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Northern New York Community Foundation

Northern New York Community Foundation

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Top 10 Things You Can Do To Leave A Legacy

1. Establish a Community Foundation fund to continue your annual giving after your lifetime to your favorite charities or church, knowing that if an organization ceases to exist, the fund is protected and can be repurpose

2. Establish a named fund to allow your children and grandchildren to make community grants in perpetuity.

3. Create a legacy fund to support a specific city, village, town, or county, and designate the type of things that will be supported within that geographic area.

4. Establish a charitable gift annuity with tax-deductible benefits to provide a guaranteed income during your lifetime with the remainder supporting my charitable interests or a specific Foundation fund after my death.

5. Name the Community Foundation as a beneficiary of an IRA or life insurance policy either to support the Foundation or a specific Foundation fund.

6. Start a Community Foundation fund to support your interests now and endow it later as part of your estate planning.

7. Start a fund to support your church, providing stipulations on how it will be directed, i.e., music ministry, buildings & grounds, education. This provides assurance that if the church should ever cease to exist, your charitable provisions can be re-purposed for another designated interest or charitable cause?

8. Create a scholarship fund for a specific school district or college, with certain criteria, or support some other aspect of your school or college, i.e., music, arts, athletics, library, reading, professional development.

9. If you own a business, establish a fund to give more effectively, efficiently, and in a more formal and structured way to enhance visibility, coordination, branding, and impact.

10. Make a gift of appreciated stock to start a Donor-Advised Fund, avoid capital gains, receive a tax deduction and then make grants to charitable causes you recommend over time.

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

4,982

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

The Community Foundation is pleased to announce that a group of donors have come together to make possible the free use of Watertown's two outdoor city pools for the season.

The Foundation, together Watertown Savings Bank Bank, local developer Jake Johnson, the Jane Deline Foundation, and dozens of individual donors, have generously provided support that will ensure free swimming throughout the summer.

Complete details: www.nnycf.org/city-pools-f#NNYCFN#ThoughtfulGivingi#collaborationa#grassrootsgivingiving
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Community Foundation collaborates with donors to ensure free swimming at city pools

www.nnycf.org

Community Foundation collaborates with donors to ensure free swimming at city pools June 18, 2026 By admin Grassroots effort matched by major gifts will allow city to cancel planned fee WATERTOWN — ...
13 hours ago
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This is awesome! So thankful for the community donors. My kids are forever grateful for your generosity.

Now this, is awesome!

The kids should always be grateful for people like that too

Thank you so much, to all the donors! 😊❤️

Thank You to a generous and supportive community!❤️🌟

Very nice !!! Thank you.

Wonderful news.

That is so amazing! What a beautiful community we have.

Amazing job

AWESOME!!!👏🏼

What a wonderful gesture! ❤️

Amazing!!!! Thank you to all the Donors!!!

AMAZING!

That is wonderful!

Love this💕💕💕

This is amazing news! Thank you to all who donated!

Fantastic. Kudos to all who donated. Thank you from all the families who need this free recreation this summer!!!

Amazing 👏

Such a thoughtful and caring gift to the community.

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Together with the Italian-American Civic Association, we are pleased to announce the 2026 recipients of the William I. Graf Award. 

Watertown High School seniors Marra Dickinson was selected as the women’s recipient, and Maddox J. Corey was named as the men’s honoree this year.

We are honored to help the Graf family and the Italian-American Civic Association steward this highly cherished and storied legacy award. We look forward to seeing these three talented student athletes continue their journeys on and off the athletic field as they advance to undergraduate studies this fall.

Complete details: nnycf.org/2026-graf-award

Top photo, from left: Watertown High School seniors and 2026 William I. Graf Award recipients Marra Dickinson and Maddox J. Corey. 

Bottom left photo, from left: Watertown High School Director of Health, PE, & Athletics Greg Russo; 2026 William I. Graf Award recipient and Watertown High School senior Marra Dickinson; Italian-American Civic Association President Michael Lettiere and Italian-American Civic Association Vice President Pasquale Surace. 

Bottom right photo, from left: Watertown High School Director of Health, PE, & Athletics Greg Russo; 2026 William I. Graf Award recipient and Watertown High School senior Maddox J. Corey; Italian-American Civic Association President Michael Lettiere and Italian-American Civic Association Vice President Pasquale Surace. 

#NNYCF #ClassOf2026 #GrafAward #WHS #IACA #ThoughtfulLegacyImage attachmentImage attachment

Together with the Italian-American Civic Association, we are pleased to announce the 2026 recipients of the William I. Graf Award.

Watertown High School seniors Marra Dickinson was selected as the women’s recipient, and Maddox J. Corey was named as the men’s honoree this year.

We are honored to help the Graf family and the Italian-American Civic Association steward this highly cherished and storied legacy award. We look forward to seeing these three talented student athletes continue their journeys on and off the athletic field as they advance to undergraduate studies this fall.

Complete details: nnycf.org/2026-graf-award

Top photo, from left: Watertown High School seniors and 2026 William I. Graf Award recipients Marra Dickinson and Maddox J. Corey.

Bottom left photo, from left: Watertown High School Director of Health, PE, & Athletics Greg Russo; 2026 William I. Graf Award recipient and Watertown High School senior Marra Dickinson; Italian-American Civic Association President Michael Lettiere and Italian-American Civic Association Vice President Pasquale Surace.

Bottom right photo, from left: Watertown High School Director of Health, PE, & Athletics Greg Russo; 2026 William I. Graf Award recipient and Watertown High School senior Maddox J. Corey; Italian-American Civic Association President Michael Lettiere and Italian-American Civic Association Vice President Pasquale Surace.

#NNYCF #ClassOf2026 #GrafAward #WHS #IACA #ThoughtfulLegacy
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1 week ago
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Congrats to the both of them. Keep killing it Marra and Maddox

Congratulations 👏🎉

Congratulations to you both!

Do they honor IHC?

Congrats to Marra and Maddox! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

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Thank you to Stewarts Shops for the generous gift. Stewart’s Washington Street store manager Megan Abbott recently invited us to her store for a grant presentation.

The gift is from the Stewart’s Holiday Match program, an annual initiative from Thanksgiving to Christmas when Stewart’s Shops matches customer donations, dollar-for-dollar, to support local children and youth nonprofit initiatives.

The program raised more than $1.8 million in 2025 to help fund nonprofit organizations, schools, and churches in their service areas. We are grateful to be a recipient of a Holiday Match grant. 

Pictured, from left: Community Foundation Philanthropy Associate Emily Pfeil; Youth Philanthropy Council member and Watertown High School junior Hudson Guldenpfennig; and Stewart’s Washington Street store manager Megan Abbott.

#NNYCF #StewartsShops #HolidayMatch #FriendsOfTheFoundation

Thank you to Stewart's Shops for the generous gift. Stewart’s Washington Street store manager Megan Abbott recently invited us to her store for a grant presentation.

The gift is from the Stewart’s Holiday Match program, an annual initiative from Thanksgiving to Christmas when Stewart’s Shops matches customer donations, dollar-for-dollar, to support local children and youth nonprofit initiatives.

The program raised more than $1.8 million in 2025 to help fund nonprofit organizations, schools, and churches in their service areas. We are grateful to be a recipient of a Holiday Match grant.

Pictured, from left: Community Foundation Philanthropy Associate Emily Pfeil; Youth Philanthropy Council member and Watertown High School junior Hudson Guldenpfennig; and Stewart’s Washington Street store manager Megan Abbott.

#NNYCF #StewartsShops #HolidayMatch #FriendsOfTheFoundation
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1 week ago
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