• 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

Kenneth V. & Jeannette Remp Sawyer Fund Announces 2020 Grant Awards

June 9, 2020 By admin

Eleven Local Organizations Will Share $40,000 in Support for Community Projects

     BOONVILLE — Eleven organizations that serve residents of Boonville, Constableville and Westernville were recently awarded 2020 grant funding from the Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.

     Grants totaling $40,000 will support programs and projects that broadly impact the quality of life for residents in the three communities. More than a dozen organizations applied for funding in the third year this opportunity has been made available. In 2019, the Sawyer Community Fund awarded $32,500 to 11 community-based organizations.

      “Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer left an enduring legacy that will impact the communities they worked so hard to support during their lives,” said Max DelSignore, Northern New York Community Foundation assistant director. “Their generosity will be felt in a very meaningful way while helping local organizations strengthen the place they loved for generations to come.”

Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer

     The Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund was established in 2018 as a geographic specific fund to support programs, projects and initiatives that impact and enhance the quality of life in Boonville, Constableville and Westernville in perpetuity. The Sawyers were passionate about the quality of life in their community, participating in many community activities and volunteering for several local organizations. Through the community fund, the Sawyer family established a lasting charitable resource that will positively impact these communities forever.

     The following organizations will receive 2020 grant funding from the Sawyer Community Fund:

  •      Erwin Library and Institute — $9,000 to complete general building repairs and weatherization, update the children’s library, and purchase new furniture.
  •      Boonville Black River Canal Museum — $5,000 to help install a new roof on the museum’s Mule Barn, which is the centerpiece the museum campus.
  •      Boonville Cemetery Association — $5,000 to continue efforts to digitize and preserve headstones and markers for future reference, genealogical research, and historic preservation.
  •      Dodge Pratt Northam Art and Community Center — $5,000 to purchase equipment for the center’s First LEGO League robotics program. Funding will also support an after-school drama program.
  •      Flywheels and Pulleys Association — $5,000 to complete electrical upgrades at existing facilities. The association works to prominently feature the importance and history of antique power equipment and machinery in the region.
  •      Friends of Erwin Park — $4,000 for way-finding signage on a half-mile trail connector the organization is developing in collaboration with the Village of Boonville.
  •      Village of Boonville — $4,000 to complete trail development that will connect two existing trails, which will lead to the creation of a 1-mile trail within the footprint of Erwin Park in the village. Grant funding will help purchase stone and other landscaping materials.
  •      Western Town Library — $900 to support technology upgrades to enhance overall operational efficiency. This community library serves 3,000 patrons from across the area.
  •      Boonville Area Chamber of Commerce — $800 to purchase two new speakers and an amplifier for use during a wide range of community events throughout the year.
  •      Boonville Search and Rescue — $800 to complete facility and landscaping repairs, including installation of new flooring, which was damaged after a water main break.
  •      Constableville for Tomorrow — $500 to enhance the skating experience at its pavilion rink and purchase new youth hockey skates. Facility upgrades are being completed in partnership with the Village of Constableville.

About Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer

     Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer participated in many community events and activities through the years and served on local boards and committees. Mr. Sawyer was a Boonville native, served in the United States Army, and enjoyed a career at Layng Furniture Company and as a supervisor at Boonville’s Erwin Park. Most notably, he was a talented musician. He played tenor saxophone in his high school band and clarinet with the Boonville Village Band. He frequently played with three separate drum and bugle corps in Boonville and Rome. Mr. Sawyer died in 2008.

     Mrs. Sawyer completed a successful career of more than 45 years at Rome Savings Bank and was an avid follower of the stock market. She also served on the finance committee of Boonville United Methodist Church. She assisted organizations such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, Dodge Pratt Northam Art and Community Center, the Erwin Library, and the Boonville Cemetery. Mrs. Sawyer died in 2015.

     In 2017, the Kenneth V. Sawyer and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Scholarship Fund was established through the Northern New York Community Foundation to benefit Adirondack Central School graduates. The endowed fund will award two scholarships each year forever, supporting the business and music pursuits of high school graduates from the district.

     The application for the next grant cycle for funding from the Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund will be available in early 2021.

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.

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

3,423

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

The Challenge is now on!

We are excited to kick off the seventh annual $10,000 Northern New York Community Foundation Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge.

Students attending 7th and 8th grades in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence County can now compete for a chance to award one of ten $1,000 grants to a tri-county nonprofit that helps strengthen quality of life in their community.

Apply online or download an application and entry rules at nnycf.org/givingchallenge and enter by Friday, Oct. 27, 2023.

The Giving Challenge is made possible through the generosity of all who give to the Friends of the Foundation Annual Community Betterment Fund, a major gift from an individual donor, and corporate support from Community Bank, N.A.

Complete details: www.nnycf.org/2023-giving-challenge

#NNYCF #GivingChallenge #communityspirit
... See MoreSee Less

Link thumbnail

Community Foundation Launches Seventh Annual $10,000 Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge

www.nnycf.org

Community Foundation Launches Seventh Annual $10,000 Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge September 25, 2023 By admin Tri-County Seventh and Eighth Graders Could Win One of Ten $1,000 Grants to Sup...
10 hours ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 3
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

View more comments

This week the Youth Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation visited the SoZo Teen Center of Watertown to learn more about the important work they do.

