The Lyme Foundation

Swan Grants

The Lyme Foundation received an unrestricted gift of approximately $500,000 in late 2017 from the estate of Freda and Hank Swan, longtime residents of Lyme who were active in the community and wanted to support the mission of the Lyme Foundation. 

After careful deliberation, the Lyme Foundation decided to use this gift to support both its ongoing work as well as special, one-time initiatives that will “maintain or enhance the quality of life in Lyme, NH.” As with all Foundation initiatives, grants must meet the requirements of charitable giving as defined by IRS code 501(c)(3) under which the Foundation operates.

Specifically the Lyme Foundation targeted $200,000 of the Swan gift to its general fund to support its annual grant-making program. Each year the Lyme Foundation commits over $40,000 for such purposes, with most grants in the range of $1,000 to $5,000. The Swan gift increased the Foundation’s annual grant-making budget by approximately 25% per year.

In addition, the Lyme Foundation allocated $300,000 in 2019 from the Swan gift for grants that will have a significant impact on the quality of life in Lyme.