• 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
    • Partner & Grantee Resources
    • Recent Grant Recipients
  • Programs
    • Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge
    • Youth Philanthropy Council
    • LEAD Council
      • Canstruction for Northern New York

Community Foundation LEAD Council Announces Impact Grant Program

February 4, 2019 By admin

$25,000 Available to Support Focus on Child Care, Early Childhood Development

    WATERTOWN — The Northern New York Community Foundation’s LEAD Council has committed to address child care and early childhood development needs across the region as its strategic focus in 2019.

     To help make meaningful investments that effectively address this issue and future needs, the Council also announces the launch of the LEAD Impact Grant Program. Eligible nonprofit organizations whose missions, programs and services target child care and early childhood development are encouraged to apply for funding through this grant opportunity by April 19.

     The LEAD Impact Grant Program has up to $25,000 in grant funding available this year. This investment is made possible thanks to generous support from the Hyde-Stone Charitable Foundation at the Northern New York Community Foundation, BCA Architects & Engineers, Carthage Savings and Loan Association, and donors to the Friends of the Foundation Community Betterment Annual Fund.

     The new Impact Grant Program enables the Council to identify a strategic focus and allocate meaningful resources each year to address the changing needs of communities in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

     The Council’s decision to focus on child care and early childhood development initiatives comes at a time when the need for access to quality care in the region is at an all-time high. It is a vital component of the quality of life for many families, and investments that improve child care also help to strengthen the region and its communities. While evaluating the issue, the Council heard from several regional child care professionals who shared many strengths and challenges those in the sector face. Discussions with experts, parents, and employers helped to confirm the Council’s choice to invest resources into this critical area that affects the North Country.

     “Many factors contribute to significant challenges for nonprofits that provide child care and early childhood development support,” said Max DelSignore, Community Foundation assistant director. “While some challenges in this sector may require greater resources or changes in legislation, the LEAD Council has identified a handful of key areas locally where their program can make a sustainable impact.”

     Mr. DelSignore added that the “thoughtful, proactive approach these young professionals have taken to focus support on this need that affects many children and families is exciting.”

     Grant-making efforts to address this strategic focus will target four areas: programs, advocacy, accessibility and opportunities to support staff through training and professional development.

     “We have always intended for the LEAD Council’s expertise and perspective to add value that helps to sharpen the Community Foundation’s approach in how it strategically addresses the region’s challenges,” said Rande S. Richardson Community Foundation executive director. “It is exciting to see the Council’s work over the past several years culminate in a focused allocation of resources.”

     Nonprofits that wish to apply for 2019 funding through the LEAD Impact Grant Program must have confirmed charitable status as a federally recognized tax-exempt organization. Other publicly supported organizations, including school districts and municipalities, are also eligible and encouraged to apply. Eligible nonprofits must actively serve residents in Jefferson, Lewis or St. Lawrence counties. The Council will review grant applications through the spring and summer and announce awards in September.

     Proposals must be received or postmarked no later than Friday, April 19, to the Northern New York Community Foundation, Attn: Max DelSignore, 131 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601. Applications may also be submitted by email to max@nnycf.org. Contact 315-782-7110, or email Mr. DelSignore with any questions or clarifications about the grant program and application process.

About the Community Foundation’s LEAD Council

     The LEAD Council is an advisory committee of the Northern New York Community Foundation empowered to identify and address strategic needs across Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. The Council is comprised of 24 young professionals who live in the tri-county area with an interest in enhancing the quality of life for all in the North Country. LEAD is an acronym that reflects four important guiding principles of the Community Foundation’s work: Leadership, Engagement, Access and Direction.

     Since its inception in 2014, the LEAD Council has helped with a number of creative programs to encourage younger students in philanthropy. The Council has also invested in the sustainability of a hyperlocal initiative to help North Country residents who are living in poverty through a charitable fund at the Community Foundation. The LEAD Council also works to gain a deeper understanding of community needs, issues and the nonprofit sector to augment the Community Foundation’s mission and work.

