Additional Community Foundation Grants Amplify Impact, Celebrate New Resource
POTSDAM — Three nonprofit organizations serving village and town residents will share $20,000 in inaugural grant funding from the Potsdam Community Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.
The Village of Potsdam was awarded $8,000 to complete a permanent open-air stage at Fall Island, creating a new venue for live music, arts and cultural programming, youth activities, and community events. The stage will add to the park’s growing amenities and create a more inclusive, multigenerational destination within walking distance of downtown.
Bayside Cemetery Association received $6,000 to replace deteriorated benches with three uniquely designed works of art, creating inviting places to sit and enjoy river views at the historic cemetery, established in 1865. Potsdam metalworking artisan James Gonzales will design the benches, blending Victorian aesthetics with modern elements.
The St. Lawrence County Arts Council was awarded $6,000 to create “Wings Across Potsdam,” a public art and literacy project featuring 12 works depicting native North Country birds. Installed throughout the community, the artwork will form an informal bird trail alongside an original children’s storybook, connecting art, nature and literacy.
The Community Foundation awarded an additional $6,000 grant to support the Potsdam Summer Fest in July 2027. The grant includes $1,000 for the 2027 Heart of Potsdam Community Award, which will be presented directly to a nonprofit for its service and impact on Potsdam and its residents.
To celebrate the launch of the Potsdam Community Fund, the Foundation is also awarding a special pair of grants totaling $10,000 to support Potsdam-based educational initiatives. A $5,000 grant to the Standstoner Foundation will help it reach its current $50,000 matching challenge led by Potsdam’s Class of 1983. A second $5,000 grant to the Class of 2027 at Potsdam High School was provided to encourage their class leadership to come together to recognize and award funding to worthy community organizations.
“We are excited to see this permanent resource become a reality for the people and places of Potsdam with the first round of grants that will have a positive impact upon the community,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation president and CEO. “With an increasing interest in and awareness of the possibilities and potential of this fund, we hope to grow its impact through the doubling of gifts made by those who
love Potsdam.”
The Potsdam Community Fund was established in 2026 as a permanent charitable resource of the Northern New York Community Foundation dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in the Potsdam community. The fund joins similar geographically focused resources at the Community Foundation, including the Canton Community Fund, Six Town Community Fund, and the Clifton-Fine Community Fund.
Potsdam natives David and Ellen Wagner helped to create the fund through a $250,000 establishing gift. The Fund supports projects, programs, and initiatives that strengthen the community and address local needs and opportunities in education, arts and culture, history, community development and beautification, health and wellness, recreation, and other efforts that contribute to Potsdam’s overall vitality.
The recent grant awards represent the first competitive grantmaking from the Potsdam Community Fund, with up to $20,000 made available. The Community Foundation received seven applications for consideration this year. A four-person Advisory Committee of Potsdam residents — Village Mayor Alexandra Jacobs Wilke and Potsdam-area residents Amanda Hitterman, Rose Rivezzi, and Mimi Van Deusen — recommends grants, providing a community-based perspective on local priorities and opportunities before advancing them through the Community Foundation’s grants team and Board of Directors for final approval.
The Community Foundation has committed an additional $100,000 as a dollar-for-dollar match for new gifts to the fund. The long-term vision is for the Potsdam Community Fund to grow through current and planned gifts from individuals, families, businesses, and organizations, creating an increasingly significant source of annual grant support for the community in perpetuity. There are also naming opportunities available and the ability to make tribute or memorial gifts. Those who wish to join in supporting the fund may make a secure online gift at bit.ly/PotsdamCF or by mail to: Potsdam Community Fund, c/o Northern New York Community Foundation, 131 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601.
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.