In March 2020, the New England Ski Museum’s Cal Conniff Grant program will distribute up to $3,000 in grant funding to support individuals and organizations that align with the Museum’s mission to preserve the history of skiing and winter sports.
The Cal Conniff Grant Program is open to individuals, organizations and educational institutions with an interest in winter sports, such as Alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. Any group that can demonstrate the need for funding for education related to snow sports, preservation of skiing history, or encouraging participation in skiing and riding is eligible.
The selection process is conducted by the Museum’s Grant Committee on an objective and nondiscriminatory basis. The committee selects applications based on:the proposal’s contribution to the preservation of ski or snowboard history;
- the extent to which the project encourages skiing or snowboarding participation;
- the importance of the grant to the success of the proposed program;
- the educational value of the proposal;
- the applicant’s degree of organization in the pursuit of the project.
The application process is informal. Applicants submit a letter that outlines a description of the project, its goals, the audience that it will impact, and the dollar amount requested. Supporting information for the application should include an organizational description or resume, including contact name and mailing address; and two letters supporting the merits of the individual or program. Applicants may be asked for a representative photograph for publication if the application is successful.
The application deadline is February 26, 2020. Questions or application materials may be e-mailed to staff@skimuseum.org or mailed to:
Cal Conniff Grant Committee
New England Ski Museum
135 Tramway Drive
Franconia, NH 03580-4403
These modest grants are funded with proceeds of the Hannes Schneider Meister Cup Race, held each March at Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway, New Hampshire. This year the successful applicants will be announced on Friday, March 13, 2020 at the opening reception of the 24th annual Hannes Schneider Meister Cup Race in Cranmore’s Eating House Restaurant.
Cal Conniff had a distinguished career in the American ski industry, culminating in 16 years as President and Executive Director of the National Ski Areas Association. “Cal Conniff has led the ski industry through the greatest growth period that it will ever see in its evolution”, said Killington founder Preston Smith at the time of Conniff’s retirement. As it happened, much of Conniff’s energy following his retirement benefitted the New England Ski Museum, which Conniff served as a director, president, and founder of the Hannes Schneider Meister Cup Race. In recognition of those contributions, in 2006 the ski museum designated its existing grant awards the Cal Conniff Grant program. In 2019, Cal Conniff Grant were awarded to these groups:
The Eastern Slope Ski Club, North Conway, NH: $1,000 for development of a pilot program with the Bartlett Elementary School to describe the history of skiing in the region and its importance to the local economy and social structure.
The Granite Backcountry Alliance, North Conway, NH: $1,000 to cover expenses related to its program of developing and maintaining backcountry ski glades such as the Maple Villa project they completed last fall.
Mount Eustis Ski Hill, Littleton, NH: $500 to purchase used ski equipment to distribute on a seasonal basis to area children free of charge.
Northeast Slopes, East Corinth, VT: $500 to support the area’s after-school programming that serves the youth of the Waits River Valley School District. Northeast Slopes owns the oldest continuously operating ski tow in the United States.