Bringing people together and inspiring philanthropy.
Our story
Since 1929, the Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and enriching the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.
Through partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable objectives now and for generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community philanthropy while inspiring others.
The Community Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors, professional advisors and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the Northern New York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions that strengthen the region and make it a great place to live, work, and play.
Our Mission
To inspire and celebrate giving, steward resources honorably, and foster vibrant North Country Communities.
Our Values
Inspire Philanthropy — We inspire a spirit of giving across generations, celebrate generosity in many forms, and nurture meaningful legacies.
Develop Relationships — We connect donor interests to the community, build and sustain partnerships, and listen for emerging needs.
Act Respectfully — We honor our heritage; appreciate the diversity of our region; and celebrate the stories, values, and generosity of people of the North Country.
Honor Stewardship — We steward resources responsibly and act with the greatest regard for donor wishes now and for the future.
1,100+
Charitable Funds
$5.3m
Grants and Scholarships
Awarded in 2025
556
Grant Recipients in 2025
742
Scholarship Recipients in 2025
The annual concert in Watertown’s historic Thompson Park is one of many quality of life projects Community Foundation donors make possible.
Recent News
Recent Facebook Posts
Meet Thousand Islands Central High School student Clarissa Nevala.
For Clarissa, her hometown of Clayton is “a place where the meaning of community truly comes to life every day. Here, neighbors don’t just recognize each other; they genuinely care for one another.”
“Last year, when my father was diagnosed with cancer, my family saw the incredible compassion of this community. Friends, neighbors, and even those we barely knew reached out, offered to lend a hand, and simply be there for us,” she wrote in her winning essay. “Their support made an overwhelming time feel less awful and reminded us we weren't alone.”
Clarissa is a Northern New York Community Foundation Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner. She chose the Compassionate Care Foundation to receive a $1,000 grant to support its work and mission.
“The Compassionate Care Foundation makes everyday life for some so much more meaningful by helping people who have been diagnosed with cancer access holistic and alternative therapies to support them during their cancer treatment and recovery,” she wrote. “The Foundation has personally impacted my family so positively by supporting my father and family through a very hard time. My dad has felt like this has made a significant impact on how he feels every day and is increasing his odds for beating cancer.”
Clarissa recently met with representatives from the Compassionate Care Foundation and presented a $1,000 Youth Giving Challenge grant that will help it continue its work. The grant is made possible by gifts to the Friends of the Foundation Community Betterment Annual Fund, corporate support from Community Bank, N.A. and a major gift from an individual donor.
Pictured, from left: Compassionate Care Foundation CEO and Founder Monica Behan, Youth Giving Challenge winner Clarissa Nevala, and Community Bank Watertown Arsenal Street branch Retail Service Officer Sandra Burnett.
We are grateful to Clarissa for her thoughtful effort. We are even more impressed that she is one of dozens of tri-county youths who looked inside their communities to recognize an organization that works to improve quality of life. Clarissa is the daughter of Bobbi and Mark Nevala, Clayton.
The 2025-2026 Youth Giving Challenge asked seventh, eighth, and ninth-grade students from Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties to explain in an essay what community means to them and to choose a nonprofit that embodies their definition of community. Clarissa’s essay is one of 20 chosen from nearly 80 submissions that came from 26 different tri-county schools.
Look for more photos and stories behind the Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge in the coming weeks.
#NNYCF #CCF #CompassionateCare #CommunitySpirit #YouthGivingChallenge
We are pleased to announce the 2026-2027 class of Jefferson-Can Community Scholars, who were recently recognized during a fall luncheon at Jefferson Community College.
The Northern New York Community Foundation administers the Jefferson-Can Community Scholars program in collaboration with Mr. Stephen H. Can, a JCC alumnus, and the Jefferson Community College Foundation.
The Jefferson-Can Community Scholars Program awards Jefferson and Lewis county high school seniors who are in the top 15 percent of their graduating class a merit-based scholarship of at least $1,500 for the first year of study at Jefferson Community College.
Since its inception in 2007, the program has provided scholarships totaling approximately $1.93 million, supporting 879 students.
Mr. Can, New Hope, Pa., and Florida, is a former executive chairman and founder of Strategic Partners, a Blackstone Group private equity business in Manhattan. Mr. Can earned an Associate of Science in business administration from Jefferson Community College in 1980 before continuing his education.
We are honored to continue to partner with Mr. Can and the Jefferson Foundation to provide this unique opportunity to Jefferson and Lewis county students. This investment in local students is made possible through Mr. Can’s generous commitment to the future of our community, our region, and our country.
Complete details: www.nnycf.org/jeff-can-2026
#NNYCF #JeffCan #CommunityScholars #JCC #SUNYJefferson
Congratulations to Jerrica Jean Gamble, the first recipient of the Northern New York Community Foundation Leila Harper Heagle Memorial Scholarship for Nursing.
Jerrica is a 2007 Carthage High School graduate who is returning to school to earn a nursing degree at Jefferson Community College.
Established by her son, Terry Heagle, in 2026, the Leila Harper Heagle Memorial Scholarship for Nursing supports nontraditional students who live in Jefferson, Lewis, or St. Lawrence counties and attend Jefferson Community College for nursing.
Jerrica recently met Terry who presented her with a $2,000 scholarship to help her on her path to become a Registered Nurse.
Lelia Harper Heagle understood the value of hard work and the importance of continuing to learn. She devoted much of her life to caring for others, building a nursing career through determination, continued education, and a deep commitment to those who needed her.
In 1946, she began a 32-year career at the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center. Starting as a ward attendant, she steadily advanced to become a senior staff licensed practical nurse. But Lelia wasn’t content to simply build on what she already knew. At age 48, she returned to school and earned an Associate of Science degree in registered nursing from Canton Agricultural and Technical College in 1970.
Her decision to continue her education later in life speaks to a quality that defined Lelia: a willingness to keep moving forward.
#NNYCF #NextStepEducationProgram #Scholars #ThoughtfulLegacies
🎄🎄🎄 We are pleased to partner with generous donors and the City of Watertown to help continue a cherished holiday tradition: the 2026 City of Watertown Christmas Parade.
Through charitable support, our community can help bring the magic of the holiday season to Watertown families. ❤️
Gifts that exceed costs associated with the 2026 Christmas Parade may be used to support any other future parades the City of Watertown approves.
To join others in helping to support this year’s Christmas parade, visit our online giving hub: nnycf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=15553
You may also mail gifts to: Northern New York Community Foundation, 131 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601
#NNYCF #WatertownNY #ChristmasParade #HolidayTradition #CommunityGiving
