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Northern New York Community Foundation

Northern New York Community Foundation

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Watertown High School’s Dickinson, Corey Named 2026 William I. Graf Award Recipients

June 11, 2026 By admin

Pair of Seniors Honored as Top Graduating Athletes at WHS Awards Event

     WATERTOWN — A pair of Watertown High School seniors were honored Wednesday evening as the top graduating athletes and recipients of the William I. Graf Award. Marra Dickinson was selected as the women’s recipient and Maddox J. Corey was named as the men’s honoree this year.

     The Italian-American Civic Association established the William I. Graf Award in 1954 to honor Mr. Graf’s leadership and civic engagement in the community. The Northern New York Community Foundation was selected to help continue the Graf family legacy by administering an associated scholarship fund in perpetuity and raising awareness of the award for students who strive to earn the prestigious honor.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Recent News

Sawyer Community Fund Grant Helps Renovate Community Room at Volunteer Fire Company

May 15, 2026 By admin

$5,000 in Funding Will Help With Upgrades to Enhance Space for Future Public Use

     CONSTABLEVILLE — A $5,000 grant from the Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation will help the Constableville Volunteer Fire Company renovate its community room.

     Grant support will be used to make several key upgrades for future use that will enhance the community room for the public.

     For more than 40 years, the Constableville Volunteer Fire Company has provided a community room for a variety of activities. The multipurpose space is used for firefighter and EMT trainings, education classes, blood drive, community events and receptions and more. Visit facebook.com/cvillefire to learn more.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Recent News

Sawyer Community Fund Grant Helps Increase Event Capacity at Constable Hall

May 12, 2026 By admin

$8,000 in Funding Will Purchase a Tent for Outdoor Events

     CONSTABLEVILLE — An $8,000 grant from the Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation will allow Constable Hall to host a variety of private and community events each year.

     Grant support will be used to purchase a tent for the organization. With limited indoor space at Constable Hall, the outdoor event tent will hold up to 150 people. The organization is hosting several community events through November.

     Cultural and historical education activities have increased in past two years, and the investment will boost capacity for additional events. Visit constablehall.org/events to learn more.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Recent News

Community Foundation Announces Winners of Class of 2026 Scholarship Challenge

May 8, 2026 By admin

Three School Districts Earn a Share of $5,000 in Grant Funding for Increasing Student Participation in Scholarship Program

     WATERTOWN — Three school districts across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties were recently named winners of the Community Foundation’s Class of 2026 Scholarship Challenge and earned a share of $5,000 in grant funding.

     The school districts — one in each county the Community Foundation serves — each received a $1,000 grant. One of the three $1,000 winners also was awarded the top Scholarship Challenge grant of $2,000.

     Jefferson County’s Sackets Harbor School District is the top grant winner with 71.4 percent, or 20, of its 28 seniors submitting scholarship applications. Sackets also won a $1,000 Scholarship Challenge grant during this year’s first round of awards.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Recent News

Rock Charitable Fund Sets Series of Grant Application Workshops in St. Lawrence County

April 29, 2026 By admin

Applications for 2026 Grant Support Now Open to Qualified Organizations Serving St. Lawrence County Residents 

     WATERTOWN — The Rock Charitable Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation welcomes representatives from qualified charitable organizations, houses of worship, cemeteries, or municipal and governmental entities that serve St. Lawrence County residents to attend one of four grant application workshops in June.

     Applications for 2026 grant support ar enow being accepted. At least $150,000 in competitive funding is available this year. Completed applications are due Friday, September 4, 2026.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Recent News

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Northern New York Community Foundation

131 Washington Street
Watertown, NY 13601

Phone: 315-782-7110
Fax: 315-782-0047

info@nnycf.org

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Northern New York Community Foundation

Northern New York Community Foundation

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Working with donors to benefit the community through grants and scholarships since 1929.

Meet South Jefferson High School rising sophomore Breckan Pelton.

For Breckan, “community means having people you can rely on; friends and family all within a close distance.

“Mannsville isn’t just a place to grow up. This community always strives to take care of one another. It may be a small town in size, but it has a large heart,” Breckan wrote in his winning essay.

Breckan is a Northern New York Community Foundation Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner. He chose the Mannsville Free Library to receive a $1,000 grant for its work and mission. 

“In a small village like Mannsville, there aren’t many places for socialization with your friends. When I was younger, my sister and my friends and I would meet at the library, which was always welcoming and featured our book recommendations,” he wrote. “I hope this grant award will provide Mannsville Library the opportuni-ty to purchase new books and host new activities for children so they can have the same memories and expe-riences as I did.”

Breckan recently met with Mannsville Free Library Director Anne Fuller and presented a $1,000 Youth Giving Challenge grant that will help the library continue its work. The grant is made possible by gifts to the Friends of the Foundation Community Betterment Annual Fund, corporate support from Community Bank, N.A. and a major gift from an individual donor.

Pictured, from left: Anne Fuller, Mannsville Library director, and Youth Giving Challenge winner and South Jefferson High School rising sophomore Breckan Pelton.

