2018 Record-Breaking Year for Community Foundation Grantmaking, Donations

The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties marked another year of community impact in 2018, awarding nearly 750 grants totaling more than $6.9 million to support programs and initiatives that will have long-lasting impact. In addition, The Community Foundation’s donor support set a record: $15.4 million from 4,300 donors and the creation of 30 charitable funds.

“In the past year, we have seen extraordinary growth from every angle, both in our community and as an organization,” said Alicia Dicks, president/CEO. “These numbers tell a story about the strategic work that we are doing to improve the quality of life in our communities and reflect the generosity of those who support that work.”

Fourth-quarter competitive grants of more than $807,000 were awarded to 26 nonprofit organizations, primarily in support of The Community Foundation’s priorities: education, economic development, health and wellness, and arts and culture:

• Artspace Projects – $75,000 to fund pre-development of mixed-use artist housing
• Bagg’s Square Association – $17,000 for the creation of a board liaison role
• Boy Scouts of America Leatherstocking Council – $8,400 for renovations to a shower house
• Charles T. Sitrin Health Care Center – $3,400 for an interior painting project
• Cornell Cooperative Extension – $51,400 for a business and farm incubator
• Herkimer County Historical Society – $25,000 for maintenance and preservation of the building exterior
• Herkimer County Office for the Aging – $5,300 to fund the senior transportation program
• Humane Society of Rome – $24,000 for the purchase of a utility van
• Kids Oneida – $152,800 to support capacity building
• Little Falls Hospital – $40,000 for a community wellness space at the Dolgeville Primary Care Health Center
• Masonic Medical Research Institute – $93,800 for the purchase of new equipment
• Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency – $50,000 to support the homeless youth shelter
• Mohawk Valley EDGE – $10,000 for a regional advisory forum
• Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees – $19,300 to replace flooring and carpets
• Parkway Center – $24,500 to purchase a senior transportation vehicle
• Presbyterian Homes Foundation – $25,000 for management and staff development training
• Samaritan Counseling Center of the Mohawk Valley – $10,700 for roof replacement
• Sauquoit Valley Central School – $10,000 to support teacher attendance at the Disney Leadership Program
• Sherrill Kenwood Free Library – $1,700 for new computers and a copier
• Stanley Center for the Arts – $46,000 to upgrade backstage line sets
• The House of the Good Shepherd – $20,000 to fund the renovation of a residential facility
• Town of Kirkland – $15,000 for Clinton Arena improvements
• Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust – $5,000 to provide environmental education programs
• Uptown Theatre for Creative Arts – $25,000 for a heating system
• Utica Center for Development – $39,200 for building repairs
• YWCA of the Mohawk Valley – $10,000 for domestic violence training

For all of 2018, The Community Foundation’s donor-advised funds awarded 469 grants totaling a record $3.28 million, an increase of more than 50 percent from 2017. In the fourth quarter, donor-advised funds awarded 226 grants totaling more than $1.2 million to 136 organizations, including:

• 4PetSake Food Pantry
• Adirondack Architectural Heritage
• Adirondack Council
• Alternative Efforts Center of Central New York
• American Red Cross
• Angels of Fur
• Animal Alliance of Greater Syracuse
• Arc Herkimer
• Ava Dorfman Senior Center
• Beit Tefillah Chavurah/The House of Prayer Fellowship
• Boonville Youth Athletic Association
• Boy Scouts of America Leatherstocking Council
• Broome County Humane Society and Relief Association
• Bubba’s Beds for Shelter Friends
• Building Futures Foundation
• CAP-21
• Care Net Pregnancy Center of CNY
• Catholic Charities of Herkimer County
• Cazenovia College
• Center for Family Life and Recovery
• Central Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired
• Central New York Conservancy
• Chabad at Hamilton
• Chenango County SPCA
• Clinton ABC Program
• CNY Cat Coalition
• Compassion Coalition
• CPV Rescue & Sanctuary
• Deansboro Cemetery Association
• Emmaus House
• Fenimore Art Museum
• First Presbyterian Church
• First United Methodist Church of Oneida
• Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind
• Friends of the Polar Bears
• Front of the Class
• Fulton Chain of Lakes Association
• Glimmerglass Opera
• Great Swamp Conservancy
• HealthFriends
• Helping Animals Live Organization
• Herkimer County College Foundation
• Herkimer County Humane Society
• Home Aide Service of the Central Adirondacks
• HomeOwnershipCenter
• Hope House
• Humane Society of Rome
• Humane Society of Ventura County
• Inlet Public Library
• Insight House Chemical Dependency Services
• International Thyroid Cancer Study Group
• Ithaca College
• Jervis Public Library
• Jewish Community Federation of the Mohawk Valley
• Johnson Park Center
• KEYS Corp.
• Kinderwood Program
• Kindred Spirits Greyhound Adoption
• Kirkland Art Center
• Klinkhart Hall Arts Center
• Landmarks Society of Greater Utica
• Madison County Children’s Camp
• Madison Square Boys & Girls Club
• Masonic Medical Research Institute
• Midtown Utica Community Center
• Mid-York Library System
• Mohawk Valley Community College Foundation
• Mohawk Valley Health System Foundation
• Mohawk Valley Institute for Learning in Retirement
• Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute
• Niccolls Memorial Presbyterian Church
• North Country Pet Adoption Services
• North Woods Community Center
• Notre Dame Elementary School
• On Point For College
• Oneida Area Day Care Center
• Oneida Community Mansion House
• Oneida County Youth Bureau
• Otsego 2000
• Our Lady of the Rosary Church
• Parkway Center
• Paul Smith’s College
• Pause 4 All Paws
• Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson
• Presbyterian Homes Foundation
• R-CATS
• Rescue Mission of Utica
• Rising Stars Soccer Club of CNY
• Road to Home Rescue Support
• Rome Art & Community Center
• Rome Capitol Theatre
• Rome Community Foundation
• Rome Community Theatre
• Rome Dollars for Scholars
• Rome Historical Society
• Rome Rescue Mission
• Rome Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
• Salvation Army of Rome
• Salvation Army Utica Citadel Corps
• Sherrill-Kenwood Community Chest
• Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library
• Spay and Neuter Syracuse
• Spring Farm CARES
• St. Joseph & St. Patrick Church
• St. Patrick’s School
• Stevens-Swan Humane Society
• SUNY Polytechnic Institute Foundation
• Susquehanna SPCA
• Syracuse Health Science Center Medical Alumni Foundation
• Syracuse University
• Temple Beth El
• The House of the Good Shepherd
• The Kelberman Center
• The Neighborhood Center
• Thea Bowman House
• Town of Inlet
• Town of Webb Health Center Fund
• Town of Webb Historical Association
• Town of Webb School District
• Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust
• United Way of Rome & Western Oneida County
• United Way of the Valley & Greater Utica Area
• Upstate Venture Connect
• Uptown Theatre for Creative Arts
• Utica Center for Development
• Utica College
• Utica Dollars for Scholars
• Utica Food Pantry
• Utica Zoo
• Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central Schools
• VIEW Arts Center
• Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association
• Women’s Fund of Herkimer & Oneida Counties
• YMCA of the Mohawk Valley
• Zen Mountain Monastery

In support of future grantmaking, eight funds were created in the fourth quarter of 2018:

• Christopher and Kari Max Family Fund – A donor-advised fund to provide support for charitable purposes.
• Edward G. Hays Aviation Career Scholarship Fund – A scholarship fund to provide scholarships to qualified students enrolled in MVCC’s Airframe and Powerplant Technology Program.
• Empire Recycling Fund – A donor-advised fund to provide support for charitable purposes.
• Hud-Son Warrior Fund – A donor-advised fund to provide support for charitable purposes.
• Make Music Happen Project Fund – A designated fund to support the Make Music Happen Project, a musical instrument lending program, in partnership with the New Hartford Public Library.
• Rising Phoenix Fund – A donor-advised fund to aid recovery efforts for natural disasters around the country.
• Robert L. Steffensen Fund – A donor-advised fund to provide support for charitable purposes.
• Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig Insurance Fund – A donor-advised fund to provide support for charitable purposes.