Five Tri-County Organizations Will Share $5,000 in Grant Support to Strengthen Efforts
WATERTOWN — The Youth Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation has awarded $5,000 in grant support to five North Country nonprofit organizations to strengthen their work and missions in the nonprofit sector.
The Council and its grant subcommittee selected the five organizations based on each nonprofit’s mission, success in achieving goals, demonstration of fiscal responsibility, sustainability, and formal presentation. Funding for this important work was made possible through the Herring College Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation. Each of the following tri-county organizations were awarded a $1,000 grant to help with a wide range of community programs and projects:
- Disabled Persons Action Organization, Watertown, provides quality individualized services to developmentally disabled children and adults in Jefferson and Lewis counties. The services are primarily geared toward helping families cope with the stress of caring for their disabled loved ones.
- Mountain View Prevention Services, Lowville, delivers prevention education to the community about alcohol and substance abuse. Its vision is one where all Lewis County residents practice a healthy lifestyle.
- Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club enables all children to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens through educational, recreational, arts and technological programs.
- Ontario Bays Initiative, Chaumont, is a nonprofit land trust dedicated to the voluntary conservation and thoughtful stewardship of undeveloped, private land in Jefferson County. OBI’s service area encompasses the towns of Brownville, Cape Vincent, Ellisburg, Henderson, Hounsfield, LeRay, Lyme and Pamelia, and includes many miles of Lake Ontario shoreline.
- St. Lawrence Power and Equipment Museum, Madrid, includes more than 30 buildings and supporting facilities on a 20-acre campus that celebrates the history of North Country people in the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries, how they lived, and how technology helped shape their lives.
“These mission-based grants expand upon the Council’s work and encourage a deeper exploration of the organizations and their overall work in the region. It helps them gain a greater appreciation of all that is involved in fulfilling a stated mission. In a very thorough way, the students were able to accomplish this while being mindful of geography and impact,” said Rande Richardson, Community Foundation executive director. “This is a way to better prepare them for the grantmaking they will do in the next few months.”
This is the second year the Youth Philanthropy Council has awarded mission-based grants to nonprofits serving tri-county residents, which is not part of the Council’s annual grantmaking program.
“The Youth Philanthropy Council examined nearly 150 Northern New York Community Foundation partners and selected 10 nonprofits based on their community impact through each organization’s mission. Each of the 10 diverse organizations was located in Jefferson, Lewis, or Saint Lawrence county,” said Kate Banazek, Grants Committee chairwoman and South Jefferson Central High School senior. “Through research, presentations, and much deliberation, the Council selected five exceptionally qualified organizations to receive mission-based grants.”
Council members are now reviewing nearly two-dozen proposals for up to $20,000 in funding that will be announced in June. Each year, the Council provides support to agencies that serve tri-county residents for projects or initiatives that positively impact the quality of life in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
Last spring, the Council awarded six grants totaling $17,200 in support to nonprofit organizations that serve residents of the tri-county region.
The Youth Philanthropy Council and its grant program is made possible by annual gifts made to the Friends of the Foundation Annual Community Betterment Fund and support from Watertown Savings Bank, the Renzi Foodservice Charitable Foundation of the Northern New York Community Foundation, and RBC Wealth Management.
The Youth Philanthropy Council was chartered in 2010 to promote positive youth development and engage young people in meaningful activities that build their leadership skills while educating them about community philanthropy and its impact on Northern New York. Since its inception 11 years ago, the Youth Philanthropy Council has awarded nearly 112 grants to nonprofit organizations in the tri-county area, totaling $180,070 in support. Nearly 140 students from seven different tri-county high schools have served as Council members.
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.