Up to $20,000 Now Available for Initiatives Focusing on Basic Human Needs, Mental Health, and Workforce Development
WATERTOWN — Nonprofit organizations serving tri-county residents are invited to apply for up to $20,000 in funding through the LEAD Impact Grant Program, an initiative of the Northern New York Community Foundation’s LEAD Council.
The LEAD Council is an advisory committee of young professionals empowered to make key investments in the tri-county region through community grants and volunteerism. Council members want to learn more about the work of nonprofits and are accepting proposals for Impact Grant Program funding through Tuesday,October 14, 2025.
Grant applications should address key priorities that focus on basic human needs, mental health and wellness, and workforce development and job training in the region. It is the Council’s goal to award a minimum of $5,000 per grant in this year’s competitive round.
The grant program supports nonprofit programs, projects, and initiatives that will make a positive and meaningful impact on the organization and the people it serves. Requests that clearly demonstrate innovative approaches to address this year’s key priorities across the North Country will be strongly considered.
In 2024, the LEAD Council awarded grant support totaling $19,800 to seven tri-county nonprofit organizations. Funding helped the Children’s Home of Jefferson County (CHJC) purchase a hygiene vending machine for its behavioral health clinic in Jefferson County; supported meal programs at the Salvation Army of Watertown to address food insecurity and basic human needs; secured equipment to launch a new, expanded community kitchen at the Salvation Army of Massena; helped Encompass Recreation establish a Teen+ Club to serve neuro-
divergent teens and young adults; increased capacity for Canton’s GardenShare to expand its “Bonus Bucks” program; helped the Norfolk-Raymondville Food Pantry address food insecurity in the communities it serves; and helped Lyons Falls ALIVE provide coupons for children to purchase fruits and vegetables at a seasonal market the organization leads.
The LEAD Council is comprised of 21 young professionals who live in the tri-county area and have an interest in enhancing the quality of life in the North Country. LEAD is an acronym that reflects four important guiding principles tied to the Community Foundation’s mission and values: Leadership, Engagement, Access, and Direction.
LEAD and its grant program are supported through the thoughtful generosity of the Hyde-Stone Charitable Foundation of the Northern New York Community Foundation, Carthage Savings, Morgia Wealth Management, and donors to the Friends of the Foundation Annual Community Betterment Fund.
The LEAD Impact Grant Program application must be completed online through the Foundation’s Grant Lifecycle Manager (GLM) portal at bit.ly/grant-portal. All 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are invited to apply. Organizations should register as a user in GLM before applying. Nonprofits already registered with a GLM account should use existing login information to access and start the application. Contact Max DelSignore, Community Foundation vice president, max@nnycf.org, or 315-782-7110, with questions or to learn more.
Proposals will be reviewed in October and November with grant funding decisions made in December. Organizations selected to receive funding will be notified after the holidays in early January. It is important to note that funding will not be awarded as a means of reimbursement to support completed projects.
Since its inception in 2014, the LEAD Council has led several creative initiatives that have benefited the community and region. Strategic efforts include its active “LEADing the Way” volunteer program, enhancements toward child care and early childhood development programs, hyper-local support for anti-poverty initiatives, community giving challenges, and building philanthropic values in the region’s schools through student-led projects.
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.