Nearly $48,000 in Grant Funding Will Strengthen Quality of Life for All Residents Across County
WATERTOWN — Ten St. Lawrence County nonprofit organizations will share nearly $47,195 in grant funding from the Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation to strengthen the quality of life across the county.
The Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund was established through a bequest from Dr. Badenhausen, a St. Lawrence County resident and retired physician who passed away in 2018 at age 83. Dr. Badenhausen believed in the strength of community and was a passionate advocate for the people and places in the region she loved and called home. This charitable fund forever continues her legacy of caring for others while thoughtfully perpetuating her interests and passions in responsible ways with a geographic-specific focus on improving the quality of life in St. Lawrence County.
“This fund continues to make a difference in ways that are both meaningful and diverse. It reinforces the wisdom in the way Dr. Badenhausen’s legacy was designed to have lasting impact,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation executive director. “In the first four years, over $340,000 has been put to work in local communities and, at the same time, the fund continues to grow so its ability to support future programs and projects is increased. That is powerful and enduring.”
Grant funding is awarded annually to qualified nonprofit organizations whose missions and efforts align with the Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund objectives, which include the general health and well-being of residents, arts and culture programs, education initiatives, and conservation and wildlife preservation programs.
The Community Foundation’s board of directors recently approved the following grant awards:
- Priority Wellness Campaign, Watertown — $10,000 to expand mental health services for first responders in St. Lawrence County. Programming provides peer support, counseling, and seminars, seeking to break the stigma around mental health challenges among first responders.
- Bayside Cemetery Association, Potsdam — $5,000 to support an arboreal conservation project that will address the declining health of mature trees within the cemetery grounds, ensure safety, foster wildlife habitats, and enhance the well-being of residents. The project is uniquely aligned with the conservation focus area of the Badenhausen Legacy Fund.
- Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County — $5,000 to bring the Celebrating Community, Family, and Food Cooking Series to St. Lawrence County residents. The program tackles nutritional education while addressing health concerns across various age groups in the community. Grant funding will support a series of workshops open to everyone, regardless of income, that focus on vital life skills related to food preparation, budgeting, and parenting around meals.
- Edwards Arts Council — $5,000 to present “The Barb Heller Variety Show,” which will bring local performers together for an evening of talent-sharing and community engagement at the historic venue. Hosted by Barb Heller, a North Country Public Radio personality, the variety show will feature music, poetry readings, dancing, and more, providing a platform for North Country artists to showcase their talents.
- Fort La Presentation Association, Ogdensburg — $5,000 to help expand the Abbe’ Picquet Trail onto Van Rensselaer Point, connecting it to a newly installed bridge and developing a trail system onto an adjacent island. The initiative seeks to enhance recreational opportunities and promote the region’s historical significance.
- St. Lawrence County Arts Council, Canton — $5,000 to support the Ives Park Concert Series that will run four Saturdays in August and culminate during the North Country Arts Festival, a four-day festival leading up to Labor Day weekend. Grant funding will help secure performers, sound engineering, and cover movie fees for a screening.
- Traditional Arts in Upstate New York, Canton — $5,000 to support “Fiddling with Traditions,” a program that aims to engage five St. Lawrence County K-8 schools through live traditional music concerts followed by hands-on workshops. The program, led by accomplished fiddler Gretchen Koehler and pianist Daniel Kelly, will orchestrate live concerts and post-show workshops to introduce students to North Country fiddle traditions.
- Potsdam Humane Society — $4,195 to help present a zoology summer camp in collaboration with the North Country Children’s Museum, and SUNY Potsdam’s biology department. The camp is open to up to 14 students, ages 6 to 10, and aims to strengthen their understanding of domestic and wildlife species, pet care strategies and wildlife conservation. The program addresses declining science exam performance and public health concerns related to pet care.
- PCS Music Friends, Potsdam — $2,000 to address the need for a more inclusive and contemporary music education program through a new modern band class at Potsdam High School. Funding will support purchase of instruments and professional development for a music teacher.
- Brasher Falls Central School District — $1,000 to support the High School Robotics Club, which engages students in the First Tech Challenge Robotics League. The program fosters student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Funding will help with an advisor’s salary, supplies, and associated costs for the club.
Since the Badenhausen Legacy Fund began grantmaking efforts in 2020, it has awarded nearly $341,000 in grant funding to support 27 projects at 23 St. Lawrence County organizations, supporting the general health and well-being of residents, arts and culture programs, education initiatives, and conservation and wildlife preservation programs.
Applications for 2024 funding from the Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund will be made available August 1, 2024, with up to $50,000 available. Qualified organizations whose missions and efforts align with the fund’s charitable purposes may apply for support.
Contact Kraig Everard, Community Foundation director of stewardship and programs, kraig@nnycf.org, or 315-782-7110, to learn more about this opportunity. Applications for 2024 grant funding will be made available through the Community Foundation’s online grant portal at bit.ly/grant-portal.
About Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen
Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen made the North Country her home in 1975 following years of medical education and work as a researcher and physician. She quickly grew to cherish the region’s people as friends, serving all to whom she provided medical care with dignity and respect. “Dr. Susan,” as she was known to her many patients and friends, grew up on Staten Island, New York, and graduated from Connecticut College, New London, in 1957. In 1971, she earned a Doctor of Medicine from the Boston University School of Medicine, after several years working as a research professional at Columbia University. Shortly after she settled in St. Lawrence County, Dr. Badenhausen established a medical practice with her partner, Joann M. Spatafora.
Dr. Badenhausen’s contributions to health care in St. Lawrence County are extensive: She was the physician director for the Potsdam Nursing Home; a physician for Sunmount Residential Center in Massena; school physician for Parishville-Hopkinton Central School; a public health officer for the towns of Brasher, Stockholm, Hopkinton, and Lawrence; served on the St. Lawrence County Board of Health; and a longtime member of the Canton-Potsdam Hospital medical staff.
She maintained a keen interest in the health and well-being of her community, advocating for access to culture and education. Dr. Badenhausen remained one of the few physicians anywhere who still made house calls, even in the middle of a North Country winter. Her black leather medical bag was always packed and ready in her Brasher Falls home.
About the Northern New York Community Foundation
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.