The Northern New York Community Foundation’s Board of Directors recently approved grants totaling $175,000 to support projects for the betterment of Thompson Park in Watertown.

The board agreed to a $100,000 grant to help assist with the organizational planning efforts at the Thompson Park Zoo. The Community Foundation will provide a $50,000 grant in 2017 to assist with the zoo’s organizational restructuring. Following an evaluation and approval of the zoo’s progress in the first year of its plan, the Foundation will grant another $50,000 to be utilized in 2018.

“The citizens of this area, and the Community Foundation have made significant investments in Thompson Park over the years. It is a regional asset that is worthy of protecting and enhancing,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation executive director.             For more than 20 years, the Community Foundation has supported a variety of projects dedicated to enhancing the mission of Thompson Park Conservancy, Inc., and also includes the administration of an endowment fund which provides the Conservancy with ongoing support. The zoo offers a unique collection of animal and wildlife exhibits. Approximately 60,000 visitors enter the zoo each year, and more than 5,000 individuals, youth and families participate in the organization’s educational programs.

 “The Zoo has been an integral and beloved part of our community for nearly a century and this investment from the Community Foundation provides tremendous support as we work hard to bring value to our community in an exciting and sustainable way,” said Mark Irwin, board chair for Thompson Park Zoo.

The Community Foundation also approved two matching grants totaling $75,000 in support of the Friends of Thompson Park. The board awarded a $50,000 matching grant to leverage community support for the committee’s splash pad project. Charitable gifts for the splash pad project will be administered by the Foundation. [Read more…]

The Youth Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation is accepting grant requests from non-profit organizations for programs, projects or initiatives positively impacting the quality of life in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. Agencies providing services anywhere within the tri-county area are encouraged to apply.

The deadline to submit a proposal for consideration is February 1, 2017. The council will evaluate all proposals and have up to $20,000 to award in grant funding this June.

The Youth Philanthropy Council consists of 14 representatives from three local school districts: Watertown High School, Immaculate Heart Central School, and Sackets Harbor Central School. Over the program’s history, the council has issued more than $90,000 in grant funding and supported more than 50 non-profit organizations located in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. [Read more…]

The Northern New York Community Foundation will invest $30,000 in local food pantries and soup kitchens in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties this coming year. The board-approved grant will help enhance the offerings provided at community food pantries, thrift stores and soup kitchens in the region. The Foundation provides annual support to organizations operating with an official partnership with the Food Bank of Central New York. Close to 40 organizations will receive funding through this grant.

“Because of the incredible generosity of Community Foundation donors, we are able to make a broad-based impact in a very meaningful way across our entire service area again this year,” said Rande S. Richardson, Foundation executive director. “It is one of the grants we make each year that has the greatest reach and positively affects the lives of many,” he said.

The organizations receiving a portion of the grant are: [Read more…]

The Northern New York Community Foundation’s Board of Directors recently approved a series of grant recommendations from the Six Town Community Fund committee to support six local projects in the region. It is the second series of grants awarded from the geographic-specific fund that will benefit the towns of Adams, Ellisburg, Henderson, Lorraine, Rodman and Worth in perpetuity. $5,000 in total grant funding will be directed toward these projects.

“Each of the funded projects had a well-developed budget and were clear on their benefits to the community”, stated David J. Zembiec, Six Town Community Fund chair. “The committee was pleased to help get them off the ground.”

The Six Town Community Fund was established at the Community Foundation to be a permanent philanthropic resource to enhance the quality of life in the region forever. The fund’s growth can be attributed to several charitable contributions, as well as a matching grant from the Community Foundation in 2013.

The approved grants from the Six Town Community Fund are:

[Read more…]

The Youth Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation is accepting grant requests from non-profit organizations for programs, projects or initiatives positively impacting the quality of life in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. Agencies providing services in the tri-county area are encouraged to apply. The council will evaluate all proposals and have up to $20,000 to award in grant funding.

This year, the Youth Philanthropy Council consists of 14 representatives from three local school districts: Watertown High School, Immaculate Heart Central School, and Sackets Harbor Central School. Council members will assess all grant proposals from non-profits and notify finalists to present their grant requests to the council this spring. The council will determine grant recommendations, and the Community Foundation’s board of directors will review the council’s recommendations at their quarterly meeting in June 2017. [Read more…]