The Northern New York Community Foundation has partnered with Gouverneur Hospital to support its emergency department campaign and the organization’s future.

The Community Foundation awarded a total grant of $50,000 to Gouverneur Hospital. A grant of $25,000 was awarded by the Foundation to assist with the hospital’s current emergency department campaign. This grant was supported, in part, by the A. Eleanor Jackson Fund at the Community Foundation. This legacy fund is stewarded through the Foundation to support programs, projects and initiatives impacting the quality of life for residents in the Gouverneur area.

The Community Foundation’s board also agreed to a $25,000 matching grant to establish and build an endowment fund for the hospital as a component fund of the Community Foundation. The fund allows the agency to diversify its charitable giving options for donors and supports the organization’s purpose and mission in perpetuity.

“Because of the generosity of donors, past and present, we are positioned to respond to important community needs as they arise. It was important to us to be part of improving critical access to health care for the residents of Gouverneur and surrounding areas. With this grant, we are investing now and also providing a structure for support for the long term, to help ensure that the services and donor interests are perpetuated,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation executive director.

Gouverneur Hospital has been providing health care needs to residents across southern St. Lawrence County and the surrounding area for more than 60 years. The capital campaign to renovate the emergency department will redesign the space to improve efficiency and coordination of care at the hospital. Approximately 10,000 visits are recorded at the hospital each year.

“We are grateful for generous support from the Northern New York Community Foundation. As we work to elevate the quality of healthcare in Gouverneur, the Foundation has demonstrated its shared commitment through their multi-dimensional support,” said David Bender, CEO, Gouverneur Hospital.

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’s Youth Philanthropy Council is still 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 programs and services in the tri-county area are encouraged to apply by no later than February 1.

The council has up to $20,000 to award in grant funding. 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 2018.

The Youth Philanthropy Council is comprised of a dozen representatives from Watertown High School, Immaculate Heart Central School, and Sackets Harbor Central School. The program is made possible through the generosity of Watertown Savings Bank, the Renzi Foodservice Charitable Foundation, RBC Wealth Management, and annual gifts made to Friends of the Community Foundation Community Betterment Fund.

Last spring, the council awarded eight grants totaling more than $17,000 in support of non-profit organizations serving the tri-county area. Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley in Potsdam was one recipient of grant funding last year. The organization received a $1,600 grant to help launch its “Music and Memory” program, which uses music to enhance the care for people utilizing the agency’s services.

Council members attended a site visit at Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley earlier this month. Pictured in the attached photo are (left to right): Front row, Kay Church, Hospice volunteer; Hannah Pitcher (Sackets Harbor); Rozanna Pasowicz (Watertown); Alicia Cloe (Sackets Harbor); Madeline Gist (Watertown); Linda Caamano, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator.

Back row (L-R): Grayden Brunet (Sackets Harbor); Kehinde Fasehun (Watertown); Ryder Simser (Watertown).

Non-profit organizations interested in applying for grant funding through the Youth Philanthropy Council may contact Max DelSignore, Community Foundation assistant director, at 315-782-7110 or via email at max@nnycf.org. Proposals should include a general description of the organization and request, the grant amount requested, how the funding will be utilized and the expected impact of the program or project.

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.