{"id":6837,"date":"2024-10-11T13:30:38","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T13:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/?p=6837"},"modified":"2024-10-11T13:30:38","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T13:30:38","slug":"vanness-awards-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/vanness-awards-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Community Foundation\u2019s VanNess Family Fund Supports Four Potsdam-Area Nonprofits"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 class=\\\"p2\\\"><i>Grants Totaling $16,000 Aid Efforts to Strengthen Arts, Culture, History, and Wellness<\/i><\/h3>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><b>POTSDAM \u2014<\/b> Four nonprofit organizations serving greater Potsdam residents will share $16,000 in grant funding thanks to the generosity of the late <b>John S. and Dorotha T. VanNess<\/b> who continue to strengthen the community they loved.<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Through a series of new grant awards that impact the Potsdam area, John and Dorotha\u2019s commitment to the community endures. The <b>John and Dorotha VanNess Family Fund<\/b> of the Northern New York Community Foundation recently approved $16,000 in support for four nonprofits that deliver arts, culture, history, and wellness-based programs.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>The family legacy fund is a permanent grantmaking fund that supports programs, activities, and initiatives that improve the quality of life in the Potsdam area. Mr. and Mrs. VanNess\u2019s daughter, <b>Susan J. Sewall<\/b>, established the fund at the Community Foundation in 2018 as a lasting tribute to her parents\u2019 service.<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThe enduring gift from the VanNess Family Fund continues to impact residents of all ages,\u201d said Max DelSignore, Community Foundation assistant director. \u201cBy supporting children and families, and through promotion of community wellness and beautification, these programs and projects will give the greater Potsdam area another meaningful boost in a lasting way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>This year\u2019s grant recipients are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\\\"p3\\\"><b>North Country Children\u2019s Museum \u2014 <\/b>$10,000 to support the museum\u2019s continued expansion with a custom-made clear piano exhibit as part of its music and sound lab that promotes playful, interactive, arts-based learning. Visitors will learn about the technology behind music making through interpretative signage, play and exploration. Grant funding will be used for fabrication and installation of the clear piano.<\/li>\n<li class=\\\"p3\\\"><b>Potsdam Snack Pack Program \u2014 <\/b>$2,500 to help purchase a double-sided refrigerator or freezer unit to <span class=\\\"s1\\\">enable expansion of offerings to include perishable fruit and vegetable items. The new equipment is anticipated <\/span>to reduce the weekly cost of food items by 10 percent. The storage and packing facilities have also recently moved to the school to streamline packing efforts and increase visibility.<\/li>\n<li class=\\\"p3\\\"><b>Bayside Cemetery Association \u2014 <\/b>$2,500 to support continued efforts to restore the structural integrity of a plaque-bearing tower. The next phase of restoration includes completion of an urn-bearing tower and walls that adjoin the gatehouse.<\/li>\n<li class=\\\"p3\\\"><b>North Country Center for Yoga and Health \u2014<\/b> $1,000 to support a \u201cYoga in the Schools\u201d program that began last year in Potsdam Central Schools with a series of enrichment classes for fourth and fifth graders and in high school physical education classes. Grant funding will help with instructor fees to make the program available to additional classes this school year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Since it began grantamaking in 2019, the John and Dorotha VanNess Family Fund has supported 17 organizations serving the greater Postdam area through $56,000 in grant awards.<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Mrs. Sewall created the family fund as part of her charitable legacy plans. Following her sudden passing in 2017, the VanNess Family Fund was established to recognize the family\u2019s long-standing commitment to improve the quality of life in the greater Potsdam area. Mrs. Sewall believed that strong and healthy communities help provide the backdrop from which many other aspects of community vibrancy and development can occur.<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>The Community Foundation will announce the next application round in late spring 2025. Contact <b>Kraig Everard<\/b>, director of stewardship and programs, <b>315-782-7110<\/b>, or <a href=\\\"mailto:kraig@nnycf.org\\\"><b>kraig@nnycf.org<\/b><\/a>, to learn more.<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p5\\\"><span class=\\\"s2\\\"><b>About the John and Dorotha VanNess Family Fund<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<img class=\\\"wp-image-2551 \\\" src=\\\"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/NNYCF_John_Dorotha_VanNess-832x1024.jpg\\\" alt=\\\"\\\" width=\\\"306\\\" height=\\\"377\\\" \/>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><b>John S. VanNess<\/b> 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\u2019s College.<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><b>Dorotha (Ticknor) VanNess<\/b> 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Their daughter, <b>Susan J. Sewall<\/b>, admired her parents\u2019 public service and commitment to improving the place <\/span>they loved. Before her untimely passing in 2017, she made plans to establish this fund to forever honor them.<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p5\\\"><span class=\\\"s2\\\"><b>About the Northern New York Community Foundation<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>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.<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>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.<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Grants Totaling $16,000 Aid Efforts to Strengthen Arts, Culture, History, and Wellness \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 POTSDAM \u2014 Four nonprofit organizations serving greater Potsdam residents will share $16,000 in grant funding thanks to the generosity of the late John S. and Dorotha T. VanNess who continue to strengthen the community they loved. \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 Through a series &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["type-post","category-recent-news","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6837\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}