Helpful Harvest Fund
A field-of-interest fund to support the needs of human service organizations including, but not limited to, food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.
Overview
The Helpful Harvest Fund was established to help nonprofits meeting increased Herkimer and Oneida county resident need stemming from economic difficulty and food insecurity. It will provide direct support to food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters meeting resident need during the November-December holiday season.
Related Stories
The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties invites human service organizations whose primary operation is a food pantry, soup kitchen, or shelter that provides pantry items or meals to residents to apply for its Helpful Harvest Grant Round.
The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties concluded another impactful year of community investment in 2025, awarding more than $17.9 million in grants, scholarships, and emergency relief funds—the highest total distributed in a single year in the Foundation’s nearly 75-year history. Donations received in 2025 totaled over $24 million, marking the strongest year on record in terms of dollars raised.
Through the Helpful Harvest Grant Round, supported by the Helpful Harvest Fund, the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties awarded over $106,000 to 44 human service organizations including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and others to help alleviate food insecurity and support increased need around the holiday season and colder months.
Every fall, as the season of giving approaches, the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties connects a network of donors, fundholders and nonprofit partners to tackle one of the community’s most pressing issues: food insecurity.
The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties concluded another year of community investment in 2024, awarding grants, scholarships, and emergency relief funds totaling more than $15.7 million, marking the highest dollar amount awarded in a single year in the Community Foundation’s 70+ year history. Additionally, donations received in 2024 totaled over $16 million – the second-highest year on record in terms of dollars raised.
Through the Helpful Harvest Grant Round, supported by the Helpful Harvest Fund, the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties awarded $100,000 to 36 human service organizations including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and others to help alleviate food insecurity and support increased need around the holiday season and colder months.
A detailed look at the grants, investments, scholarships and other community programs/initiatives made by the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties in 2023.
Through the Helpful Harvest Grant Round, supported by the Helpful Harvest Fund, the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties awarded $71,849 to 50 human service organizations including food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters to help alleviate food insecurity and support increased need around the holidays and colder months.
The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties is seeking applications from human services organizations including, but not limited to, food pantries, soup kitchens, and/or shelters, for the Helpful Harvest Grant Round, supported by the Helpful Harvest Fund at the Community Foundation.
The Helpful Harvest Fund, a newly launched field-of-interest fund at the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, awarded $38,500 to more than 30 human service organizations including food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters during the month of November to support increased need around the holidays and colder months.
