Opportunity for $5,000 in Funding Open to All North Country Nonprofit Organizations
WATERTOWN — Nonprofit organizations that serve residents of Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties are encouraged to apply for the 2021 Watertown Sunrise Rotary Foundation Taste of the Town grant. The Watertown Sunrise Rotary Club Foundation is an affiliate fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.
“We encourage all North Country nonprofits to apply. Watertown Sunrise Rotary’s mission is ‘Service Above Self.’ By offering local nonprofit organizations this one-time grant, Sunrise Rotary creates a lasting partnership with them,” said Jennifer Loonan, Watertown Sunrise Rotary Club Taste of the Town chair. “Besides financial support, the selected organization benefits through visibility the event generates and has a chance to share their agency’s mission with a wide audience.”
This is the fourth year that a North Country nonprofit will be awarded a competitive grant. It is also the third year Watertown Sunrise Rotary has exclusively produced a Taste the of the Town event, returning for its 17th year. Despite being forced to cancel a live event last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Salvation Army Watertown Corps was the 2020 Watertown Sunrise Rotary Foundation Taste of the Town grant recipient, receiving $5,000.
The deadline to submit a proposal for consideration is Friday, May 14, 2021. Applicants should focus on projects or initiatives that address community needs. Download a grant application at nnycf.org/recent-news/tot-grant-app or watertownsunriserotary.com.
The organization selected for a grant will be announced at the conclusion of this year’s Taste of the Town event, scheduled for May 17 through May 31. Local food lovers will be directed to “taste” at participating restaurants this year rather than during a one-day, single location event. The updated event format will help local restaurants that have historically supported this event, while also complying with ongoing COVID-19 restrictions that limit events in large venues.
Completed applications may be scanned and emailed to watertownsunriserotary@gmail.com no later than Friday, May 14, 2021. Mailed applications must be received no later than Friday, May 14, 2021, to: Watertown Sunrise Rotary Club, P.O. Box 6423, Watertown, NY 13601. Contact Jennifer Loonan, at 401-261-5001, or Christine Augliano, at 315-489-3831, to learn more about Taste of the Town or with questions about the grant application.
About Sunrise Rotary and Taste of the Town
Taste of the Town is a Watertown Sunrise Rotary annual fundraiser that offers the public an opportunity to “taste” a variety of food and beverage items from dozens of local restaurants, caterers, wineries, and other food and beverage businesses. Each year, more than 1,000 people participate in the event to sample cuisine from locally owned and nationally franchised food establishments. The event is also a fundraiser that helps to support North Country nonprofits.
Proceeds from this family-fun event 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 developmentally challenged 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.