     The following are Northern New York Community Foundation LEAD Council members:

  •      Eli Anderson, Sackets Harbor, Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization
  •      Krysta Aten-Schell, Adams Center, BCA Architects & Engineers
  •      Hilary Avallone, Carthage, ACR Health
  •      Andrew Boulter, Watertown, Watertown Savings Bank
  •      Anthony Burgess, Watertown, Jefferson Community College
  •      Jonathan Cole, Antwerp, Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization
  •      Victoria Hasseler-Collins, Croghan, Conboy, McKay, Bachman & Kendall LLP
  •      Bridget Fetterly, Carthage, Carthage Savings and Loan Association
  •      Kerry Kennett, Sackets Harbor, South Jefferson Central School
  •      Cari Knight, Great Bend, ACR Health
  •      Kristin LaClair, Watertown, Children’s Miracle Network at Samaritan Medical Center
  •      Joanna Loomis, Watertown, North Country Initiative
  •      Steve Magovney, Watertown, Belleville Henderson Central School
  •      Kylee Monroe, Philadelphia, General Brown Central School
  •      Aaron Naklick, Watertown, Samaritan Medical Center
  •      John Nuber, Clayton, RBC Wealth Management
  •      Ashley Pastorius, Clayton, Nexstar Media Group / Hart Hotels
  •      Melissa Schmitt, Watertown, Samaritan Medical Center
  •      Erin Simser, Watertown, WinnCompanies
  •      Robert Sligar, Carthage, Carthage Savings and Loan Association
  •      Emily Soderquist, Watertown, Samaritan Medical Center
  •      Dominic Uliano IV, Watertown, Immaculate Heart Central School
  •      Jennifer Voss, Watertown, City of Watertown
  •      Matthew Walldroff, LaFargeville, Jade Stone Engineering

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 strategic partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and collection of funds that benefit the community. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable objectives now and for generations to come by preserving 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

3,284

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

Meet Taya Coller, an eighth grader at Edwards-Knox Central School District.

For Taya, “Community means teamwork and people helping other people. When people are a part of a community, they look out for each other and work together.”

“In my community neighbors help each other,” Taya wrote in her winning essay. “Our hospital helps people recover from injury or disease.”

As a 2021-2022 Northern New York Community Foundation Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner, Taya had a chance to present a grant to the St. Lawrence Health Foundation at Gouverneur Hospital, an organization she chose for its work to help those in the community who need it most. 

“Gouverneur Hospital best embodies my definition of community because it helps make the community a better place by looking out for other people,” Taya wrote. “For example, the hospital vaccinates people to try to help stop the spread of diseases like the flu, and hospital workers work together as one big team.” 

Taya met had a chance to meet Christina Latta, Gouverneur Hospital vice president for nursing, and present a $500 Youth Giving Challenge grant that will help the hospital continue its critical work. 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, Diane Easton, Community Bank branch manager; Christina Latta, Gouverneur Hospital; and Taya Coller, Edwards-Knox Central School eighth grader and Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner.

Taya is one of dozens of thoughtful youths who looked inside her community to help an organization that works to improve quality of life for its residents. The 2021-2022 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. Taya’s essay is one of 20 chosen from 193 submissions.

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

#NNYCF #ThoughtfulGiving #YouthGivingChallenge #CommunitySpirit

Meet Taya Coller, an eighth grader at Edwards-Knox Central School District.

For Taya, “Community means teamwork and people helping other people. When people are a part of a community, they look out for each other and work together.”

“In my community neighbors help each other,” Taya wrote in her winning essay. “Our hospital helps people recover from injury or disease.”

As a 2021-2022 Northern New York Community Foundation Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner, Taya had a chance to present a grant to the St. Lawrence Health Foundation at Gouverneur Hospital, an organization she chose for its work to help those in the community who need it most.

“Gouverneur Hospital best embodies my definition of community because it helps make the community a better place by looking out for other people,” Taya wrote. “For example, the hospital vaccinates people to try to help stop the spread of diseases like the flu, and hospital workers work together as one big team.”

