• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Northern New York Community Foundation

Northern New York Community Foundation

  • About
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Contact
    • Employment
    • Philanthropy Center
    • Milestones
    • News & Media
      • Recent News
      • News Archive
      • Publications
      • Northern New York Community Podcast
  • Donors
    • Donate Online
    • Gift Information “At A Glance”
    • Making A Gift
    • Top 10 Things You Can Do To Leave A Legacy
    • NNYCF vs. A Private Foundation
    • FAQs
    • Investment Performance
  • Students
    • Scholarship Overview
    • Applications
    • Scholarships Available
  • Nonprofits
    • Apply for a Grant
    • 2023 Grant Opportunities
    • Nonprofit Partners
    • Partner & Grantee Resources
    • Recent Grant Recipients
  • Programs
    • Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge
    • Youth Philanthropy Council
    • LEAD Council

Clifton-Fine Community Fund Supports Three New Projects in Southeastern St. Lawrence County

October 10, 2023 By admin

Local Organizations Will Share $6,000 to Help Strengthen Work

     FINE — The Clifton-Fine Community Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation will support three community projects with $6,000 in grant funding for initiatives and programs that benefit residents of six southeast St. Lawrence County communities.

     The Clifton-Fine Community Fund was established at the Community Foundation in 2013 as a geographic-specific fund to support projects and programs that positively impact the quality of life in the southeast St. Lawrence County region, specifically in the towns and hamlets of Fine, Oswegatchie, Star Lake, Newton Falls, Wanakena and Cranberry Lake. The fund aims to enhance the quality of life for all who live in the region while maximizing the opportunity for residents to give where they live.

     “The diversity of grant support deployed across the Clifton-Fine region will help many individuals, families and communities,” said Max DelSignore, Community Foundation assistant director. “You see the impact of every gift made to the Clifton-Fine Community Fund through these grants. As the fund continues to grow, and others generously participate with a contribution to the fund, more programs and projects will receive meaningful support and help the region prosper.”

     The Northern New York Community Foundation stewards this charitable fund. To build initial support, the Foundation awarded a $50,000 challenge grant to donors interested in giving to this philanthropic resource. By the end of 2014, people from across the region came together to create a $100,000 community fund that will award grants to support local projects and nonprofit organizations in perpetuity.

     A committee of citizens from the Clifton-Fine region collaborates with the Community Foundation to evaluate grant requests each year. 

     Since 2014, the Community Fund has awarded more than two-dozen organizations nearly $50,000 to support 48 projects and initiatives. This year’s grant recipients are:

  •      Clifton-Fine Central School — $4,000 to support the Clifton-Fine BackPack Pantry that distributes weekly backpacks of nonperishable food items to students from pre-kindergarten to sixth grade. The program also supports families with emergency needs such as household fuel costs, vehicle repairs, clothing, medical needs and more. Grant funding will bolster program operations and continue to help local children and families with essential needs. An additional $1,000 grant from the Lester Allen and Stephen Moyer Fund of the Community Foundation was also awarded to support the program.
  •      Arc Jefferson-St. Lawrence Foundation — $1,000 to help the organization purchase watersports equipment to enhance program access at The Lodge at Dodge Pond in Oswegatchie. The facility is an inclusive environment with programs offered to people of all ages with disabilities. Thirteen individuals from the Clifton-Fine area attend its Day Habilitation at the Lodge. The Arc is working to increase beach and water access for individuals participating in its programs. 
  •      Fine Volunteer Fire Department — $1,000 to help purchase up to fifty 9-1-1 reflective signs that will be placed in windows at local residences to help improve responsiveness to calls. The department plans to go to each home and install these signs. The volunteer fire department covers approximately 200 homes within its rural district.

     The Clifton-Fine Community Fund will accept proposals for 2025 grant funding in August. Complete details and an application will be made available next summer. Meanwhile, to help extend the effort and make a gift to the fund, visit nnycf.org to access secure online giving.

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.

Filed Under: Recent News

Northern New York Community Foundation

131 Washington Street
Watertown, NY 13601

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

info@nnycf.org

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
Northern New York Community Foundation

Northern New York Community Foundation

3,469

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

Meet Finley Swartz, a Watertown High School junior and first-year member of the Youth Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation. Finley is the daughter of Tricia and Christopher Swartz, Watertown.

“YPC Wednesday” is a weekly feature on our Instagram channel that highlights Council members and what inspires them to serve and learn about community philanthropy.

Follow us on Instagram — @nnycommunityfoundation — to see new stories as they premiere each Wednesday. We’ll post them to this page after they appear on Instagram.

The Youth Philanthropy Council and its grant program is made possible by gifts from donors who make contributions to the Friends of the Foundation Annual Community Betterment Fund and generous support from Watertown Savings Bank, RBC Wealth Management Watertown, the Renzi Family Charitable Foundation, and the Mart Liinve Family Charitable Fund.

#ThisIsYPC #Leadership #YPCWednesday #YouthPhilanthropyCouncilImage attachmentImage attachment+1Image attachment

Meet Finley Swartz, a Watertown High School junior and first-year member of the Youth Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation. Finley is the daughter of Tricia and Christopher Swartz, Watertown.

“YPC Wednesday” is a weekly feature on our Instagram channel that highlights Council members and what inspires them to serve and learn about community philanthropy.

Follow us on Instagram — @nnycommunityfoundation — to see new stories as they premiere each Wednesday. We’ll post them to this page after they appear on Instagram.

The Youth Philanthropy Council and its grant program is made possible by gifts from donors who make contributions to the Friends of the Foundation Annual Community Betterment Fund and generous support from Watertown Savings Bank, RBC Wealth Management Watertown, the Renzi Family Charitable Foundation, and the Mart Liinve Family Charitable Fund.

