Schools That Increase Student Participation in Scholarship Program Eligible to Win a Share of $5,000 in Foundation Grant Support
WATERTOWN — The Northern New York Community Foundation is pleased to announce its second Scholarship Challenge to inspire greater participation in its scholarship program from the Class of 2026 and give schools a chance to win a share of up to $5,000 in grant support.
The Community Foundation’s scholarship program supports graduating seniors pursuing further education — whether at an accredited college, university, technical, or trade school.
The Scholarship Challenge is open to all schools in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
There are two ways schools have a chance to win grant support: First, the Foundation will award one $1,000 grant to a school in each of the three counties it serves: Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence. To be eligible, schools must achieve at least 25 percent participation from their senior class in submitting scholarship applications by Friday, February 20, 2026.
In addition, the top nine schools — three from each county — with the highest overall participation rates by the March 15, 2026, application deadline will be eligible to win a $2,000 grant.
“Because of our donors, past and present, we have such a wide range of scholarship opportunities for nearly every type of student,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation executive director. “We hope to build upon the excitement of last year’s Scholarship Challenge, which created an energetic and healthy competition that resulted in a greater pool of applicants.”
Schools selected for grant awards will be chosen at random. Awards may be used to support a schoolwide initiative or project chosen by the senior class officers at the winning schools.
Throughout the challenge, the Community Foundation will report progress at the end of each week on its Facebook — Facebook.com/nnycf — Instagram — Instagram.com/nnycommunityfoundation — and LinkedIn — LinkedIn.com/company/nnycf — channels. Click here to view a chart that details tri-county schools’ participation rates from 2023 through 2025.
Tri-county seniors should apply for scholarship support by completing the Community Foundation’s online common application found at nnycf.org or bit.ly/nnycf-scholarships by Sunday, March 15, 2026.
Last year, 24 percent of all high school seniors in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties applied for Community Foundation scholarship support. In Jefferson County, 30 percent of the senior class applied. Lewis County also saw 30 percent of its seniors apply and 16 percent of St. Lawrence County seniors completed a scholarship application.
The Foundation held its first Scholarship Challenge to help motivate members of the Class of 2025 to apply for scholarship support. South Lewis Central School was the top grant winner, earning a $2,000 award to support a schoolwide initiative. LaFargeville Central, Copenhagen Central, and Lisbon Central schools each won a $1,000 Community Foundation grant to support a schoolwide project.
In partnership with donors and tri-county school districts, the Community Foundation in 2025 awarded 1,157 scholarships totaling $1.56 million to help 743 students pursue their post-secondary educational goals. The average award in 2025 was $2,100 per student. In many cases, eligible students were awarded more than one scholarship.
Contact Tara Hess, scholarship and program associate, 315-782-7110, or tara@nnycf.org, with questions about Community Foundation scholarships.
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.