Community Foundation Reports Record Year for Donations, Grantmaking
$20 million in gifts helps support $8 million in community investment
The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties announced today that it awarded a record $8.1 million to nonprofit organizations in 2019. Almost 900 grants went to organizations for their work supporting a wide array of community priorities, including education, health, economic development, and arts and culture. Of the total amount granted, $4.1 million came from donor-advised funds, a tenfold increase over the last decade. Helping to support future community investment, donor support set a new record in 2019, with $20.02 million received and 37 charitable funds created.
“In the past year, we have seen extraordinary progress in our community,” said Alicia Dicks, president/CEO. “The continuing generosity of donors and the magnitude of our community investments is enhancing quality of life at a time when the entire region is experiencing transformational change.”
Fourth-quarter competitive grants of more than $640,000 were awarded to the following nonprofit organizations:
- Arc Herkimer– $15,000 to pave the Transportation Center parking lot
- Clayville Library Association – $500 for flooring improvements
- Community Foundation of Otsego County – $25,000 for start-up funding
- Compassion Coalition – $100,000 to support the expansion of Bargain Grocer
- Friends of Historic Herkimer County – $12,250 to support the restoration of the historic Herkimer County jail
- Herkimer Affordable Housing – $100,000 to fund the expansion of Eastern Gardens for the Head Start program
- Mohawk Valley Community College Foundation – $25,000 to support development of a multi-year campaign of programs and software to foster new businesses and investments
- Mohawk Valley EDGE – $5,000 to host a site selectors guild advisory forum
- Parkway Center – $127,110 in start-up funding for a senior community center in Verona
- Stevens-Swan Humane Society – $16,000 to fund a building addition and remodeling
- The House of the Good Shepherd – $14,950 for renovations to two intensive treatment center cottages
- Upstate Cerebral Palsy – $100,000 to complete renovations for a new mental health clinic
- YMCA of the Greater Tri-Valley – $100,000 for its new state-of-the-art facility in Rome
In the fourth quarter, donor-advised funds awarded 245 grants totaling more than $1.3 million to 176 organizations, including:
40 Days for Life
4PetSake Food Pantry
Abraham House
Adirondack Council
Adirondack Foothills Trails Alliance
Alliance Defending Freedom
Alternative Efforts Center of Central New York
American Center for Law and Justice
American Red Cross – Central New York Chapter
Boilermaker Road Race
Boonville Kiwanis Foundation
Boonville Youth Athletic Association
Boy Scouts of America Leatherstocking Council
Building Futures Foundation
Canterbury School
Capitol Civic Center
Care Net
Care Net Pregnancy Center of CNY
Catholic Charities of Oneida & Madison Counties
Cazenovia College
Cazenovia Forum
Center for Family Life and Recovery
Center for Leadership Excellence
Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Central New York Conservancy
Charles T. Sitrin Health Care Center
Church of the Annunciation
Clinton ABC Program
Congregation Zvi Jacob
Created Equal
Crown Financial Ministries
Dartmouth College
Delta Lake Bible Conference Center
Dodge Pratt Northam Art & Community Center
Emmaus House
Episcopal Relief & Development
Erwin Library and Institute
Family Research Council
Feed Our Veterans
First Presbyterian Church
Focus on the Family
Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind
Genesis Group
God’s World Publications
Great Swamp Conservancy
Hartwick College
HealthFriends
Herkimer County College Foundation
Herkimer County Humane Society
Hope House
Humane Society of Rome
ICAN
Independent Baptist Church
Inlet Historical Society
International Thyroid Oncology Group
Ithaca College
Jervis Public Library
Jewish Theology Seminary of America
Jezreel International
Johnson Park Center
Joni and Friends
Judicial Watch
Keys for Kids Ministries
Kindred Spirits Greyhound Adoption
Landmarks Society of Greater Utica
Leadership Institute
Liberty Counsel
LightHawk
Live Action
Living Independently is for Everyone at RCIL
Madison County Children’s Camp
Madison Square Boys & Girls Club
March for Life Education and Defense Fund
Masonic Care Community of New York
Michelle M. Adey Memorial Fund
Midtown Utica Community Center
Mid-York Library System
