The Northern New York Community Foundation has approved a $20,000 matching grant to help establish and build an endowment fund for the Alexandria Bay Chapter of the Foundation for Community Betterment.

The Community Foundation has officially partnered with the Foundation for Community Betterment in Alexandria Bay to support the organization’s future with the creation of a permanent endowment fund. The Community Foundation will match, dollar-for-dollar, any money raised by the Foundation for Community Betterment up to $20,000. An endowment at the Community Foundation will allow the Foundation for Community Betterment to provide greater options for their supporters to ensure that their important work and mission will go on for generations and stay local. The Foundation for Community Betterment joins over 50 other organizations in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties that have partnered with the Community Foundation in this way.

“Our organization and events have been going on for almost 20 years. We have three generations of volunteers that make up our local chapter. This partnership with the Community Foundation represents the next step in our evolution and guarantees that we will have presence in our community, forever.” said Trevor Garlock, board member of the Foundation for Community Betterment, Alexandria Bay chapter.

The Foundation for Community Betterment in Alexandria Bay has been raising money and hosting fundraising events in the Thousand Islands region since 2000. These funds are generally used to help individuals or local organizations in need. Recipients of these funds must be recommended by someone in the Foundation’s network of supporters, possess philanthropic spirit, and the funds must make an immediate and specific difference to that individual or organization.

“This partnership is a natural linking of organizations of similar purpose, with a special geographic-specific emphasis. We think that as important as their work is now, it will be just as important in the future. This fund will help ensure that goal can be achieved and sustained on a local level,” said Rande Richardson, Community Foundation director.

Upcoming events for the Foundation for Community Betterment of Alexandria Bay are Alex Bay’s annual Paddle, golf, tennis, and bike on July 27th & 28th, and Chippewa Bay’s Paddle for a Purpose on August 18th. Details can be found on their website: www.communitybetterment.org. 

The Northern New York Community Foundation makes grants to support the work of non-profit organizations and provides scholarships to individuals in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties. The Foundation has been built and added to from gifts (both while living and through their legacy plans) by individuals and organizations committed to meeting the changing needs of Northern New York, as well as supporting specific charitable interests and passions.

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Watertown Savings Bank recently made a generous $15,000 gift to the charitable fund at the Northern New York Community Foundation supporting the Thompson Park splash pad project in Watertown. The project is being led by the Friends of Thompson Park, which is a local committee of community leaders interested in the park’s past and future. The Friends of Thompson Park have been conducting a community campaign to provide support for the splash pad project. The spray park is scheduled to be completed and open next month. 

The Northern New York Community Foundation makes grants to support the work of non-profit organizations and provides scholarships to individuals in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties. The Foundation has been built and added to from gifts (both while living and through their legacy plans) by individuals and organizations committed to meeting the changing needs of Northern New York, as well as supporting specific charitable interests and passions.

The Northern New York Community Foundation recently approved a $5,000 grant to support the playground revitalization project in the village of Deferiet.

The Community Foundation’s support comes as the village prepares a community build for the playground and the official opening later this month. The project will update the multi-purpose site with new playground equipment, a small picnic area and refreshed tennis and basketball courts. The playground will serve as a recreational and family-friendly venue for residents in the village and neighboring communities.

“The Community Foundation is pleased to be able to invest in a community that we have a history of supporting, and for whom this project means so much. It is always especially meaningful to be able to support a grassroots effort, led by the citizens, to make good things happen in smaller communities,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation director.

“Having the generous support of the Northern New York Community Foundation toward the end will provide the much-needed funding and motivation to make this effort a complete success,” said Nancy Dutton, village trustee and project coordinator. “Without this funding, we would not be able to fully complete our playground to make it an aesthetically pleasing gathering space for our village residents and those in surrounding areas. We are profoundly appreciative.”

Volunteers are encouraged to participate in the playground community build, which is scheduled to begin Thursday, July 19. Interested volunteers may call Ms. Dutton at (315) 493-4709 or contact the Village of Deferiet at (315) 493-2707. A village picnic and ribbon cutting ceremony for the playground will take place at 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 27. 

The Northern New York Community Foundation makes grants to support the work of non-profit organizations and provides scholarships to individuals in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties. The Foundation has been built and added to from gifts (both while living and through their legacy plans) by individuals and organizations committed to meeting the changing needs of Northern New York, as well as supporting specific charitable interests and passions.

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Local organizations in the southern Jefferson County towns of Adams, Ellisburg, Henderson, Lorraine, Rodman, and Worth are encouraged to apply for a grant through the Six Town Community Fund at the Northern New York Community Foundation.

The Six Town Community Fund supports projects, programs, and activities that enhance the quality of life in the targeted communities.  Up to $5,000 in grant support is available through the community fund this year. Applications will be due November 15, 2018.

