More Than $35,000 in Grant Awards Support Nine Community Organizations
WATERTOWN — A recent Community Foundation grant will help the North Country Library System deliver high-quality technology support to its 65 member libraries while saving money and improving service to patrons.
The Foundation’s Board of Directors approved a $17,763 grant during its recent quarterly meeting that will enable the library system to transition information technology support to a more economical, robust digital service model. The grant was made possible by the Herring College Fund of the Community Foundation.
The library system supports 65 member libraries in Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, and Oswego counties — 54 of which are in the tri-county area that the Community Foundation serves. Grant funding will help the library system purchase management software and technology needed to support a digital information technology service model. It also means the library system will continue to support education and resource needs for residents in communities it serves without disruption.
The move is one of several steps the library system is taking to maximize efficiencies in how it serves its member libraries and patrons. The shift to digital technology support will allow libraries to deliver services and programs more effectively in each community as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact library system operations.
“Keeping our systems in good working order will allow our libraries to assist patrons with research requests, genealogy searches, and connecting with our ever-expanding electronic collections,” said Susan Mitchell, North Country Library System executive director. “They will also have the resources they need to support tutoring and programs for school-aged children as well as seniors.”
Other grants the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors recently approved include:
- City of Watertown – $3,000 to complete a fall tree planting project in the city. This grant was made possible, in part, by the Carolyn Whitney Fund of the Community Foundation.
- Lewis County Historical Society — $3,200 award from the Michael Brown Fund of the Community Foundation to support development of a new website.
- Jefferson Rehabilitation Center — $3,000 to develop an outdoor Sensory Garden at the organization’s 420 Gaffney Drive facility. This grant was made possible, in part, by the Carolyn Whitney Fund of the
Community Foundation. - Gouverneur Volunteer Rescue Squad — A $2,855 grant award from the A. Eleanor Jackson Fund of the Community Foundation to support the purchase of four child restraint systems for the rescue squad.
- Depauville Free Library — $2,000 commitment to match gifts to its endowment at the Community Foundation and help the library build charitable support for its tutoring program. The grant was made
possible by the Herring College Fund of the Community Foundation. - Orleans Public Library — $2,000 commitment to match gifts to its endowment at the Community Foundation and help the library build charitable support for an elementary student tutoring program for
children enrolled at LaFargeville Central School. - GardenShare — A $1,500 grant award to assist with a website upgrade and maintenance.
- Volunteer Transportation Center — $1,000 to help with mileage reimbursement for volunteer drivers serving vulnerable residents in the towns of Cape Vincent and Clayton. This grant was made possible by the Lighthouse Fund of the Community Foundation.
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.