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, 2021

$198M+

Total Assets

$14M

Donations

725

Donors

475

Active Funds

$11M

Community Investments

$198M+

Total Assets
$14M

Donations
725

Donors
475

Active Funds
$11M

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

Alexandra G. Kogut Memorial Fund Awards Multiple Grants to Community Organizations

The Alexandra G. Kogut Memorial Fund was created by Becky and Mark Kogut in honor of their daughter, Alexandra, to support community organizations that share her passion and kindness. Each year, several grants are awarded through this donor-advised fund of the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, allowing Alexandra’s spirit to live on. Grants are awarded to programs and organizations that reflect Alexandra’s interests, including swimming and her love for children.

Hero Fund America Fund Announces 2022 Grant Recipients

Hero Fund America Fund (HFA), a field-of-interest fund of the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, today announced $15,000 in awards for first-responder organizations across the country. Each year the fund helps meet the education, training, lifesaving equipment and mental health needs of fire, emergency medical services (EMS), and law enforcement agencies in New York and other states.

Herkimer County Collaborative Launches Community Development Plan

A local government-nonprofit collaborative has announced the completion of a Herkimer County-wide community development plan that will address the county’s longstanding challenges and future growth opportunities. Under the plan, a nonprofit called Herkimer County Community Development Partnership will be created to formalize collaborative efforts needed to address economic challenges, while connecting and encouraging innovation in thriving but disconnected points of growth county-wide.

Essay Contest Winner Earns Summer Internship at Utica Public Library

A panel of independent judges have selected Hender Hernandez Caba, a rising senior at Thomas R. Proctor High School, as the winner of the annual Give Back to Utica essay contest and recipient of a paid summer internship at the Utica Public Library.