We are grateful to Breckan for his thoughtful effort. We are even more impressed that he is one of dozens of tri-county youths who looked inside their communities to recognize an organization that works to improve quality of life. Breckan is the son of Shelbie and James Pelton, Mannsville. 

The 2025-2026 Youth Giving Challenge asked seventh, eighth, and ninth-grade students from Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties to explain in an essay what community means to them and to choose a nonprofit that embodies their definition of community. Breckan’s essay is one of 20 chosen from nearly 80 submissions that came from 26 different tri-county schools.

Look for more photos and stories behind the Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge in the coming weeks.

#NNYCF #MannsvilleFreeLibrary #CommunitySpirit #YouthGivingChallenge

Meet South Jefferson High School rising sophomore Breckan Pelton.

For Breckan, “community means having people you can rely on; friends and family all within a close distance.

“Mannsville isn’t just a place to grow up. This community always strives to take care of one another. It may be a small town in size, but it has a large heart,” Breckan wrote in his winning essay.

Breckan is a Northern New York Community Foundation Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner. He chose the Mannsville Free Library to receive a $1,000 grant for its work and mission.

“In a small village like Mannsville, there aren’t many places for socialization with your friends. When I was younger, my sister and my friends and I would meet at the library, which was always welcoming and featured our book recommendations,” he wrote. “I hope this grant award will provide Mannsville Library the opportuni-ty to purchase new books and host new activities for children so they can have the same memories and expe-riences as I did.”

Breckan recently met with Mannsville Free Library Director Anne Fuller and presented a $1,000 Youth Giving Challenge grant that will help the library continue its work. The grant is made possible by gifts to the Friends of the Foundation Community Betterment Annual Fund, corporate support from Community Bank, N.A. and a major gift from an individual donor.

Pictured, from left: Anne Fuller, Mannsville Library director, and Youth Giving Challenge winner and South Jefferson High School rising sophomore Breckan Pelton.

We are grateful to Breckan for his thoughtful effort. We are even more impressed that he is one of dozens of tri-county youths who looked inside their communities to recognize an organization that works to improve quality of life. Breckan is the son of Shelbie and James Pelton, Mannsville.

The 2025-2026 Youth Giving Challenge asked seventh, eighth, and ninth-grade students from Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties to explain in an essay what community means to them and to choose a nonprofit that embodies their definition of community. Breckan’s essay is one of 20 chosen from nearly 80 submissions that came from 26 different tri-county schools.

Look for more photos and stories behind the Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge in the coming weeks.

#NNYCF #MannsvilleFreeLibrary #CommunitySpirit #YouthGivingChallenge
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2 days ago
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Outstanding job

Congratulations!!

Congratulations Breckan!

Congratulations to both Breckan and the Mannsville Free Library. This is great!!

WTG Breckan! (Richard🤣🤣) I'm really proud of you!

Congratulations Breckan! Such a great feeling.

So thoughtful

Congratulations, Breckan! We love the Mannsville Library, too.

I love this! Breckan is a kind, caring, intelligent young man and we are so fortunate to have him as part of our community.

Congratulations.

Congratulations Breckan! 👏👏

Way to go, Breckan!

Great job Breckan!!

Well done Brecken!

Excellent job Breckan!

Way to go Breckan!!!

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We are proud to introduce the Class of 2026 Shaw Harbor Foundation scholars.

Nine members of the class of 2026 were awarded scholarships from the Shaw Harbor Foundation, a Northern New York Community Foundation charitable fund, during the Seventh Annual Appreciation & Recognition Dinner at The Barracks Inn, Sackets Harbor, last month. 

Class of 2023 Shaw Harbor Scholar Kevin Bou-Abdallah, Clarkson University; Class of 2024 Shaw Harbor Scholar Rebecca M. Leonard, Rochester Institute of Technology; and Class of 2025 Shaw Harbor Scholar Henry B. Goss; St. Lawrence University, were also named 2026 recipients of the Shaw Harbor Distinguished Undergraduate Award ($1,000).

Class of 2026 Shaw Harbor Leadership scholars: 

Luxi A. Liston, World-Changer Award ($5,000); Parishville-Hopkinton Central School; University of Rochester, pre-med-neuroscience

Mackenzie A. Salisbury, Perseverance Award ($3,000); Belleville Henderson Central School, Jefferson Community College, criminal justice

Garett J. Nier, Harmony & Humanity Award ($3,000); Carthage Central School; SUNY Oswego, communications

Porter Lonsbery, Intellectual Curiosity Award ($2,000); Thousand Islands Central School; Jefferson Community College, social sciences & Spanish

Chris-Dre McIntosh, Advocacy Award ($2,000); Watertown High School; University at Buffalo, political science

Aveline M. Hellings, Community Impact Award ($1,000); LaFargeville Central School, SUNY Oswego, business administration/global & international studies

Class of 2026 Shaw Harbor Scholars ($1,000): Audrey I. Jareo, Watertown High School; East Carolina University, biomedical engineering; Sarah B. Storrin, Parishville-Hopkinton Central School; SUNY Potsdam, adolescence education: social studies; and Easton J. Willard, Morristown Central School, St. Lawrence University, biochemistry

Top photo, from left: Class of 2026 Shaw Harbor Scholars Easton J. Willard, Chris-Dre McIntosh, Shaw Harbor Foundation founder John Shaw McNeely, Garett J. Nier, and Porter Lonsbery. Front row, from left: Audrey J. Jareo, Mackenzie A. Salisbury, Luxi A. Liston, Sarah B. Storrin, and Aveline M. Hellings.