Taya met had a chance to meet Christina Latta, Gouverneur Hospital vice president for nursing, and present a $500 Youth Giving Challenge grant that will help the hospital continue its critical work. 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, Diane Easton, Community Bank branch manager; Christina Latta, Gouverneur Hospital; and Taya Coller, Edwards-Knox Central School eighth grader and Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner.

Taya is one of dozens of thoughtful youths who looked inside her community to help an organization that works to improve quality of life for its residents. The 2021-2022 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. Taya’s essay is one of 20 chosen from 193 submissions.

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

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

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

Comment on Facebook

View more comments

Meet Aidan O’Shaughnessy, a Watertown City School District seventh grader at Case Middle School Case Middle School.

For Aidan, “A community is a group of diverse people that are brought together by where they live, as well as religion, school, and sports. People in a community care about each other and share common interests.” 

As a 2022-2023 Northern New York Community Foundation Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner, Aidan had a chance to present a grant to Watertown Urban Mission, an organization he chose for its work to strengthen the quality of life in the community. 

“The Urban Mission makes Watertown a better place. Some people in our community face big challenges. The winters are long and cold, and some people may not have the resources to stay warm. The people at Urban Mission help find them a warm place to sleep and provide them with housing assistance,” Aidan wrote in his winning essay. “They provide so much to the community that they need as much support as they can get.”

Aidan recently met with Urban Mission Executive Director Cherelyn VanBrocklin and presented a $1,000 Youth Giving Challenge grant that will help the nonprofit continue its vital 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, Aidan’s mother, Colleen O’Shaughnessy; brothers Sam and William Considine; father, Matthew Considine; Case Middle School student and Youth Giving Challenge winner Aidan O’Shaughnessy; Watertown Urban Mission Executive Director Cherelyn VanBrocklin; and Community Bank representative Cheyanne Blundon.

Aidan is one of dozens of thoughtful youths who looked inside his 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. Aidan 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 Aidan O’Shaughnessy, a Watertown City School District seventh grader at Case Middle School Case Middle School.

For Aidan, “A community is a group of diverse people that are brought together by where they live, as well as religion, school, and sports. People in a community care about each other and share common interests.”

As a 2022-2023 Northern New York Community Foundation Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge winner, Aidan had a chance to present a grant to Watertown Urban Mission, an organization he chose for its work to strengthen the quality of life in the community.

“The Urban Mission makes Watertown a better place. Some people in our community face big challenges. The winters are long and cold, and some people may not have the resources to stay warm. The people at Urban Mission help find them a warm place to sleep and provide them with housing assistance,” Aidan wrote in his winning essay. “They provide so much to the community that they need as much support as they can get.”

Aidan recently met with Urban Mission Executive Director Cherelyn VanBrocklin and presented a $1,000 Youth Giving Challenge grant that will help the nonprofit continue its vital 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, Aidan’s mother, Colleen O’Shaughnessy; brothers Sam and William Considine; father, Matthew Considine; Case Middle School student and Youth Giving Challenge winner Aidan O’Shaughnessy; Watertown Urban Mission Executive Director Cherelyn VanBrocklin; and Community Bank representative Cheyanne Blundon.

Aidan is one of dozens of thoughtful youths who looked inside his 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. Aidan '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

4 days ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 10
  • Shares: 6
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

View more comments

Jeannette Remp Sawyer passed away in 2015, and her husband, Kenneth V. Sawyer in 2008. This year, they will award up to $60,000 to nonprofits working to strengthen the quality of life for residents of the communities they cherished during their lifetimes.

Nonprofit organizations that serve Boonville, Constableville, and Westernville, should apply for 2023 grant support from the Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund through the Community Foundation's online Grant Lifecycle Manager portal by Friday, April 21.

Complete details: www.nnycf.org/sawyer-fund-2023-#NNYCFN#thoughtfullegaciesacies
... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund Accepting Grant Proposals for 2023 Support

www.nnycf.org

Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund Accepting Grant Proposals for 2023 Support March 22, 2023 By admin Up to $60,000 Available for Nonprofits Serving Three Communities WATERTOWN — No...
5 days ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 5
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

View more comments

Load more

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