A named Island Fellows endowment is one that ensures, through the generous support of an individual donor or a foundation, the perpetuity of one of the Island Institute’s most visible and valued resources to island and working-waterfront communities. To date, the Institute has successfully completed four named Island Fellows endowments:
The William Bingham Fellow for Rural Education-funded by the William Bingham Trust. William Bingham lived in Bethel, Maine for many years, where his charitable interests included educating young people, and he left a considerable part of his estate to a charitable trust. The 2008-2009 William Bingham Fellow for Rural Education is Lana Cannon, who will help develop curricula and promote technology education for the one-room school on Matinicus.
The Willoughby Stuart Fellow-funded by the estate of yachtsman Willoughby “Toby” Stuart, who sailed to Maine for many summers from his home port in Manchester, Massachusetts. After one cold and raw crossing, he called from Tenants Harbor and donated his 40-foot wooden yacht to the Institute. When he passed away, he left a major part of his estate to the Island Institute. The 2008-2009 Willoughby Stuart Fellow is Mary Terry, who will help advance Casco Bay affordable-housing efforts from her home base on Peaks Island.
The Louis W. Cabot Fellow-funded by the Grayce B. Kerr Foundation in honor of Louis Cabot, vice-chair of the Institute’s board of trustee and chair of the Institute’s successful “Sustaining a Way of Life” capital campaign. Louis Cabot’s father, Thomas D. Cabot, who sailed Maine waters for over 40 summers in Avelinda, was a key founder of the Island Institute in 1983. The 2008-2009 Louis W. Cabot Fellow is Kate Power, who is helping with programming and outreach efforts for the Long Island (Casco Bay) Recreation Center.
The James and Joanne Cooney Fellow-funded by founding members of the Island Institute, “Jim” and “Johnny” Cooney of Attleboro, Massachusetts and Waldoboro, Maine. The Cooneys loved to visit secluded coves along the islands of Maine and to uncover stories of their often forgotten histories. The 2008-2009 Cooney Fellow is Thea Youngs, now in her second year of working for the Town of Chebeague Island on community mapping projects.
The Island Institute has also initiated island-specific Island Fellows endowments for the: Cranberry Isles, Deer Isle-Stonington, Vinalhaven and North Haven, and has successfully completed the Island Fellows endowment for Swan’s Island.