materials or services

$ AmountItem

$200.00

Group Meeting space $50. x per month

$400.00

Large Informational meeting space, at local school $200. x per event

$120.00

Ads in local papers, 2 publications, $30. x per month

$500.00

Graphic designs for site, shirts, signs, buttons, bumper stickers, others...

$500.00

Web site construction and maintenance

$1,200.00

administrative duties and networking

Please describe what changes will occur in your community and its environment when your group's project is successful.

To raise awareness to the cause / this HVDC power line, to attracted new, and more talented professional to the table of the opposition. And attract legal support and council for the effected landowners. If successful the community, the environment and the region will remain the same, pristine.

Please list how many people in your community your group expects to actively engage in this project.

1 000

What relevant skills does the group need (but does not currently have access to) to help move the initiative forward?

Additional Outreach Additional Marketing Additional fundraising Clerical Research Legal experience Gathering statistics

What relevant skills do current members of the group have to help move the initiative forward?

Exec. Director for a 501(c)(3) Non-profit organization since 1994, a community organizer, fundraiser and event planner. A medical doctor of 50+ years. Retired teacher, Coalition leader and community organizer. A financial and administrative controller. Retired high school teacher and community and environmental activist. Graphic designers. Web designers.

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