Community Foundation Awards Over $965,000 to Nonprofits, Opens Two New Funds

UTICA, NY – The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties announced awards totaling more than $225,000 to 6 nonprofit organizations through its competitive grants process for the first quarter of 2019. Competitive grants are awarded to area nonprofits primarily in support of The Community Foundation’s strategic investment areas of education, economic development, health and wellness, and arts and culture.

The following organizations were awarded competitive grants:

• Jewish Community Federation of the Mohawk Valley – $4,800 to adopt a new human resource management platform
• Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency – $15,000 to support the homeless youth shelter
• Nascentia Health – $25,000 to fund a marketing feasibility study
• Parkway Center – $72,000 to implement AARP’s Livable Communities program to make local communities more age-friendly
• Utica Zoological Society – $70,000 for the creation of a new red panda exhibit
• Young Scholars Liberty Partnership Program at Utica College – $40,000 for a scholarship program

In addition to competitive grants, The Community Foundation’s donor-advised funds awarded 80 grants totaling more than $740,000 to 49 organizations, including:

• 4PetSake Food Pantry
• Adirondack Center for Writing
• AGC Scholarship Fund
• Animal Alliance of Greater Syracuse
• Believe 271 Foundation
• Boy Scouts of America Leatherstocking Council
• Broome County Humane Society
• Camp Kesem
• Central Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired
• Central New York Conservancy
• Chenango SPCA
• CNY Cat Coalition
• Cornell University Lab of Ornithology
• CPV Rescue & Sanctuary
• Helping Animals Live Organization (HALO)
• Herkimer County Humane Society
• Humane Society of Rome
• Independent Baptist Church
• Kindred Spirits Greyhound Adoption
• Leatherstocking Ballet
• Mars Hill Network
• Mohawk Valley Institute for Learning in Retirement
• Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute
• North Country Pet Adoption Services
• Oneida Community Mansion House
• Oneida County History Center
• Parkway Center
• Pause 4 All Paws
• Planned Parenthood Federation of America
• Presbyterian Homes Foundation
• R-CATS
• Reed College
• Road to Home Rescue Support
• Spay and Neuter Syracuse
• St. Joseph & St. Patrick Church
• Stevens-Swan Humane Society
• Susquehanna SPCA
• Temple Beth El
• The Kelberman Center
• The Rob Esche Save of the Day Foundation
• Thea Bowman House
• Upstate Medical University Alumni Foundation
• Utica College
• Utica Dollars For Scholars
• Utica Public Library
• Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association
• Women’s Fund of Herkimer & Oneida Counties
• WRVO Stations
• YWCA of the Mohawk Valley

Grants are made possible through the generosity of donors and organizations that create funds at The Community Foundation. The following new funds were created to benefit residents of Herkimer and Oneida counties for years to come:

• Dr. Russell and Maxine Rider Charitable Fund – A donor-advised fund established by Dr. Russell and Mrs. Maxine Rider for general charitable purposes.
• Steffensen Fund – An agency fund established by the Oneida County Historical Society for expenses related to the digitalization of its records and archives.