This week the Youth Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation visited the SoZo Teen Center of Watertown to learn more about the important work they do. ... See MoreSee Less

5 days ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 13
  • Shares: 3
  • Comments: 2

Comment on Facebook

Thank you for the conversation, questions, and feedback! We're excited to see the work these youth do for the community!

Melissa Shova!

View more comments

We are proud to introduce the Youth Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation Class of 2024! This year’s class welcomes eight new and eight returning student delegates and includes juniors and seniors from General Brown, Lyme, South Jefferson, and Watertown High Schools. 

During the last meeting of the school year in June, students elected members to the Council’s 2023-2024 Executive Committee. Watertown High senior Olivia Urf will serve as the Council Chair; General Brown senior Olivia Wisner will serve as Vice Chair; and Watertown High senior Maya Voss will serve as Secretary. South Jefferson High School senior Jack Mangan is Immediate Past Chair.

The Council also named committee chairs for the new year. Mia Kelly, Watertown High junior, will chair the Communications Committee; McKenna Lee, General Brown senior, will chair the Service Committee; and Ella Smith, Watertown High junior, will chair the Grants Committee.

The Youth Philanthropy Council and its grant program are made possible by gifts from donors who make contributions to the Friends of the Foundation Annual Community Betterment Fund and generous support from Watertown Savings Bank, RBC Wealth Management Watertown, the Renzi Family Charitable Foundation, and the Mart Liinve Family Charitable Fund.

Top photo: Front row, from left, Anastaja Smith, Watertown High junior; Mia Kelly, Watertown High junior; Colden Marks, General Brown Junior/Senior High junior; Rosamond Hunt, Lyme Central School junior; and Finley Swartz, Watertown High junior. Second row, from left, Olivia Urf, Watertown High senior; Maya Voss, Watertown High senior; Hannah Eldridge, Watertown High junior; and McKenna Lee, General Brown Junior/Senior High senior. Third row, from left, Ella Smith, Watertown High junior; Jack Mangan, South Jefferson High senior; Sienna Virga, Watertown High junior; Harper Lane, Watertown High junior; and Olivia Wisner, General Brown Junior/Senior High senior. Back row, from left, Jack Adams, Watertown High junior; Justin Draught, Watertown High junior; Bennett Pistner, Watertown High junior; Vincent Knapp, Watertown High junior; and Elyse King, Watertown High junior.

Bottom photo: From left, Secretary Maya Voss, Watertown High senior; Chair Olivia Urf, Watertown High senior; and Vice Chair Olivia Wisner, General Brown Junior/Senior High senior.

Complete details: www.nnycf.org/2023-24-ypc-class

#YPC #NNYCF #LeadershipImage attachment

We are proud to introduce the Youth Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation Class of 2024! This year’s class welcomes eight new and eight returning student delegates and includes juniors and seniors from General Brown, Lyme, South Jefferson, and Watertown High Schools.

During the last meeting of the school year in June, students elected members to the Council’s 2023-2024 Executive Committee. Watertown High senior Olivia Urf will serve as the Council Chair; General Brown senior Olivia Wisner will serve as Vice Chair; and Watertown High senior Maya Voss will serve as Secretary. South Jefferson High School senior Jack Mangan is Immediate Past Chair.

The Council also named committee chairs for the new year. Mia Kelly, Watertown High junior, will chair the Communications Committee; McKenna Lee, General Brown senior, will chair the Service Committee; and Ella Smith, Watertown High junior, will chair the Grants Committee.

The Youth Philanthropy Council and its grant program are made possible by gifts from donors who make contributions to the Friends of the Foundation Annual Community Betterment Fund and generous support from Watertown Savings Bank, RBC Wealth Management Watertown, the Renzi Family Charitable Foundation, and the Mart Liinve Family Charitable Fund.

Top photo: Front row, from left, Anastaja Smith, Watertown High junior; Mia Kelly, Watertown High junior; Colden Marks, General Brown Junior/Senior High junior; Rosamond Hunt, Lyme Central School junior; and Finley Swartz, Watertown High junior. Second row, from left, Olivia Urf, Watertown High senior; Maya Voss, Watertown High senior; Hannah Eldridge, Watertown High junior; and McKenna Lee, General Brown Junior/Senior High senior. Third row, from left, Ella Smith, Watertown High junior; Jack Mangan, South Jefferson High senior; Sienna Virga, Watertown High junior; Harper Lane, Watertown High junior; and Olivia Wisner, General Brown Junior/Senior High senior. Back row, from left, Jack Adams, Watertown High junior; Justin Draught, Watertown High junior; Bennett Pistner, Watertown High junior; Vincent Knapp, Watertown High junior; and Elyse King, Watertown High junior.

Bottom photo: From left, Secretary Maya Voss, Watertown High senior; Chair Olivia Urf, Watertown High senior; and Vice Chair Olivia Wisner, General Brown Junior/Senior High senior.

Complete details: www.nnycf.org/2023-24-ypc-class

#YPC #NNYCF #Leadership
... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 45
  • Shares: 11
  • Comments: 2

Comment on Facebook

What a great group!

Congratulations to all

View more comments

Load more

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