#ThisIsYPC #Leadership #YPCWednesday #YouthPhilanthropyCouncil
... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 13
  • Shares: 3
  • Comments: 2

Comment on Facebook

Awesome Finley!

Awesome Finley Swartz! 👏

View more comments

The Youth Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation invites tri-county nonprofit organizations of all types to attend a student-led virtual Grant Information Session at 4 p.m., Monday, Dec. 11.

Attendees will learn from Youth Philanthropy Council members about the Council’s competitive grant program. Nonprofits may apply for a share of up to $20,000 in available grant funding for 2024 to fund programs, projects, or initiatives that strengthen the quality of life across the region.

Visit bit.ly/YPCinfosession23 to register today!

The Youth Philanthropy Council and its grant program is made possible by annual gifts to the Friends of the Foundation Community Betterment Fund and underwriting from Watertown Savings Bank, the Renzi Family Charitable Foundation of the Northern New York Community Foundation, the Mart Liinve Family Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation, and RBC Wealth Management Watertown.

#YPC #NNYCF #Leadership #YouthPhilanthriopyCouncil #Nonprofits #NNY #TriCounty

The Youth Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation invites tri-county nonprofit organizations of all types to attend a student-led virtual Grant Information Session at 4 p.m., Monday, Dec. 11.

Attendees will learn from Youth Philanthropy Council members about the Council’s competitive grant program. Nonprofits may apply for a share of up to $20,000 in available grant funding for 2024 to fund programs, projects, or initiatives that strengthen the quality of life across the region.

Visit bit.ly/YPCinfosession23 to register today!

The Youth Philanthropy Council and its grant program is made possible by annual gifts to the Friends of the Foundation Community Betterment Fund and underwriting from Watertown Savings Bank, the Renzi Family Charitable Foundation of the Northern New York Community Foundation, the Mart Liinve Family Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation, and RBC Wealth Management Watertown.

#YPC #NNYCF #Leadership #YouthPhilanthriopyCouncil #Nonprofits #NNY #TriCounty
... See MoreSee Less

5 days ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 4
  • Shares: 4
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

View more comments

Meet Kinley Lalonde, an eighth grader at Morristown Central School.

For Kinley, “community is St. Joseph’s Home. What I love is the feeling you get when you make someone there happy. I love to have someone know they are appreciated in this world.” 

As a 2022-2023 Northern New York Community Foundation Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner, Kinley had a chance to present a grant to the St. Joseph’s Foundation in Ogdensburg, an organization she chose for its work to support St. Joseph’s Home and strengthen the quality of life in her community. 

“St. Joseph’s Home is such a great asset in our community. It is a rewarding feeling to make people happy and let the residents know that even if they don’t have family nearby, there is always someone there for them,” Kinley wrote in her winning essay. “I want them to know that someone cares about them and always supports them to have the best life for as long as they possibly can.”

Kinley recently met with St. Joseph’s Home Administrator Colleen Steele and her team to present a $1,000 Youth Giving Challenge grant that will help the St. Joseph’s Foundation continue its work and mission. The grant is supported by donors to the Friends of the Foundation Annual Community Betterment Fund, a partnership with Community Bank, N.A., and a leadership gift from an anonymous donor. 

Pictured, from left, Colleen Steele, St. Joseph’s Home administrator; Donna Luckie St. Joseph’s Home business manager; Kinley Lalonde Morristown Central School student and Youth Giving Challenge winner; and Lisa O’Brien, Kinley’s mother.

Kinley is one of dozens of thoughtful youths who looked inside her community to recognize an organization that works to improve quality of life locally. The 2022-2023 Youth Giving Challenge asked 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. Kinley’s essay is one of 10 chosen from 124 submissions that came from 11 different tri-county schools.

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

#NNYCF #ThoughtfulGiving #YouthGivingChallenge #CommunitySpirit

Meet Kinley Lalonde, an eighth grader at Morristown Central School.

For Kinley, “community is St. Joseph’s Home. What I love is the feeling you get when you make someone there happy. I love to have someone know they are appreciated in this world.”

As a 2022-2023 Northern New York Community Foundation Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner, Kinley had a chance to present a grant to the St. Joseph’s Foundation in Ogdensburg, an organization she chose for its work to support St. Joseph’s Home and strengthen the quality of life in her community.

“St. Joseph’s Home is such a great asset in our community. It is a rewarding feeling to make people happy and let the residents know that even if they don’t have family nearby, there is always someone there for them,” Kinley wrote in her winning essay. “I want them to know that someone cares about them and always supports them to have the best life for as long as they possibly can.”

Kinley recently met with St. Joseph’s Home Administrator Colleen Steele and her team to present a $1,000 Youth Giving Challenge grant that will help the St. Joseph’s Foundation continue its work and mission. The grant is supported by donors to the Friends of the Foundation Annual Community Betterment Fund, a partnership with Community Bank, N.A., and a leadership gift from an anonymous donor.

Pictured, from left, Colleen Steele, St. Joseph’s Home administrator; Donna Luckie St. Joseph’s Home business manager; Kinley Lalonde Morristown Central School student and Youth Giving Challenge winner; and Lisa O’Brien, Kinley’s mother.

Kinley is one of dozens of thoughtful youths who looked inside her community to recognize an organization that works to improve quality of life locally. The 2022-2023 Youth Giving Challenge asked 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. Kinley’s essay is one of 10 chosen from 124 submissions that came from 11 different tri-county schools.

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

#NNYCF #ThoughtfulGiving #YouthGivingChallenge #CommunitySpirit
... See MoreSee Less

6 days ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 17
  • Shares: 4
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

View more comments

Load more

Copyright © 2023 · Northern NY Community Foundation · Site Design: Riverside Media, LLC.