Opportunity for $5,000 in Funding Open to All North Country Nonprofits
WATERTOWN — Nonprofit organizations that serve residents of Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties are encouraged to apply for the 2020 Watertown Sunrise Rotary Foundation Taste of the Town grant. The Watertown Sunrise Rotary Club Foundation is component fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.
“I encourage all North Country nonprofits to apply for this significant grant opportunity. Watertown Sunrise Rotary’s mission is ‘Service Above Self.’ Sunrise Rotary creates a unique partnership with nonprofit organizations by offering this one-time funding,” said Edie Roggie, Watertown Sunrise Rotary president. “The selected organization is given a chance to benefit from the proceeds of this exciting annual event and share their agency’s mission with a large audience through the extensive visibility it generates.”
This is the third year that a North Country nonprofit will be awarded a competitive grant. The New York State Zoo at Thompson Park was the 2019 Watertown Sunrise Rotary Foundation Taste of the Town grant recipient, receiving $5,000. It is also the third year Watertown Sunrise Rotary has exclusively produced the Taste the of the Town event, now in its 17th year.
The deadline to submit a proposal for consideration is Friday, March 6, 2020. The organization selected for a grant award will be announced prior to the Watertown Sunrise Rotary 2020 Taste of the Town event, scheduled for Saturday, April 4, 2020, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Jefferson Community College McVean Gym. Download an application at nnycf.org/recent-news/tot-grant-app or watertownsunriserotary.com.
Completed applications may be scanned and emailed to watertownsunriserotary@gmail.com no later than Friday, March 6, 2020. Mailed applications must be received no later than Friday, March 6, 2020, to Watertown Sunrise Rotary Club, P.O. Box 6423, Watertown, NY 13601. Contact Jennifer Loonan, Watertown Sunrise Rotary event co-chairwoman, 401-261-5001 or jennifer.loonan@charter.com, to learn more about the Watertown Sunrise Rotary Foundation Taste of the Town grant.
About Sunrise Rotary and Taste of the Town
Taste of the Town is a Watertown Sunrise Rotary annual fundraiser offering the public an opportunity to sample a variety of food and beverage items from dozens of local restaurants, caterers, wineries, and other food and beverage suppliers. Admission is $3 per person; children 5 and younger are free. Food and beverage sample tickets are $1 each; 12 for $10; or 25 tickets for $20.
Each year more than 1,000 people attend this event to sample fine cuisine from locally owned and nationally franchised food establishments. The event also acts as a fundraiser for North Country nonprofits. Participating vendors provide a sample-sized portion of their establishment’s favorite appetizer, main dish, dessert, or beverage. Judging categories include a diverse selection of food and beverage honors.
Proceeds from this family-fun event help provide funding for Watertown Sunrise Rotary and a North Country nonprofit organization that, through a competitive grant application, is awarded a Watertown Sunrise Rotary Foundation taste of the Town grant.
Watertown Sunrise Rotary’s main objective is service to the community, in the workplace, and around the globe. Local projects funded and serviced by the club include playgrounds, park beautification, a summer camp for handicapped children, holiday parties for underprivileged children, support of local scholarships, and various nonprofit and community donations.
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.