NEF Vying for $250K Grant in Online Contest

Next week, the Needham community will have the chance to help the Needham Education Foundation secure up to $250,000 to support educational programs in town.

The Needham Education Foundation, or NEF, will be participating in a contest through the Chase Community Giving Program, in which charities are awarded grant money based on the number of votes they receive online. Voting will begin Thursday, Sept. 6 and will end on Sept. 19.

Facebook users can vote online at www.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving, and Chase bank account holders can vote through the Chase website, www.ChaseGiving.com. Prizes will range from $10,000 to $250,000, and winners will be determined later in September, based on how many votes each charity receives.

“An online vote is a quick and simple way for anyone to help us fund grants that enhance Needham schools and the entire community in so many ways,” NEF Co-President Brooke Baker said in a press release. “We’re competing with other organizations around the country, so a great show of community support, through voting, could make all the difference.”

Each year, the Needham Education Foundation for educational programs in Needham. Programs benefit children of all ages, from preschool through high school.

Since its founding in 1990, the foundation has supported more than 400 grants totaling more than $1.5 million.

Recent NEF grants have funded a robotics program at Pollard Middle School and anti-bullying and disability awareness programs for elementary students, among other projects.

Learn more about the Needham Education Foundation at www.nefneedham.org.