New Hampshire Charitable Foundation

05/29/2026

In an interview with the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, Dick Ober reflects on 40 years of nonprofit leadership in New Hampshire as he looks ahead to retirement (and more time outside hiking, fishing, and gardening). He shares his optimism that New Hampshire will overcome the challenges facing nonprofits, citing the state's strong sense of community and the inspiring work of people in the nonprofit sector.

“Giving back to New Hampshire is what New Hampshire does.”

After 40 years of leading New Hampshire nonprofit organizations, Dick Ober, CEO of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, is retiring and looking forward to spending more time outdoors, while also exploring new possibilities for future projects.

05/22/2026

We are proud to celebrate excellence within New Hampshire’s nonprofit sector in partnership with Business NH Magazine.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Manchester has been named Nonprofit of the Year, and Sue Durkin and Gregory White, co-CEOs of New Hampshire’s largest Federally Qualified Health Center Lamprey Health Care, were selected for the Nonprofit Leader of the Year Award.

The 2026 recipients will be honored at Business NH Magazine’s Business of the Year Awards luncheon on June 5, and the Charitable Foundation will award both organizations $5,000 unrestricted grants.

Congratulations also to our valued partners, the Community College System of NH and McLane Middleton, and to all of this year’s Business of the Year Award recipients.

Read the full announcement on the Business NH Magazine website.

Business NH Magazine and the NH Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives are announcing the winners of the 2026 Business Leader, Nonprofit Leaders and Business of the Year Awards. Winners are featured in the May issue of Business NH Magazine.

05/21/2026

In a conversation with The Boston Globe, outgoing Foundation President and CEO Dick Ober reflects on the remarkable resilience and adaptability of the nonprofit sector and why he feels hopeful about the future.

“There is not a family in New Hampshire that is not touched by a nonprofit organization every day.”

Dick Ober, the retiring president and CEO of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, said nonprofits have been adapting with remarkable speed to an onslaught of social, economic, and political stressors.

05/21/2026

We’re excited to share that Steven Lavoie, Assistant Commissioner at the New Hampshire Department of Safety, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Caroline and Martin Gross Fellowship.

Created in memory of New Hampshire House Majority Leader Caroline Gross and former Concord Mayor Martin Gross, the fellowship honors exceptional dedication to public service, providing one New Hampshire public sector leader the opportunity to attend a three‑week executive education program at the Harvard Kennedy School.

On our website, you can read more about the fellowship and what Assistant Commissioner Lavoie hopes to gain from the experience:

Steven Lavoie (center) pictured with former Caroline and Martin Gross Fellows (left to right): Todd Selig, Lou D’Allesandro, Terence Pfaff, Philip Bryce, Sheri Rockburn, and Jennifer Horgan. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

05/07/2026

Charitable Foundation President and CEO Dick Ober will join leaders from Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of New Hampshire, Granite VNA, The Palace Theatres, and Yankee Publishing Inc. for a Leadership Unscripted panel on Thursday, June 4, at The Rex Theatre in Manchester.

Hosted by New Hampshire Business Review, the conversation will explore the stories behind each leader’s journey.

Register to attend: https://bit.ly/4uuD4dS

05/05/2026

Last week, our communications team had the opportunity to visit Sarah and Sam at Manning Hill Farm in Wi******er, NH. The diversified dairy farm uses regenerative and sustainable agriculture practices and is a two-time recipient of the NH Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant — a program that the Foundation is proud to support. We’re looking forward to featuring Manning Hill Farm in our 2025 Annual Report!

Learn more about the NH Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant: www.cheshireconservation.org/climate

04/30/2026

Please join us on June 11 for our 2026 Annual Meeting as we honor your work, perseverance, and generosity; as we thank Dick Ober for his service to New Hampshire and the Foundation; and as we welcome our new President and CEO Shawn Morehead.

Registration is now open: https://www.nhcf.org/2026am/

04/29/2026

We are excited to announce that Shawn V. Morehead has been selected as the Foundation’s next president and CEO.

Shawn currently serves as executive vice president and chief program officer at the New York Community Trust, the community foundation for New York City, Westchester and Long Island.

She succeeds Dick Ober, who will retire in July after leading the Foundation for the past 16 years.

Read more in Board Chair Joe Morone's letter to the community: https://bit.ly/3PdrIvP

04/24/2026

When Jeanne lost her housing, she turned to Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, Inc., where she found more than a meal and a bed. With wraparound support, she was able to move from survival to stability and into her own apartment.

Her story is a reminder that anyone can experience a crisis, and that lasting solutions require dignity and community support.

Learn more on our website about how the Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter is offering help and hope.

Jeanne visits her former apartment unit at the Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter with Program Manager Josh Ortega (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

04/23/2026

Each year, the Christa McAuliffe Sabbatical supports an exceptional New Hampshire public school teacher with a year-long, funded leave to pursue a project that enhances classroom teaching.

We’re excited to share that the 2026 recipient is Meagan Burd, a Bow High School English teacher. During her sabbatical, she plans to create training materials to help fellow educators incorporate reading and writing across all subjects.

On our website, learn more about Meagan’s work to advance literacy across the curriculum.

Bow English teacher awarded Christa McAuliffe Sabbatical Meagan Burd will produce teacher training materials to help high school students become better readers, better learners and more successful adults. By David Tirrell-Wysocki, Network for Good Contributor  |  April 14, 2026 Meagan Burd and h...