NH Gives is a statewide online 24-hour campaign run by the NH Center for Nonprofits to raise awareness across the state for NH nonprofits and to connect donors to local nonprofits. The fundraiser runs from 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10, through 4:59 p.m. Wednesday, June 11.
Our 2025 goal is $10,000. The average grant for NH residents is $609, which means $10,000 would let us help 20 more NH families. Donations during the 24-hour campaign may be made to the Phaneuf Family Foundation, 501(c)(3) using the NH Gives online portal.
The Phaneuf Family Foundation launched in the fall of 2019 to provide funds for New Hampshire and Vermont residents who can’t afford the full cost of a cremation or burial.
In 2025:
- We granted funds for 93% of eligible applicants.
- The average grant is $609.
We have supported more than 200 families in total since our inception. These statistics point to two things: a growing awareness of the foundation’s mission and a growing need for funeral funds for NH families. The future of the foundation depends on amplified donations to fulfill the burgeoning number of requests.
Helping Give a Dignified Farewell
Some people assume the foundation only helps pay funeral expenses for the indigent or homeless who have no financial support system. That is not true. Those who reached out for support from the Phaneuf Family Foundation come from all walks of life and situations including:
An infant gone too soon
A fragile life was only beginning when the baby died at just two months. The grieving parents, struggling to keep up with rent due to a high-risk pregnancy, had no means to pay for their infant’s cremation. A grandmother reached out to us for help. The Foundation stepped in to ensure a farewell with dignity.
A grad student away from home
He came to New Hampshire for a better future, but a sudden hemorrhage ended his life before graduation. His mother, in Maryland, was devastated emotionally and financially. The Foundation provided urgent funds so her son could be brought home and laid to rest with dignity.
A friend with no family
Her family was gone, and she had no savings and no one to handle her funeral plan or expenses. A friend who frequently helped her through tough times stepped in to make arrangements. Welfare covered most, but not all of the cost. The Foundation filled the $350 gap to ensure she could be cremated with compassion.
A young victim of gun violence
His family was shattered by his murder and unprepared for the financial burden immediately upon them. The Foundation helped cover funeral expenses so his family could grieve without the added stress of unexpected costs.
A hospice patient with no family
He died quietly, in hospice care, with no one to claim him. There were no relatives, no savings, and no plan. The Foundation ensured he wasn’t forgotten and that his remains were treated with respect.
Additional highlights:
- By the end of 2025, the Foundation will have provided more than200 families with grants.
- In its first full year, the foundation was able to grant 41% of the requests it received. In the past year, it granted 93% – an increase of 127%.
- The number of requests for grants grew from 40 in our first year to 64 in the last year, an increase of 55%.
- The average grant in 2020 was $264. That has grown to $609 in 2025, or an increase of 131%.
- The maximum grant is $1,000.