Mohawk Valley Community College Foundation
Mohawk Valley Frontiers Club
Mohawk Valley Health System Foundation
Mohawk Valley Institute for Learning in Retirement
Montclair State University Foundation
Mt. Markham Central School
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute
Musicians on Call
Natural Resources Defense Council
New Hartford Citizens Band
New Hartford Little League
New Hartford Presbyterian Church
New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation
North Country Pet Adoption Services
Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School
On Point For College
Oneida Area Day Care Center
Oneida Community Mansion House
Oneida County History Center
Oneida County Youth Bureau
Oneida First United Methodist Church
Otsego 2000
Our Lady of Poland R.C. Church
Our Lady of the Rosary Church
Parkway Center
Pathfinder Village
Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson
Pomfret School
Presbyterian Homes Foundation
Princeton Christian Fellowship
Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse
Rescue Mission of Utica
Rome Art & Community Center
Rome Community Foundation
Rome Community Theatre
Rome Dollars for Scholars
Rome Historical Society
Rome Rescue Mission
Rome Sports Hall of Fame
SAFY of America
Sagamore Institute
Saint Agatha Foundation
Salvation Army Utica Citadel Corps
Samaritan’s Purse
Sculpture Space
Second Amendment Foundation
Semper Fi Fund
Sherrill-Kenwood Community Chest
Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet – Albany Province
St. Joseph & St. Patrick Church
Stevens-Swan Humane Society
Students for Life America
SUNY Polytechnic Institute Foundation
Susquehanna SPCA
Syracuse University
Temple Beth El
The ALS Association
The Center for Medical Progress
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry
The Heritage Foundation
The House of the Good Shepherd
The Jewish Board of Family & Children Services
The Kelberman Center
The KEYS Corp.
The Nature Conservancy – Central & Western New York Chapter
The Neighborhood Center
The Salvation Army of Rome, NY
The Trustees of Reservations
The Voice of the Martyrs
Thea Bowman House
Town of Inlet Public Library
Town of Webb Historical Association
Town of Webb Union Free School District
Trinity College
Trustees of Princeton University
Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust
United Way of Rome & Western Oneida County
United Way of the Valley & Greater Utica Area
University of Rochester
Upstate Cerebral Palsy
Upstate Foundation
Upstate Medical Alumni Foundation
Uptown Theatre for Creative Arts
Utica Center for Development
Utica College
Utica Dollars For Scholars
Utica Roadrunners
Utica Zoological Society
Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School District
Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Education Foundation
View Center for Arts and Culture
Village of New Hartford
Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association
WCNY
Women’s Fund of Herkimer & Oneida Counties
Women’s League of Conservative Judaism
Zola Levitt Ministries
In support of future grantmaking, seven funds were created in the fourth quarter of 2019:
- Adirondack League Club Community Fund for Education – A donor-advised fund established by Adirondack League Club to support the educational endeavors of students in the Central Adirondack region of the Adirondack Park.
- Adirondack League Club Scholarship Fund – A scholarship fund established by Adirondack League Club to award scholarships to students in the Central Adirondack region of the Adirondack Park.
- Christopher and Deborah McGrath Family Fund – A donor-advised fund established by Christopher and Deborah McGrath for general charitable purposes.
- Linda Leogrande Youth Ambassador Scholarship Fund – A scholarship fund established by the Broadway Theater League of Utica to provide academic scholarships to the participants of its Youth Ambassador program in memory of longtime board member Linda Leogrande.
- Michael and Lois Silverman Family Fund – A donor-advised fund established by Michael and Lois Silverman for general charitable purposes.
- Utica Public Library Charitable Fund – An agency fund benefiting the Utica Public Library, a nonprofit organization with a mission to serve as a source of information for the community through various resources.
- Vogel Family Fund – A donor-advised fund established by David and Kathryn Vogel for general charitable purposes.
Photo Caption: Local resident shops at Compassion Coalition’s Bargain Grocer store.