Organizations with a 501(c)3 non-profit classification are eligible to apply. Other agencies, community groups, or individuals seeking a fiscal sponsor for a community project are encouraged to partner with an eligible non-profit or the nearest municipality. Eligible organizations are encouraged to begin identifying potential projects for 2019, developing project budgets, and additional funding sources for their request. Grant recipients will be determined in December.

Over the last three years, the Six Town Community Fund has awarded $15,000 in grant funding to twenty two community projects benefiting residents in the southern Jefferson County area. The community fund was established in 2013 through the generosity of several donors to serve as a permanent, charitable resource impacting the region forever.

Interested organizations are encouraged to contact the Northern New York Community Foundation at (315) 782-7110 to discuss potential projects.  Inquiries can also be made to Max DelSignore, Community Foundation assistant director, via email at max@nnycf.org.

For those with a desire to support the Six Town Community Fund and its charitable purpose, please make a gift to the Northern New York Community Foundation, 131 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601. Please note the “Six Town Community Fund” with your gift. A contribution may also be made online at www.nnycf.org.

The Northern New York Community Foundation makes grants to support the work of non-profit organizations and provides scholarships to individuals in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties. The Foundation has been built and added to from gifts (both while living and through their legacy plans) by individuals and organizations committed to meeting the changing needs of Northern New York, as well as supporting specific charitable interests and passions.

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A dozen local organizations serving the communities of Boonville, Constableville and Westernville are first-time recipients of grant awards from the Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund at the Northern New York Community Foundation.

The community fund will award grants totaling $30,000 to support programs and projects that broadly impact the quality of life for residents from the three communities. More than 20 organizations submitted grant requests for consideration in the inaugural year. Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer established a community fund through the Community Foundation to provide a permanent philanthropic resource that would enhance the communities they cared about most in perpetuity.

“This community fund established through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer is one of the most meaningful and far-reaching ways to impact the communities they loved,” said Max DelSignore, Assistant Director, Northern New York Community Foundation. “These first grants are a testament to the value of this lasting charitable fund on these communities and to the non-profit organizations providing critical services and enrichment experiences to residents across the area.”

The following organizations received grant funding from the Sawyer Community Fund:

• Boonville Cemetery Association – $6,000 to assist with the digitization of official records for public use and historical research.
  
• Constableville Volunteer Fire Company – $4,400 for the purchase of two new sets of firefighter gear for volunteer members.
• Erwin Library and Institute – $3,025 to support six community events providing artistic, educational and entertainment experiences to the community.
  
• Constableville Library Association – $3,000 to create a “Literacy Station” that will enhance the organization’s summer reading program and help promote and encourage young readers.
• Boonville Youth Athletic Association – $2,500 to support the development of a children’s playground near community baseball and softball fields.
  
• Boonville Area Chamber of Commerce – $2,500 for the purchase of three cameras for the village’s community bandstand to stream live events and enhance security on site.
• Constableville for Tomorrow – $2,000 to assist in building a year-round, barn curtain system to protect the village pavilion.
  
• Boonville Black River Canal Museum – $1,925 to expand upon the organization’s youth volunteer program.
• Constable Hall Association – $1,600 to help upgrade the organization’s computer system and technological infrastructure to enhance efficiency.
  
• Boonville Search and Rescue, Inc. – $1,050 for the purchase of three GPS mapping guides to be utilized for searches and trail tours.
• North Country Proudly Honors, Inc. – $1,000 to assist with the organization’s efforts to recognize local military veterans, active military personnel, and historical wartime figures.
• Adirondack Community Chorus – $1,000 to help purchase music for three community concerts during the organization’s 2018-19 concert season.
  

Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer were passionate about the quality of life in their community. Mr. Sawyer was a Boonville native, served in the United States Army, and enjoyed a gratifying career at Layng Furniture Company and as a supervisor at Erwin Park in Boonville. Most notably, he was a talented musician. He played tenor saxophone in high school band and clarinet with the Boonville Village Band. He frequently played with three separate drum and bugle corps in Boonville and Rome. Mr. Sawyer passed away in 2008.

Mrs. Sawyer completed a successful career of over 45 years at Rome Savings Bank. She also served on the finance committee of the Boonville United Methodist Church. She also assisted organizations such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, Dodge Pratt Northam Art and Community Center, the Erwin Library, and the Boonville Cemetery. Mrs. Sawyer passed away in 2015.

The Sawyer Community Fund at the Community Foundation will award grants each year in perpetuity. The application for the next grant cycle will be available in February 2019.

The Northern New York Community Foundation makes grants to support the work of non-profit organizations and provides scholarships to individuals in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties. The Foundation has been built and added to from gifts (both while living and through their legacy plans) by individuals and organizations committed to meeting the changing needs of Northern New York, as well as supporting specific charitable interests and passions.

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