Academic excellence, professional development, civic service, and self-esteem are the four foundational elements that comprise the methodology of success for the Mohawk Valley Junior Frontiers.

Meet Me + Make is an off-site program that takes place at local rehabilitation and nursing facilities. Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute staff take their tools and knowledge to the residents so they can learn and create their own masterpieces.

Innovation Collective Utica (ICU) is an economic transformation project aimed at developing a community-wide education platform to activate community members to participate in growing the economy. 

For many Herkimer and Oneida county residents, the fall 2019 storm is a distant memory. But for those whose homes and businesses suffered from flooding caused by nearly seven inches of rain in just a few hours, life has not yet returned to normal.

For Jerome Donovan, honoring his remarkable father by giving back to the community that meant so much to him was important.

When the pandemic hit, many donor-advised fundholders stepped up to support relief efforts for organizations near and far. One fund in particular set out on a mission to combat one of the main pressure points that the community felt: food insecurity.

The two-county community has something invaluable here—agriculture. Local farmers, growing and raising food, cultivated in our communities’ backyards, distributed across the region, state, and beyond.

With the recent past being replaced by a new normal, communities struggle with the effects of the global pandemic, families try to meet basic needs and cope with a new educational environment—while nonprofit organizations attempt to keep up with the growing need for their services.

The “Community Equity Initiative,” as it’s called, is only beginning to take shape. But there are some things that we do know and can share with you, after a few months into this latest phase of the Community Foundation’s evolving work.