Bottom photo, from left: Luxi A. Liston, Class of 2026 World-Changer Award recipient, and John Shaw McNeely, Shaw Harbor Foundation founder.

#NNYCF #ShawHarbor #ClassOf2026 #ScholarsImage attachment

We are proud to introduce the Class of 2026 Shaw Harbor Foundation scholars.

Nine members of the class of 2026 were awarded scholarships from the Shaw Harbor Foundation, a Northern New York Community Foundation charitable fund, during the Seventh Annual Appreciation & Recognition Dinner at The Barracks Inn, Sackets Harbor, last month.

Class of 2023 Shaw Harbor Scholar Kevin Bou-Abdallah, Clarkson University; Class of 2024 Shaw Harbor Scholar Rebecca M. Leonard, Rochester Institute of Technology; and Class of 2025 Shaw Harbor Scholar Henry B. Goss; St. Lawrence University, were also named 2026 recipients of the Shaw Harbor Distinguished Undergraduate Award ($1,000).

Class of 2026 Shaw Harbor Leadership scholars:

Luxi A. Liston, World-Changer Award ($5,000); Parishville-Hopkinton Central School; University of Rochester, pre-med-neuroscience

Mackenzie A. Salisbury, Perseverance Award ($3,000); Belleville Henderson Central School, Jefferson Community College, criminal justice

Garett J. Nier, Harmony & Humanity Award ($3,000); Carthage Central School; SUNY Oswego, communications

Porter Lonsbery, Intellectual Curiosity Award ($2,000); Thousand Islands Central School; Jefferson Community College, social sciences & Spanish

Chris-Dre McIntosh, Advocacy Award ($2,000); Watertown High School; University at Buffalo, political science

Aveline M. Hellings, Community Impact Award ($1,000); LaFargeville Central School, SUNY Oswego, business administration/global & international studies

Class of 2026 Shaw Harbor Scholars ($1,000): Audrey I. Jareo, Watertown High School; East Carolina University, biomedical engineering; Sarah B. Storrin, Parishville-Hopkinton Central School; SUNY Potsdam, adolescence education: social studies; and Easton J. Willard, Morristown Central School, St. Lawrence University, biochemistry

Top photo, from left: Class of 2026 Shaw Harbor Scholars Easton J. Willard, Chris-Dre McIntosh, Shaw Harbor Foundation founder John Shaw McNeely, Garett J. Nier, and Porter Lonsbery. Front row, from left: Audrey J. Jareo, Mackenzie A. Salisbury, Luxi A. Liston, Sarah B. Storrin, and Aveline M. Hellings.

Bottom photo, from left: Luxi A. Liston, Class of 2026 World-Changer Award recipient, and John Shaw McNeely, Shaw Harbor Foundation founder.

#NNYCF #ShawHarbor #ClassOf2026 #Scholars
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3 days ago
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Congratulations!

Yas Mac!!!!

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Parents, teachers, and youth leaders: The Community Foundation’s first summer Youth Philanthropy Experience kicks off Monday, July 27, and it’s not too late for students to secure a seat!

Do you know a Jefferson County student who will be a high school freshman this fall? This FREE weeklong summer experience is exclusively for students who live in Jefferson County and are entering ninth grade this fall. 

Participants will learn about giving back to their community through volunteerism, leadership, grantmaking, and other ways they can help nonprofit organizations working to strengthen our communities. 

Students who complete the program are also eligible to earn volunteer service hours while learning!

Interested students should visit nnycf.org/summer-ype to obtain an application and apply today. 

#NNYCF #Leadership #YouthDevelopment #SummerExperience #YPE #YPC

Parents, teachers, and youth leaders: The Community Foundation’s first summer Youth Philanthropy Experience kicks off Monday, July 27, and it’s not too late for students to secure a seat!

Do you know a Jefferson County student who will be a high school freshman this fall? This FREE weeklong summer experience is exclusively for students who live in Jefferson County and are entering ninth grade this fall.

Participants will learn about giving back to their community through volunteerism, leadership, grantmaking, and other ways they can help nonprofit organizations working to strengthen our communities.

Students who complete the program are also eligible to earn volunteer service hours while learning!

Interested students should visit nnycf.org/summer-ype to obtain an application and apply today.

#NNYCF #Leadership #YouthDevelopment #SummerExperience #YPE #YPC
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1 week ago
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