The committee for the Six Town Community Fund will present two information sessions for local residents and non-profit organizations interested in seeking grants from the community fund to support local projects. The public gatherings will be held on Tuesday, October 4 at Belleville Henderson Central School, and Thursday, October 6 at South Jefferson Central School. Each session will start at 6:30 p.m.

The Six Town Community Fund is designed specifically to advance projects, programs and initiatives in the towns and surrounding communities of Adams, Ellisburg, Henderson, Lorraine, Rodman and Worth. It is a component fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation. “Thanks to contributions from individuals, families, and business organizations—along with a matching grant from the Northern New York Community Foundation—we now have a permanent fund that pools our resources and allows us to accomplish more for the community together than we could individually,” said committee chair David J. Zembiec.

Last year, $5,000 in total grant awards from the Six Town Community Fund supported seven community projects across the region. Grant recipients were:
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The Northern New York Community Foundation’s board of directors recently approved a $10,000 grant in support of the Double Play Sports Community Center in Lowville.

The Community Foundation will award $5,000 to assist with the renovation of space at the organization’s fitness center location. The renovated space will allow the agency to offer additional programming at their Utica Boulevard site. The board also agreed to a $5,000 grant to establish an endowment fund for the organization to be administered by the Community Foundation. The Dyson Foundation has also agreed to match the Community Foundation’s commitment with another $5,000 for Double Play’s endowment, for a total of $10,000.

“We continue to be impressed with all that Double Play has been striving to do to impact Lowville and Lewis County. By providing both a grant for immediate needs and long-term needs, we hope to be able to continue our investment in their efforts,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation director. “We are especially grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the Dyson Foundation to maximize the overall support for Double Play,” Mr. Richardson said.             Other grants recently approved are:
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The Northern New York Community Foundation is extending the deadline for non-profit organizations to submit an application for consideration through The Lighthouse Fund. Agencies must be providing services to help underserved and vulnerable populations in the Clayton and Cape Vincent areas. The new deadline has been set for September 2.

The Lighthouse Fund is a geographic-specific fund that awards grants annually in perpetuity for projects, programs and initiatives that meet vital community needs in the Clayton and Cape Vincent areas. The component fund was established in 2014 at the Community Foundation and distributed its first grants last year. The Cape Vincent and Clayton Council of Churches food pantries each received a $1,000 matching grant to build year-end support for their agencies. A $1,000 grant was also awarded to the Cape Vincent Improvement League to construct a community garden to grow fruits and vegetables to benefit the local food pantry. [Read more…]

A regional business corporation created in 1958 by St. Lawrence River area business leaders has been reorganized as the Jefferson Economic Development Fund and has affiliated with the Northern New York Community Foundation.

Founded as a nonprofit corporation known as the Jefferson County Chambers of Commerce nearly six decades ago the Fund will focus its activities on awarding grants to support projects or programs which promote the general welfare of the region with emphasis on the St. Lawrence River area.

The 1968 corporation was formally dissolved this month with the approval of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, the Secretary of State and New York’s Attorney General. Under its reorganization, the Fund will be independently guided by the board of the former organization with its funds stewarded by the Community Foundation.

“Our affiliation with the Foundation is a logical fit,” said Fund President Cary R. Brick of Clayton, “the Foundation has a strong record in investing the funds of its affiliated organizations. Our Fund is now assured that its 1958 mission of supporting local benefit activities can continue into perpetuity.” [Read more…]

The Northern New York Community Foundation’s LEAD Council recently awarded grants totaling $10,000 to two North Country school districts following their participation in the “LEAD Your School Challenge.”

The school-based project was developed by the LEAD Council, which is an advisory group of nearly 20 young professionals affiliated with the Community Foundation. The goal of competition was to cultivate and instill willingness in school students to volunteer in their community and learn more about the mission and services of local non-profit organizations. Each participating school was eligible for up to $10,000 in grant funding. LEAD awarded a $6,000 grant to South Jefferson and a $4,000 grant to Copenhagen for their efforts.

“One of the best outcomes of this student-driven initiative is our youth are educated about the meaning of community philanthropy and understand the important work of area non-profits,” said Max DelSignore, Community Foundation assistant director. “These students have proven to be great collaborators and citizens that genuinely care about the communities where they live.”

At South Jefferson, students from across the high school and middle school created a project that either raised awareness or funds for five non-profit agencies in Jefferson County. They collaborated with organizations such as the Children’s Home of Jefferson County, Children’s Miracle Network, Credo Community Center, Hospice of Jefferson County and the Watertown Urban Mission. The students garnered the grant award based on their community impact, addressing specific local needs and engaging their peers.

“Our students’ eyes were opened to the needs of the community and they were eager to help out,” said Karen Denny, high school principal at South Jefferson. “Teaming up with non-profit organizations proved to be motivating and rewarding, which ultimately pushed the team to see the project to completion. The goal of promoting volunteerism and increasing awareness of the needs of various non-profits in our community was certainly achieved.”

Students at Copenhagen focused on raising awareness for mental health issues on campus and in the community. The students engaged two local non-profits – the Mental Health Association in Jefferson County and Transitional Living Services of Northern New York – in providing resources and exercises to educate their peers about the effects of mental health.

“The ‘LEAD Your School Challenge’ was a great opportunity for our students to pick a project that was meaningful to them and work to achieve their goals,” said Copenhagen superintendent Scott Connell. “What they learned about selflessness and giving back to their community are skills that will pay great dividends in their futures. Not just for them, but for the communities they live in.” [Read more…]