Up to $25,000 Available for Nonprofit Organizations Serving Greater Potsdam Area Residents
POTSDAM — Nonprofit organizations that serve the greater Potsdam area may now apply for 2023 grant funding from the John and Dorotha VanNess Family Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.
The John and Dorotha VanNess Family Fund is a permanent grantmaking fund stewarded by the Northern New York Community Foundation that will forever support programs, activities, and initiatives to advance the quality of life in the Potsdam community. This year, up to $25,000 in grant funding is available to eligible nonprofits.
Successful projects, programs or initiatives should articulate an explanation of meaningful impact and a clear plan for implementation. Areas of focus should include, but are not limited to: Health and wellness, arts and culture, economic development, recreational programs, community revitalization and beautification, and more. To date, $26,500 in grant funding has been awarded to support nine different projects that benefit Potsdam residents.
Nonprofits with a 501(c)(3) classification that serve the Potsdam area are encouraged to apply. Organizations that do not have this classification are required to partner with an eligible nonprofit, municipality, or local agency as a fiscal sponsor. The fiscal sponsor must confirm this collaboration with a letter of support to serve in this capacity, prior to the applicant submitting a proposal.
Completed applications must be received at the Community Foundation through its online grant portal, bit.ly/grant-portal, by Friday, July 21. Grant awards will be determined in September. Visit nnycf.org/grants to learn more about how to apply.
Contact Kraig Everard, Community Foundation director of stewardship and programs, 315-782-7110, or kraig@nnycf.org, with questions about the online application or to learn more about this opportunity.
About the John and Dorotha VanNess Family Fund
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This family legacy fund was established at the Community Foundation in 2018 to honor and recognize the lifelong community spirit of John S. and Dorotha T. VanNess, who were actively engaged in the Potsdam community for decades through local business and volunteer efforts.
John S. VanNess was active in Potsdam government and served as village mayor from 1955 to 1961. He also held leadership positions with the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce, Potsdam Rotary Club and was a trustee at Paul Smith’s College.
Dorotha (Ticknor) VanNess began teaching at Potsdam High School in 1939 and later joined her husband in the management of Sunshine Stores. She served as president of the Canton-Potsdam Hospital Guild and was an active member of Potsdam United Methodist Church.
Their daughter, Susan J. Sewall, admired her parents’ public service and commitment to improving the place they loved. Before her untimely passing in 2017, she made plans to establish this fund to forever honor her parents and their long-standing commitment to the betterment of the Potsdam area. She believed that strong, healthy, quality-of-life enhanced communities help provide the backdrop from which many other aspects of community vibrancy and development can occur.
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.