Officials from The Apprenticeshop, the Rockland, Maine, school for traditional boatbuilding and sailing, announced that a group of anonymous donors have stepped forward with a matching grant poised to enable the organization to leverage some $700,000 in funds.
“As we begin to celebrate our 40th anniversary of delivering experiential education through boatbuilding and sailing we could not be more excited in what this could mean for planning the next 40 years,” executive director Eric Stockinger said in a statement.
In early 2011, the school’s board of directors began a capital fundraising campaign in anticipation of the 40th anniversary in 2012. Early on, a group of donors put forth $650,000 in a grant to be matched, dollar for dollar, by other donors to the campaign. This year, an additional $40,000 was made available to match new and increased donations to the organization’s annual fund, dollar for dollar, up to $500 per donor.
“As we work to expand our service to the community and aim to be a thriving maritime center, improvements to the physical plant, expansion and upgrade of our youth sailing fleet and deferred maintenance of existing structures on the 2.5-acre campus necessitated the need for an infusion of capital,” Stockinger said.
The capital campaign’s goal is $1.5 million and spans five years. The 2012 annual fund aims to generate $250,000 for general operations by the end of the year.
