Applications for funding due February 20 for first-quarter review
WATERTOWN — The Northern New York Community Foundation is pleased to announce the Grants for Good program for Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.
The Community Foundation is introducing the Grants for Good program in each county to encourage nonprofit organizations to submit a funding request that directly impacts their mission and quality of life for residents in each region. The program application and format mirrors the Foundation’s previous “General Grant Program.”
The Grants for Good program is an opportunity for local nonprofits to carefully evaluate their needs and select a top priority or project where a grant will make a meaningful difference. This program will help nonprofits identify their most important efforts and present a strong grant application with detailed plans and supporting rationale for funding consideration. There are separate Grants for Good applications for each county. Organizations are encouraged to submit one proposal at a time for this program.
Each Grants for Good opportunity features focus areas for nonprofit organizations to select that will help determine a project’s alignment with community need and available funding to support the request. Examples of focus areas include, but are not limited to: Arts and culture, basic human needs, support for children and families, community and neighborhood development, historic preservation, health and wellness and more. Organizations may select more than one focus area in their application.
The Grants for Good program is made possible, in part, by generous donors to the Friends of the Foundation Community Betterment Annual Fund. Nonprofits may also garner grant support in the program through named legacy funds the Community Foundation stewards. These funds have been entrusted to the Foundation to support a variety of charitable interests that align with the needs of local nonprofits and the region.
“Grants for Good is a program that combines the generosity of charitable donors across Northern New York into a program designed to strengthen our local nonprofits in critical and lasting ways,” said Max DelSignore, Community Foundation vice president. “This is an opportunity for area organizations to present their most important project and the Community Foundation responsibly evaluating these efforts and identifying proper funding for these needs.”
As a public charity operating for more than 96 years, the Community Foundation is the largest non-government grantmaking organization serving Northern New York. In 2025, the Foundation awarded more than $2.7 million in grant funding to support the work and missions of hundreds of nonprofit organizations, the majority of which serve residents of Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
Grants for Good program applications must be completed online at nnycf.org/grants. Nonprofits are encouraged to contact Community Foundation staff to discuss their identified need or request before starting an application. Proposals will be reviewed after the following quarterly deadlines: February 20, April 17, July 17, and October 23.
Contact Emily Pfeil, philanthropy associate, emily@nnycf.org, with questions about Grants for Good or any other Community Foundation grant opportunity.
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.