Supporting your favorite Island nonprofit doesn’t have to involve big bucks. There are plenty of budget-friendly (and just plain fun) ways to get in on the giving.
Check out the ones we’ve gathered here, and if you don’t see something from your favorite organization give them a shout.
Become a Member
Join the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club, the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, the Vineyard Conservation Society, the NAACP of Martha’s Vineyard, the Community Greenhouse of Martha’s Vineyard, the Chappy Community Center or one of many more nonprofits that offer memberships. Joining brings plenty of perks (reduced entry fees, discounted event fees, affordable plants!), as well as hidden benefits you might not even realize: a membership in the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club helps maintain the almost 200-year-old Old Mill in West Tisbury.
Buy a Book!
Proceeds from the newly published Covid Monologues MV benefit the Vineyard Committee on Hunger. Edited by Moira Convey Silva and Jennifer L. Knight, the essay collection features writings from 70 Islanders of all ages about funny, sad, weird, wonderful and crazy things they experienced during the pandemic. The book is $12.95 and is available at Bunch of Grapes, Edgartown Books, Alley’s General Store, Vineyard Pilates, Integrated Health and Stefanie Wolf Designs.
Buy a Brick!
Several Island nonprofits offer a way to donate by memorializing a friend or loved one with an engraved brick installed permanently in a public area. Prices range from $100 to $1,000. The Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association offers a brick inscription program; the bricks are destined for the newly restored Montgomery Square. The Carnegie has a brick program that benefits Vineyard Preservation Trust. Your brick will be on display right outside of the Carnegie. And the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard will engrave a brick in honor of a special pet or person to line the walkway outside the shelter.
Buy a T-Shirt!
Our Island nonprofits have the coolest T-shirts. Get a “Blue Lobster” hoodie from MVY radio for $35 or a deep-sea-blue tee from Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust for $20. Martha’s Vineyard Skate Park has some cool T-shirts too.
Buy a Poster!
The Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society has past Fair posters for sale on its website, as well as an Allen Whiting Limited Edition Print, both for only $21.95.
Get a Gift Certificate
Featherstone Center for the Arts, the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society, Polly Hill Arboretum and many more Island nonprofits can sell you a gift certificate for a class or a gift membership.
Play Golf
During the season, golf tournaments that benefit Island nonprofits abound. If you’re a golfer, signing up for one of these is a no-brainer. There’s the annual Children’s Benefit Tournament at Farm Neck Golf Club in May that benefits the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club. In September, play in the annual Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard Golf Classic or the Vineyard Charity Golf Classic, which benefits Martha’s Vineyard Community Services. And a tournament to benefit MV Youth Hockey is held at Edgartown Golf Club every June.
Go For a Run
Road races for charity are an Island tradition. The annual Camp Jabberwocky 5K takes place in August. The annual Martha’s Vineyard Memorial 5K Road Race benefits Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard. In July, Murdick’s Run the Chop Challenge (cancelled this year due to Covid precautions) benefits the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club, and in June, the Pink and Green 5K benefits Martha’s Vineyard Cancer Support Group.
Take a Tour
To benefit the MV African American Heritage Trail, take a guided (outdoor)tour of some or all of the sites for $40 or $60. (Dunmere Cottage is on the trail.) Tours of Edgartown from the Carnegie benefit Vineyard Preservation Trust.
Party!
Go big-ticket with the Possible Dreams Auction to benefit Martha’s Vineyard Community Services or hit the streets (of Oak Bluffs) for the annual Ladyfest music festival that benefits CONNECT to End Violence (an MVCS program). Just find a party for a cause – they’re all over the Island in-season.
