A Vibrant Region with Opportunity for All

Driven by our vision, the Community Foundation’s mission is to Engage, Invest, and Lead to strengthen Herkimer and Oneida counties.

See how we make a difference

Our Foundation

Build, Enhance & Sustain the Community

Our experienced staff and dedicated trustees are committed to matching donor support with community need through innovative, solution-based community investments aimed at positive impact.

For 70 years, we have grown and stewarded community resources to ensure greater capacity for future needs and unexpected challenges.

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Our Mission

Engage

We partner with donors and community organizations to determine funding solutions to residents' needs, advancing and enhancing community development.

Invest

We maximize donor impact through long-term stewardship, and commit funds and resources to nonprofit partner organizations for the greatest possible community impact.

Lead

We provide leadership to bring community partners together for collaborative impact, acting as a trusted advocate that can bridge differences and build meaningful coalitions.

Annual Figures as of December 31, 2022

$170M

Total Assets

$14.59M

Donations

874

Donors

507

Active Funds

$12.65M

Community Investments

$170M

Total Assets
$14.59M

Donations
874

Donors
507

Active Funds
$12.65M

Community Investments

Our Story is Your Story

Strengthening Our Community Together

Funding Opportunities

Ways to Give

Create a Fund

Who We Are

We Are Here to Better Our Community

Through nonprofit partnerships we work to strengthen our community, enhancing neighborhood vibrancy, creating jobs, educating, and addressing racial equity and social justice challenges.

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In Their Own Words

“My wife and I had talked about establishing a foundation, and as we discussed it more, we began to see all the potential challenges involved. How do you manage it? How do you decide what agencies to give grants to without the ability to supervise it all? The more challenges that we considered, the more it seemed that the Community Foundation was the place that could handle all of these matters and handle them very well.”
Donald Van Waes, Fundholder

“It has been an unbelievable relationship. We’ve been able to figure out a way to utilize the Community Foundation’s resources for some great projects that have turned into stories that we’ve been able to tell in various ways about how amazing the organization has been in helping us reach our goal of building community.”
Kevin Crosley, President/CEO, Arc Herkimer

“Every day, I’m proud to be part of a community so rich in promise and possibility—as we turn challenges into progress. Together we can realize our collective potential so that everyone’s opportunity to succeed contributes to a bright future for all.”
Alicia Fernandez Dicks, President/CEO

(3 Total)

More to Explore...

All News All Stories

Memorial Scholarship Fund Established in Honor of Jean M. Hernon-Kallus to Benefit New Hartford Central School Graduates

The Jean M. Hernon-Kallus’82 Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in memory of Jean Marie Hernon-Kallus, who passed away in 2022, by her family, 1982 classmates and friends. The fund will honor and remember Jean’s vibrant spirit for years to come, providing graduates of New Hartford Central School District with scholarships.

Big Step Forward for Utica Neighborhood Revitalization Project

In a significant step for its multi-partner Cornhill initiative, the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties recently welcomed the first two staff dedicated to neighborhood revitalization. Jessica Amber Hernandez and De’Quan Watson, working as community project strategists, will guide and help develop and implement the strategy that connects two planned new centers with nonprofit organizations and residents.

Community Foundation to Host Second-Annual 24-hour Giving Day to Support Nonprofits

The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties will host the second-annual 24-hour day of community giving, “Mohawk Valley Gives,” on September 20, to benefit local nonprofits serving the two counties. Registration for area nonprofit organizations launched on May 23, at givemv.org and is available through July 31.

Community Foundation Awards More Than $165,000 in Equity Grants

The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties has announced nearly two dozen grants totaling more than $165,000 as part of a long-term strategy addressing the fundamental causes of systemic racism and socioeconomic inequity that impact historically marginalized populations in the two counties.