Towards the end of 2013, we asked “Could your nonprofit use $4,000?” We asked qualifying nonprofits to submit a short video for a chance to win a $3,000 grant and a shot at another $1,000 for our first-ever Beer & Benevolence awards.

Once we had all the submissions, our co-worker Beer & Benevolence committee got to work choosing awardees for each of the three focus areas; the arts, the environment and our community. Committee members took the BIG CHECK around and surprised the winning organizations (yup, we went in all sweepstakes style - we even brought a few celebratory beers!)

Our 2013 Beer & Benevolence Arts grantee went to Downtown Milford Inc. to support their public art project, Art on The Riverwalk. The funds will support the second phase of the project which commissions artists to paint sculptures of the classic yacht ‘Augusta’ which was built at the Vinyard Shipyard in downtown Milford. The sculptures are displayed along the public river walk in town.

Downtown Milford Inc.

In the Community sphere, our 2013 Beer & Benevolence grantee was the Milton Historical Society.  The organization will use the funds for educational programming and future exhibitions that showcase the town’s rich history (see the photo of our crew presenting the big check at the top of this post).

Finally, from our Environment submissions, committee members chose the Center For The Inland Bays for their work to promote the wise use and enhancement of our local Inland Bays through education, restoration and research.

Center For The Inland Bays

In addition to the $3,000 grant to each organization, each winner also receives a ‘Benevolence Night’ at Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in downtown Rehoboth Beach. Each group will get an additional donation based on a percentage of proceeds, and the organization that packs the house with the most supporters will get an extra $1000 to top it all off! That’s where YOU come in! If one of these organizations holds a special place in your heart - give ‘em an extra boost, come out and show your support on one of our upcoming Benevolence Nights:

Show your support for the Milton Historical Society on Wednesday, February 19, 2014.
Help the Center for the Inland Bays on Wednesday, March 19, 2014.
Support Downtown Milford Inc.'s public art project on Wednesday, April 16, 2014.

We’d like to thank all the local organizations who submitted films for our 2013 Beer & Benevolence awards - you all do great work and you made it a difficult choice for us!